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View Full Version : 8yr old Westie Litter Mates Urinating in House


bpow
Nov 10, 2009, 08:58 AM
We have two 8yr old female westhighland terriers. They are litter mates. Early on they urinated outside fairly well (not perfectly), but both are now routinely urinating around the house. Both have grown up using a crate (large crate together) where they are during the day while we are at work. They are out while we are home at night, and then sleep in the crate at night. If we fall asleep and they are not in the crate... they will go somewhere and urinate in the house on the carpet. Or, they will sneak off in the evening and go. Mostly in our dining room and in our master bedroom, less often in other parts of the house but they go there too. Now they have started sneaking off and "pooping" as well. One gives us some signs when she wants to go out (if we are watching), but if we miss it... she goes in the house. This dog is a little more nuerotic in personality, and the pleaser of the two. The other (Alpha of the two) doesn't give a flip... she just goes in the house with no indication. HELP...

shazamataz
Nov 10, 2009, 07:14 PM
My first suggestion is always a vet check with any dog, sometimes there can be a medical reason behind the bad behaviour.

However this one sound to me like learned behaviour, one is copying the other (the alpha)
You need to break the cycle and it will be a lot of work but it is possible...

You can try using citronella oil which dogs hate the smell of in areas where they go the most, this will hopefully deter them from these places. It smells kind of lemony so it won't bother you.

You may have to just watch them extra carefully for a week and not let them out of your sight so you can actually catch them in the act and punish them or quickly take outside so they know where they are supposed to go.

Another option (last resort) is puppy training pads, the dogs will still be pottying in the house but it does make clean up a lot easier. A new product on the market is fake lawn as well, it is just a washable patch of fake turf for them to potty on and it still gives them the sensation that they are urinating on grass.

bpow
Nov 11, 2009, 10:22 AM
You mean burn a citro. Candle in the room? Or is there a spray or something?

shazamataz
Nov 11, 2009, 05:06 PM
You can just buy the oil from camping stores, the kind that goes in lamps, I just dab a little on furniture around the room or even on the carpet (test a patch first to make sure it does not stain) where they are prone to urinating.

If you don't want them to go in the room you can try the candles but I have seen more success with the actual oil so they get a big whiff of it when they sniff that area.