Cocking his leg indoors

[Becky and Wilson]

Merfyn is 13 months old now.  He's been clean in the house from a very early age, hardly had any accidents compared to when the girls were pups!

Yesterday Merfyn cocked his leg up my jeans that were hanging over the radiator!  I yelled at him and took him outside but put it down to the fact that he'd not been out for a couple of hours and OH had shut the dog flap.  Anyway, about an hour or less later he cocked his leg up the side unit in the same room as before!    Now I know this time he did not NEED to go!  I yelled again and chucked him outside (not physically!)

This morning I came downstairs and there was a small wet patch at the bottom of the stairs, so I can only assume it was him again!  (Didn't yell at him this time as didn't catch him in the act!)

Is this a phase young boys go through as teenagers?

Everytime he sniffs anything I'm on edge now!

[supergirl]

Not sure if its a teenage thing or not - Roly peed once indoors up a curtain near the back door in the kitchen, 2 yards from an open door to the garden, thankfully I caught him mid stream and chased him out of doors.  He's never done it since. 

I guess if it continues the first thing to do would be to get a vet to check that there is nothing going on with his waterworks given that he needed to go straight after going outside.  I know that they can be very sensitive to new smells, new carpet, curtains etc and feel the need to mark them, which might be what the vet would suggest. 

In the meantime just make sure that you clean everything well with biological washing powder so that he's not tempted to re-mark them if this is the case, also start taking him outdoors regularly for the toilet and reward with a treat for going outdoors again.

[Geordietyke]

Odie is nearly 18 months and he's never marked indoors either.  We are having new carpets put down and he trotted up to the roll of underlay and peed all over it TWICE!  I'm assuming it's because it had a new smell and it was in his house   Needless to say he's not allowed in the rooms with new carpets! 

Hopefully it'll only be a one off incident Becky, fingers crossed!  Lesley

[Top Barks]

i wonder if there was some sort of scent on your jeans? if he has marked in one place, there is every chance he'll mark there again.
at 13 months wreaks of adolescence to me.

[Hurtwood Dogs]

Poor you, not sure Becky If it's not an infection, I'm not 100% sure how you tackle it though because in their heads, I'm not sure if 'marking' is considered the same as weeing - so while he's well toilet trained he may not think 'marking' is a problem.

Neither of my male dogs have cocked their legs in the house they've had the odd accident (usually my fault) but never actively sniffed and marked when they have the option to go out. Trev was never a great marker anyway and Dave, does do it (outside!) but not obsessively. Oddly, of my 3 dogs, Normy who's obviously a bitch is the one that marks the most and she's also the one most likely to have a 'wee' in the house - although it's not very often.

I'd get him checked if he's still doing it in a couple of days but also possibly go back to reinforcing and praising him weeing outside and see if that helps. Good luck!!!!!

[ollie nathan's mum]

Ollie cocked his leg up against the vets reception desk, the nurse said he was marking thank goodness he has never done it at home. He is 14 months.

[black taz]

i take it you havent had any new pets in the house he may be cover their scent?

I was talking to someone a couple of years ago whose yorkie had started to mark in the house - after a few minutes discussion with her it turned out she had a female yorkie of 6 months - it appeared to be linked to the fact she was going into season and he was obviously claiming his terriority and her.

[Mel]

Tali is 17 months and when a new occurance happens like a new care worker or when the ambulance people took her to hospital, he tinkles in the lounge. He was fine for a few weeks then a new care worker came in over the weekend both days and we've had a few puddles on the lounge carpet again. I always clear up and use Simple Solution but I think it's not that effective because I can still smell something.

How do I do the bio washing powder clean? What do people suggest?

The carpet is junkable but it's all we've got for the mo.

[Becky and Wilson]

I use a different wash powder to usual so perhaps that was enticing him to my jeans?!  Although its a biological wash powder so you'd think he wouldn't want to mark that!  I've not had any other dogs in my house but there is a chance a random cat may have wandered in and he smelt it, and late last night OH spotted a mouse running accross the floor in that room!  Surely he wouldn't be marking his territory to warn off a mouse! 

Still haven't found the little mouse!

No more leg cocking though!     And we went to a friends house and he didn't cock his leg round there either.....I did pre-warn her though that he might and everytime he sniffed I was on guard.....but we were lucky!

[LynneB]

I have to watch Murphy all the time as he does this regularly. It is a dominance thing. Because we have girls and boys, he is trying to show who is boss. He didn't start until he was about a year old. If I spot him, I clap my hands and say no and he stops immediately. He is housetrained but is just marking

[Becky and Wilson]

I have to watch Murphy all the time as he does this regularly. It is a dominance thing. Because we have girls and boys, he is trying to show who is boss. He didn't start until he was about a year old. If I spot him, I clap my hands and say no and he stops immediately. He is housetrained but is just marking

We have girls too, I don't think he's doing it as a dominance thing.....I wouldn't say any of mine think they are the boss.  They all mark over each others wee's out on walks! 

[bajoleth]

Monty is housetrained but will mark if something new is in his territory, the other morning I put my sons raincoats on the back of the chair ready for school, he weed on the arm of Toms which was brand new, he didn't bother with Wills as he has had it some time. He will also wee on the wheels of Evies Pram as I assume they pick up doggy smells when we are out. If I catch him I shout Monty loudly and point to the door he then runs outside where he is supposed to wee. He of course doesn't want to wee he is just marking, anyone have any ideas as to what can be done ? He also wees over Belles wee outside and sometimes he will wee in HER foodbowl when they have finished eating?
Oooh and he can't resist black bin bags, if I put a black bag down anywhere he will cock his leg up on it

[nking25]

My Ozzy (nearly 3) has just starting doing this around the house, he has never peed in the house since he was little but now that cody (nearly 9 months) is getting older I've caught him a few time marking around the house and cody is doing it also, its like a competition between the 2 of them.

Will this ever stop? or will the 2 of them always try and mark 

[Mittens]

I've had the odd issue with Eddie on our lounge curtains - but we went to my SIL's the other month (he's been going there since his very first weekend out, although only intermittently cos of the distance) and he ran in tail wagging, straight upstairs, cocked his leg and pee'd on her coffee table!  Luckily she's a doggy person with two naughty labs so she laughed it off - but i think it must have been him proving some sort of point to her male dog? 

[supergirl]

Whilst Roly only ever did it the once at home he has cocked his leg in another persons home.  When we first went to pick up Lexi he peed twice indoors at the foster/rescue's home - in his defense there were a lot of other dogs about which I guess made him feel the need to mark.  Have to admit I'm always wary about taking him to anyones house and will usually keep him on lead.