Stop Your Male from Lifting his Leg in the House

Territorial Urination

REASONS WHY YOUR MALE TERRITORIAL URINATES

In the wild, the male dog urinates not only to relieve himself (go to the bathroom), but also to let other animals know "this is his property." It is similar to a "No Trespassing" sign. The male dog chooses to urinate on objects that are higher than ground level. Outside, this will be on trees, bushes, poles, fire hydrants, etc. Other than on our prized landscaping, we normally do not mind where the male dog urinates. However, urinating inside the house is a completely different story! It is generally a universal rule that the adult male dog is not allowed to urinate anywhere inside the house. Virtually every male dog will, at one time or another, try to urinate inside the house (mark his territory) and hope to get away with it.

In the wild, only the leader of the pack (the alpha dog), is allowed to mark (urinate) on the boundaries and den areas of his territory. Because we as humans do not mark our territory inside our homes (our dens) in the form of urination, the male dog feels he has the right to do so. It is for this reason that the male dog will urinate on the ends of couches, chairs, walls, door jams, etc.

CORRECTING THE PROBLEM

Although the procedure I am about to give you sounds a little odd. It works! But it only works if you follow it closely. We first must take the male's urine odor away from the area where he has marked inside the house. To do so, first clean the area with an ivory soap and water solution. Then after drying the area, spray 50% white vinegar and 50% water solution over the area. (The reason you spray the area with a white vinegar solution is that urine is primarily ammonia. Ammonia is basic and vinegar is acidic. When combined together, the ammonia and vinegar neutralize each other.)

The next step is for you to mark the area with new type of scent. Your scent is going to be hot Tabasco sauce. That's right! Hot Tabasco sauce. You must take a dish cloth and put Tabasco sauce on it and put this cloth in the male dog's mouth for 30 second. You only have to do this once. From this point on he will never forget your scent. But if you do not do this, the procedure will not work. Then place a few drops of the Tabasco sauce in a quart of water. Pour this solution into a spray bottle and spray over the area's you have previously cleaned and sprayed the 50% vinegar solution. By doing this, you now are placing your new odor over the male dog's territory marker. Hence, you as the leader or alpha figure in the pack, are marking your territory.

Because your dog does not like to urinate where he sleeps, you should temporarily place him in a small confined area when inside the house for the next 10 days. This area should be big enough for him to stand up, turn around, and lay back down in. The correct way to determine the size of this area is to measure the distance from his nose to his rear end (not tail) and add two inches. This means the kitchen, laundry room, bathroom, and basement are all too big! The best crate or pen to use is a "sky kennel." Sky kennels are made of fiber glass and wire, are very attractive, and are very easy to clean and transport. If you elect to use a wire or safari cage, you must cover the top, both sides, and back with a sheet or blanket. Otherwise, the dog will continually howl and bark. The reason he will continually make noise is that he feels defenseless against any predator. When you cover the wire cage, it suddenly becomes the dog's own den or room. This is similar to a child's feeling towards their play fort, it's their own room or part of the world.

Your dog should sleep in the this "den" (sky kennel) overnight. You will then take him outside first thing in the morning. Remember, he has just awaken and must let go of his excess reserve (urinate.) When you come back inside the house, the dog must go directly back into the "den." The key is, when the dog is inside your home, he is in his "den" during this 10 day period. You may take him outside as often as you wish to exercise, urinate and defecate. But when the dog comes inside... it's back in the den!

This procedure should be continued for 10 days. For the next 10 days the dog will not be able urinate anywhere in your home. Why? Because when he is in your home, he is in his new den. After the 10 day period, the dog is allowed out of the den only under close supervision in your home. My definition of "close supervision" is that your complete and undivided attention is focused on the dog. If the phone rings, put the dog back in the den and then answer the phone, etc. This procedure should be done for the next 14 days. At the end of the second faze period your dog should be completely housebroken. If you find that the dog has regressed any part or form of the housebreaking, begin the procedure from the first step.

place him in a small confined area when inside the house for the next 10 days. This area should be big enough for him to stand up, turn around, and lay back down in. The correct way to determine the size of this area is to measure the distance from his nose to his rear end (not tail) and add two inches. This means the kitchen, laundry room, bathroom, and basement are all too big! The best crate or pen to use is a "sky kennel." Sky kennels are made of fiber glass and wire, are very attractive, and are very easy to clean and transport. If you elect to use a wire or safari cage, you must cover the top, both sides, and back with a sheet or blanket. Otherwise, the dog will continually howl and bark. The reason he will continually make noise is that he feels defenseless against any predator. When you cover the wire cage, it suddenly becomes the dog's own den or room. This is similar to a child's feeling towards their play fort, it's their own room or part of the world.

Your dog should sleep in the this "den" (sky kennel) overnight. You will then take him outside first thing in the morning. Remember, he has just awaken and must let go of his excess reserve (urinate.) When you come back inside the house, the dog must go directly back into the "den." The key is, when the dog is inside your home, he is in his "den" during this 10 day period. You may take him outside as often as you wish to exercise, urinate and defecate. But when the dog comes inside... it's back in the den!

This procedure should be continued for 10 days. For the next 10 days the dog will not be able urinate anywhere in your home. Why? Because when he is in your home, he is in his new den. After the 10 day period, the dog is allowed out of the den only under close supervision in your home. My definition of "close supervision" is that your complete and undivided attention is focused on the dog. If the phone rings, put the dog back in the den and then answer the phone, etc. This procedure should be done for the next 14 days. At the end of the second faze period your dog should be completely housebroken. If you find that the dog has regressed any part or form of the housebreaking, begin the procedure from the first step.

Article compliments of American Canine Assoc.