Dirty dog......

Whitchick · Post by **Whitchick** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 5:44 am

Hello,
Can anyone help me. I have two lovely female terriers, Penny who is now 3, and Mia, 2. They get on fine, are both housetrained and use a cat flap to get in and out of garden as they please.

Penny was difficult to housetrain but eventually got it and a very clean girl, Mia would NEVER toilet in the house. However, Penny has taken to peeing on a new lounge rug. I spent a fortune on one, which she quickly ruined and it had to be thrown out, now I have replaced with a much cheaper one to see if she could manage not to, and she is doing it again.

I never catch her, and due to the layout of our house, I dont have the ability to shut her out of the area when we are not there. It appears to be that she is marking, as opposed to fully wetting.

I've cleaned it using soda water, and then spraying with surgical spirit as suggested to get dog wee out, I've sprinkled the rug with pepper to deter her but she still does it secretly. Its driving me mad !!

She is due to be spayed next week, will this help ?? I dont understand why she feels the need to do this when she is generally so clean, our routine hasnt changed, she gets walked regularly, and is a lovely happy dog, she just cant keep away from my rug !!!! Arrrgghhhhh.... Can anyone help ?????

Nettle · Post by **Nettle** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 6:10 am

It's an insecurity thing. Two bitches together, one growing into her prime and nearing the other in status. Spaying won't help just now - might make her even more insecure. Don't be too sure it is the ***** that didn't housetrain so well either. It probably is, but the other might be the insecure one now.

Why the rug? It has probably been treated with something that smells appealing to dogs. It is a soft surface that doesn't splash.

Regardless of the layout of your house, you are going to have to figure out ways of keeping the dog from the rug. Baby gates, dog crates, temporary barriers, kennel or pen outside - loads of choices. And don't confine them together because I think you have trouble ahead with *****-on-***** status wars, until they settle which one is top *****.

maximoo · Post by **maximoo** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 6:20 am

Do you HAVE to have a rug? You could just take it up. Maybe just take it out for company.

Whitchick · Post by **Whitchick** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 6:24 am

Hi Nettle,
I did think it might be an insecurity thing but she did it long before Mia came along, we had Penny from 6 weeks old and Mia was brought in to the family just over a year ago, she was a rescue dog. Its definately Penny, 100% guaranteed.

At the moment I have resorted to removing the rug when I am out during the day, at night they are both shut in our bedroom with us.

We've already had the dominance problems. We've had two or three serious fights between them last year, Penny has most definately now put herself in top dog position and they are very settled together but it took a while and I honestly considered re-homing little Mia as I was worried they would kill each other. Mia now is very respectful of Penny, they feed together, sleep together etc with no problems at all. Mia was also spayed a month or so ago..

Will Penny ever stop doing this do you think ?

Whitchick · Post by **Whitchick** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 6:27 am

maximoo wrote:Do you HAVE to have a rug? You could just take it up. Maybe just take it out for company.

I would quite like one yes - our whole house is wood floored, so I'd like to keep it !! More importantly than having the rug was trying to figure out why the dog is actually doing it.... since she is so clean normally.. I'm more concerned about her than the rug but would love to have both if possible !!

Bumble's mom · Post by **Bumble's mom** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 6:33 am

Have you had her to the vet for a urinalysis? One of mine is extremely prone to urinary tract infections, and when I first got her, I assumed she was being naughty when in reality, she truly couldn't help it. Antibiotics stopped the problem in 48 hours. Over time I learned...accident on the rug equalled visit the vet. It's just her body's response to any kind of stress.

Whitchick · Post by **Whitchick** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 6:38 am

Bumble's mom wrote:Have you had her to the vet for a urinalysis? One of mine is extremely prone to urinary tract infections, and when I first got her, I assumed she was being naughty when in reality, she truly couldn't help it. Antibiotics stopped the problem in 48 hours. Over time I learned...accident on the rug equalled visit the vet. It's just her body's response to any kind of stress.

Yep, all checked, bless her, she is such a little sweetie, absolutely adorable and so well behaved in every other way, just with a massive rug fetish

Strange because we have carpet upstairs in the house and she never does anything naughty.

Mattie · Post by **Mattie** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 11:51 am

Whitchick wrote:
maximoo wrote:Do you HAVE to have a rug? You could just take it up. Maybe just take it out for company.
I would quite like one yes - our whole house is wood floored, so I'd like to keep it !! More importantly than having the rug was trying to figure out why the dog is actually doing it.... since she is so clean normally.. I'm more concerned about her than the rug but would love to have both if possible !!

When they pee on wooden floors it splashes their legs which dogs don't like, a nice, soft rug is so much nicer to potty on.

I have wooden floors, if my dogs can't get outside, they go on the rug.

I find white vinegar or biological washing liquid is good for when they have an accident on my rug, it takes the smell away completely. Sometimes I rub bicarbonate of soda into the rug, leave for about half an hour then hoover, it takes all the doggy smells out of my rug.