Peeing In Anger

[Guest firegypsy]

So my male pup was angry with me this morning. I fed the dogs and he finished first and tried to go after the gal's food. I sternly said no, gently took his collar and led him out of the kitchen. He willingly went. This is an every morning event, and it's fine. He's getting really good at understanding that it's not his. Until today. I led him out, told him he was a good boy, gave him a kiss and he walked out. He then came around to where he could see me and lifted his leg, peeing all over the wall, the bookcase and a package that was just delivered. He had just been out less than an hour earlier, by the way.

 

What is the best way to handle this situation? I just loudly and sternly bellowed, "NO!" and walked towards him. I then in the same (non yelling) voice said, "Bad dog!" He stopped and skulked off. This is the first time he's done this, but I want to make super certain it doesn't become a habit. Any sage advice?

[TheFullHouse]

Might be a good idea when he's finished eating to let him right outside. All of mine have to go out after eating. Sometimes in the morning they may go outside and go just enough to relieve themselves and hold the rest until after breakfast. I don't think dogs feel anger like humans do. My best guess is he needed to go and you were busy waiting for the other one to finish.

 

I might add that once you've scolded him, put him right outside so he knows what he's supposed to do and what he's being scolded for.

[Guest PiagetsMom]

Yeah, not anger.....stress maybe, but it doesn't even sound like that. I think he just had to go pee. As for how to handle it, Judy pretty much covered that

[Guest firegypsy]

thank you. that might be part of the issue. you see, our fence is open right now and all the repair guys say it will be another 2-4 weeks before they can get to it. putting him out is not an option at the moment. but that's a good point.

 

see, my last dog peed on my bed when she was mad. if she was getting into something and I removed it, if she was mad enough she'd go pee on my bed. same thing if she felt like I left her. she'd break into my room to pee on my bed. so, I kind of feel like they can do things in a retaliatory way. maybe this wasn't, but generally if he has to go out he'll whine. this was less than a minute after finishing his food and I do feel it was from a cranky place. but, that said a way to avoid that would be to take get him leashed while she finishes. by the time he's leashed she'll be ready too. that's a good fix for that. now I'm just worried that this will be the way he shows displeasure (probably because of my last pooch!) and want to nip it in the bud regardless of the situation. but I suppose one incident does not a pattern make and I'm getting a wee bit ahead of myself.

 

thank you for the reply!

[XTRAWLD]

I disagree about them not having "anger" or "i'll get back at you attitude". My sister-in-law's little runt of a dog defecates in the house on purpose when left alone or if she's scolded him. He does it in plain sight of her, often right after going outside, cause he knows the cue. "I get it, you send me out to do my business and then you leave me all day long by myself....." I totally believe animals, however I think it's more common in cats, can have this get back at you mentality. I can understand the dog going in the house as a last resort....but this was not her situation nor is it the OP's.

 

I would recommend if you catch him peeing again, sternly correct the dog with a no, but take him straight out to do his business after it happens. When we got Ryder, he peed in the house on several occassions and this is how we corrected it. He just had to go potty way more frequently than Kasey who has a tank of steel, and he had no cue to tell us "I gotta go ma". Ryder now has built up his own tank and hasn't peed in the house for nearly a full year now.

 

Ryder often will go and eat anything remaining in Kasey's bowl if we don't stop him. He now knows not to step near the bowl until I say it's ok to do so. This was done by telling him no if he advanced towards it, and claiming Kasey's bowl as mine once Kasey was finished.

Edited July 22, 2011 by XTRAWLD

[Guest firegypsy]

Awesome, thank you. Yeah, he fully circled and stared me down while he did it. It felt pretty darned intentional. Perhaps not, but it felt like it. This was the first time I sent him out of the kitchen so perhaps I should revisit that too. It's only a minute, so I can just stand there for that time and pet him. That seemed to be preferable to him.

[RobinM]

People are spiteful, not dogs.

[fliggie]

Completely agree. I know it is hard for people to understand, but anger is not a dog emotion, per se--stress, fear/anxiety--but not anger. No anger management classes for dogs. That doesn't mean you don't correct the behavior as Judy and others noted, but they just don't have the capacity to get "revenge". Not in their make up.

[JJNg]

While I won't say anything's impossible, I really don't believe dogs misbehave out of anger or spite as many people seem to think. The majority of examples I hear of dogs who supposedly urinate, defecate, become destructive, or otherwise misbehave out of malice can usually be explained by stress or anxiety.

 

My sister-in-law's little runt of a dog defecates in the house on purpose when left alone or if she's scolded him. He does it in plain sight of her, often right after going outside, cause he knows the cue.

I honestly don't think dogs can voluntarily defecate when they don't really need to go any more than we can. Not to get too graphic, but do you know any human who would be able to defecate on purpose to get back at someone because they are angry? From a medical standpoint, bowel movements are initiated by peristalsis, the involuntary muscle contractions that move things through the intestines - not something under voluntary control. Now stress/anxiety can often cause an increased need to defecate, as well as diarrhea, both in humans and other animals, and this response can be fairly immediate.

 

Now urination is under a bit more voluntary control. But from the OP's description, it sounded like the dog had a pretty full bladder despite being out just an hour ago, so he may just have needed to go.

[Guest zombrie]

Might be a good idea when he's finished eating to let him right outside. All of mine have to go out after eating. Sometimes in the morning they may go outside and go just enough to relieve themselves and hold the rest until after breakfast. I don't think dogs feel anger like humans do. My best guess is he needed to go and you were busy waiting for the other one to finish.

 

I might add that once you've scolded him, put him right outside so he knows what he's supposed to do and what he's being scolded for.

 

Exactly what Judy said, on both parts.

Doolin HAS to go outside immediately after he eats, even if he was let out right before he ate. It's just his routine.

[4greyhounds]

Well, I am not sure what this is.... Aladdin has a issue where he would only pee on the dog beds if he was left too long.... His foster home would not keep him becuase he would always pee on the dog beds even though she had a dog door. We were then his foster home but we were foster failures. We had broke him of peeing on the dog beds and he did not do it for a long time. Recently over the past few months if we stay out longer than the average 8 hours he will pee on the dog beds. He has now started where he will pee on the couches. Never on the floor. He will not wake me in the middle of the night and he will not make a noise for you to know that he has to go but he will pee on the beds. We now cover and block the couches where he can not go on them any longer. He does not have a UTI, I have him tested becuase I thought he might be having a problem and could not hold it any longer....... Recently my daughter moved back home, and we went out she left her door open and he promptly went to her bedroom and peed on her bed..... How do we know it was him..... When we came home he was the only one in her bedroom and the door was barely open.... I know this behavior is not the same but I think it maybe similiar....

 

As far as letting the dogs out my dh gets up at 5:30 am and lets them out, I get up at 7 am and feed and let them back out right away.... So it maybe he can't hold it but I can understand the intentional part of it... But did you have the leash in your hand or was there any indication you were about to let them out?

[Guest firegypsy]

Well, I am not sure what this is.... Aladdin has a issue where he would only pee on the dog beds if he was left too long.... His foster home would not keep him becuase he would always pee on the dog beds even though she had a dog door. We were then his foster home but we were foster failures. We had broke him of peeing on the dog beds and he did not do it for a long time. Recently over the past few months if we stay out longer than the average 8 hours he will pee on the dog beds. He has now started where he will pee on the couches. Never on the floor. He will not wake me in the middle of the night and he will not make a noise for you to know that he has to go but he will pee on the beds. We now cover and block the couches where he can not go on them any longer. He does not have a UTI, I have him tested becuase I thought he might be having a problem and could not hold it any longer....... Recently my daughter moved back home, and we went out she left her door open and he promptly went to her bedroom and peed on her bed..... How do we know it was him..... When we came home he was the only one in her bedroom and the door was barely open.... I know this behavior is not the same but I think it maybe similiar....

 

As far as letting the dogs out my dh gets up at 5:30 am and lets them out, I get up at 7 am and feed and let them back out right away.... So it maybe he can't hold it but I can understand the intentional part of it... But did you have the leash in your hand or was there any indication you were about to let them out?

 

thanks for this. no, this morning I did not have the leash in my hand. The only difference was that I asked him to leave the kitchen. So far this hasn't been an issue and as I said he DOES ask to go out. This was just...different. I'm willing to say it wasn't anger, per se. But it was something. For dinner I kept him in the kitchen and loved on him and he was fine. Tomorrow is a new day and I will hang with him and get him ready to go out as soon as he's done. Thanks for the help, everyone! I really appreciate everyone that took the time to respond.

[4greyhounds]

I really know how you feel and I am happy to hear that everything is going better.... Good Luck.....

 

Edit: We woke up this morning and had to throw away another dog bed! It is Frustrating! I don't know why Aladdin always chooses the beds or furniture and does not wake us up...

Edited July 24, 2011 by 4greyhounds