Peeing On Paws

[Mercsmom]

So.... I think it's cute that our new retired racer Mercury squats instead of lifting his leg but... he has a tendency to pee on one of his front paws. Ick! (although I didn't know if this belonged under behavior or "cute and funny things")

He's very tall and squats very far to pee "cleanly". He tends to hit his front leg when he's close to done and has risen up a bit.

The issue is a bigger problem now that he hurt a paw pad at the dog park yesterday and has a small bandage on a front paw. I'm trying to keep everything clean and dry.

What's a grey mom to do? (if anything)

[Roo]

My first boy did this - there was no "training" we could think to do to make him stop, so we just cleaned off his legs when we came back from walks if he hit his legs

 

Can you wrap his bandaged leg in plastic wrap or something before you take him out?

 

Edited for autocorrect mistakes. Sheesh iPhone.

Edited August 3, 2014 by Roo

[Guest IrskasMom]

My Boy Morty does this all the Time . Afterwards he licks his Leg clean .

[Guest lanielovesgreys]

I just keep a hose by the back door and watch for the golden foot.

[greysmom]

Hose or baby wipes. You'll need to use a plastic bag or waterproof the bandage somehow until his booboo is better.

[Mercsmom]

I've been wrapping the bandaged foot in plastic wraps before "outs" so don't worry about that part.

"Golden foot" - that's funny!

[Roo]

We called Regis "PeePaw" whenever he did it (which is why my little cousins calling my grandpa "peepaw" just sounds so wrong to me )

[Brandiandwe]

Hermon and Benny are both signed up members of the Order of the Golden Paw. Baby wipes work for us.

[Guest DeniseL]

Yeah, Miami is good for a golden paw every now and then. The very first racer we walked when we went to adopt Thyme peed on his foot. Lol it wasn't a good first impression when trying to get adopted. Maybe he didn't want to come home with us....

[silverfish]

I just keep a hose by the back door and watch for the golden foot.

 

Me too! Except it's usually a bowl of water rather than the hose. He tends to run away from the hose!

 

You'll need to use a plastic bag or waterproof the bandage somehow until his booboo is better.

 

Yes, but I see you do cover it.

[Guest itsallgreyt]

Hermon and Benny are both signed up members of the Order of the Golden Paw. Baby wipes work for us.

 

oh this was just too funny!

Jake has also been 'annointed' to the "Order of the Golden Paw." He pees like a girl and always has.

 

Several months ago he had an injury to the webbing between his toes and keeping his feet clean/dry was a real challenge. I tried plastic bags, empty iv bags, and various booties but they never stayed on for even a brief potty trot. Finally ended up leaving it alone and washing with an antiseptic soap wash and then making sure it was dried well after he was outside in the rain or came in with "golden paw." That worked the best and it finally healed. Your plan to keep it clean and dry is probably the best option.

[Guest Maxidog9]

Our Harry did this all the time when we got him six months ago but seems to have learnt the correct procedure now. When I walk him I make sure that we pass close to lamposts, walls, etc, where there will be the scent of another dog and he soon gets the message.

[FiveRoooooers]

Paddy reminded me today to sign him up in this thread

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

Urine doesn't contain any bacteria or other bad things, just ammonia and a few other things. So urine in a wound will not cause an infection or other problems. When you have bacteria in your urine, you have a UTI or bladder infection.

[Guest CleverJason]

Baron is marker. He's a member of the Golden Paw too, and sometimes when he really needs to go, he "anoints" both of his front paws in one swift stream

[Fruitycake]

Monty and I have a system: if he's getting close to sprinkling his front foot, I can either lift up the front paw to move it forward (with his "paw" command and a tap to the foot I need moved), or I gently nudge back the leg on the same side as the paw he's about to hit (for Monty it's his left rear leg, which he never lifts up) and it will cause him to bring it back a little and he ends up peeing on the outside of his left front foot. If he's already lifted his right hind leg and starts to sag, I will assist him holding up that leg.

 

Yep, I help my dog pee. My husband likes to ask if I'm going to write my name or his name in the snow in the winter.

[BatterseaBrindl]

My hounds don't usually pee on themselves.... just each other.

Nigel is usually the Pee-er and Ruby the Pee-ee.

[silverfish]

Urine doesn't contain any bacteria or other bad things, just ammonia and a few other things. So urine in a wound will not cause an infection or other problems. When you have bacteria in your urine, you have a UTI or bladder infection.

 

This is true, but it becomes contaminated very quickly after it's passed (it can even pick up a number of nasties from the dog's own sheath as it exits) so it's a very good idea to wash it off open wounds.

[DofSweetPotatos]

If you are leash walking when this happens, either gently nudge him or tug lightly on the leash, he may move his front paws to maintain balance and prevent the aim, fire, soak that is happening . Otherwise, baby wipes are awesome for pee cleanup.

[tra708]

Too funny. My girls didn't pee on their paws, just each other's head sometimes. They would both be sniffing the same spot, and then Lola would abruptly decide to pee

there while Jackie was still sniffing!! Hence, pee on the face!!! Gross, but funny.

[Guest PipDG]

Our new boy, Harvey, is white - think yellow snow!

[Guest loki1]

Oh, how relieved am I. I thought my loki was defective. He pees all the time on his paws and sometimes on me if I'm not concentrating. When he was desexed, his stitches pulled so tightly that his penis was sideways. (His op was bigger than normal as he had an undescended teste) I was worried for a little while that it would be like that forever, but fortunately a month later, it is almost back to normal.

So, with pride I can say he is a member of the golden paw clan.

Good luck keeping the paw clean. The only advice I can give is don't use human disinfectants on dogs, especially Dettol as they can inhibit new tissue growth.

[Guest OPointyDog]

Mika is a member, too. He pees on the backs of his own front legs sometimes and also pees on Zoe's head when they both go to smell something and then he decides to pee on it. She gets peed on at least once a week. She doesn't seem to care!

 

I've never bothered with washing his feet - he gets walked and by the time we get home, his legs are dry. Sometimes he washes them himself.

[XTRAWLD]

Ryder is awful at this manueuver. I laugh at Kasey all the time because he over extends his whole body when squatting so he has no chance of hitting his paws.

 

If your pup has a boo boo on the paw, I would just clean it up when you get back and put some CS on it to avoid infection. Maybe soak it really quick in some epsom salts to get the pee off (or just wet a papertowel). Before I kept CS on hand regularly, I had ouchless wash by Bandaid and would saturate the area to make sure it was clean and that was that. It works fabulous on paw injuries.

 

Good luck. I think the squatting isn't something you can train out of them, but you could encourage them to pee near posts or bushes when on walks....just stick near the vertical items and see if they sniff and go!

[heartdogs]

My oldest boy was always a leg hiker but his younger brother is not. After Stretch came into our house Prince thinks he has to pee on poor Noelle so she comes in & gives her rear a nasty loook while waiting for me to wash her off. I used to use baby wipes but now I just have old wash clths that I use with warm water to clean her. Prince only peed on Annie ( my oldest ) & she must have sent a mental message because he will just stand beside her while she pees.

 

Years ago I took care of a German Pointer thatpeed like a girl & always looke down so he peed on his face!