A Visiting Dog Peeing In The House.

[KickReturn]

I have a special guest for a sleepover. She is a recovered spook who has absolutely come out of her shell under the care of her talented owner. She spent 18 months in a kennel facility where it was thought she would never be adoptable - no one could get near her. She has been with her new family for 6 months now. She is a tiny, black, roman nosed sweetheart of a greyhound.

 

She is a bit unnerved without her owner. There is the odd whimper but she is mostly calm and getting along well with my boy Hester and his gal pal who is also visiting.

 

She has no history of peeing in her home that I know of and yet even before her owner departed during the hand-off she began wandering and peeing or attempting to pee. She has had two accidents so far and I have stopped her at the last moment a couple of other times. Earlier today when I caught her right before she peed, I took her immediately into our yard where she set about furiously marking over top of any appealing scent. This occured about and hour after a 90 minute morning walk. There is absolutely no history of dogs peeing in this house so there are no left over odors that could trigger her to pee. In fact the carpeting is new.

 

In addition to an hour and a half this morning, the thee dogs were also walked for an hour this afternoon. (They will get another hour of walking before bed). On these walks she marked over top of every pee of the other two dogs and any other previous markings she could find. Her accidents in the house were within and hour or two of these walks. The amount of pee was small because I assume she is quite empty.

 

I am watching her like a hawk and cleaning up with Nature's Miracle. Any other advice?

 

I have a funny theory that she is anxious about fitting in with the other two dogs and is doing what she can to establish her "presence" in the pack. Needless to say the other two dogs are low key to the point of appearing comatose. Perhaps she is just terribly upset and peeing out of anxiety but she just doesn't seem that rattled.

 

And finally could it relate to the size of our house? It is very large and open plan, and maybe she just hasn't realized that the whole thing is now her kennel. I have no idea how big her home is but I assume it is smaller.

 

Thanks for any tips.

Edited February 23, 2015 by KickReturn

[krissn333]

My house is very small and Clarice is generally in whatever room I'm in. However, when we go to see my folks, I have to keep her close to me or she will wander off and pee. Their house is quite a bit larger than ours (over double the size).

 

I'd guess that factor, possibly coupled with a little bit of anxiety, is what's happening.

 

I'd try to keep her in whatever room you're in. My house is a system of gates so I can keep an eye on my iggies.

[Batmom]

If you have an accommodating vet, it sure wouldn't hurt to take a sample in and ask them to check it for bacteria (infection).

 

But, some females do mark. Nothing to do with size of house or leftover scents. It's an irresistible urge and keeping a close eye on her is your best bet. (I say this as the current owner of a girl who will mark anything, any time, and who has yet to run out of pee; she can beat any boy I've ever known in a leg-lifting contest. Going new places is a great treat for her because there are new things to pee on! Oh boy!)

[3greytjoys]

Perhaps she is just terribly upset and peeing out of anxiety but she just doesn't seem that rattled.

 

Peeing in a new home environment when other dogs are in the home is very common territorial behavior for many dogs no matter how house trained they are in their own home. That said, my guess is this dog is feeling highly anxious being away from her mom and her home. She was likely already becoming stressed at her own house while watching and feeling her mom's silent departure signals. Internally, this hound may have been an emotional wreck before her mom ever left your house.

 

Long walks do not equate to eliminating anxiety. Sometimes when dogs are feeling extremely anxious internally, they don't have the physical ability to hold in their urine/bowel. I'd suggest a lot more frequent backyard potty opportunities while her mom is gone -- like every 30 minutes to 1 hour when this hound is not asleep. Rush her outside the minute she awakens from a nap, and within a few minutes after she eats and again within 30 minutes post meal.

 

When I welcome a new hound visitor, the hound goes directly into the fenced yard to leisurely sniff, mark and potty before entering the house. Once inside the house, the dog is kept on leash tied to my waist for as long as is needed -- hours if not longer. Then baby-gated into the most human used room under close supervision. (Fosters are crated until they can be trusted.)

 

Btw, it's extremely important to not reprimand her for potty accidents inside. Anxiety is fear-based; reprimanding compounds a dog's fear for a long, long time.

Edited February 23, 2015 by 3greytjoys

[GeorgeofNE]

I hate to admit it (and I have new carpet now) but every single Greyhound who has come into my home has peed in it! Males, females--I don't know why, but it's definitely a marking thing.

[schultzlc]

I would say that she probably isn't that worried about fitting in with the other dogs. My spooky girl is also my alpha girl. And she is a marker, and has even been known to lift her leg to things. I also notice that when she is in an environment that makes her nervous (could be a new person or a new place that overwhelms her), her urine volume increases. I just make sure to offer her a lot more potty breaks, and that really seems to do the trick.

[a_daerr]

That said, my guess is this dog is feeling highly anxious being away from her mom and her home. She was likely already becoming stressed at her own house while watching and feeling her mom's silent departure signals. Internally, this hound may have been an emotional wreck before her mom ever left your house.

 

This. I'd say it's a stress-behavior. New territory... her goal is to try to get it smelling as familiar/comforting as possible.

FWIW, I think you're doing everything right. She needs a little direction and more time to realize she's okay, and it's not the end of the world.

[KickReturn]

OK, seems like nothing too out of the ordinary. A new location, "got to make it my own". A bit nervous, let's piss up the place. I get it (if I were a dog.)

 

Out of bed this morning, happy, bouncy, and straight to the yard with the others for a big pee party (and poo also of course). Ten minutes later, I turn my back for a second and she manages a sneak attack on an antique Persian rug. Fortunately I adore this little thing. More natures miracle I guess.

 

Everytime she gets up to wander I open the door to the yard.

 

And no scolding or raised voices ever regardless of behaviour.

 

The only catch is I will have her for two weeks in March. This weekend was just a test run. Hopefully she will settle down during a longer visit.

 

Note the grey circles around her eyes - like little goggles. She is such a cutey. Very delicate and wiggly snuggly. Does a little dance when you scratch her bum.

Edited February 23, 2015 by KickReturn

[Batmom]

She is adorable. If we were closer by I'd offer to take her for you. We're used to it :lol .

[EllenEveBaz]

Maybe try the long-leash-to-your-waist idea? That's what I do with every new dog.

[3greytjoys]

Great that this little girl was able to have a trial visit before being left for a lengthy stay in a new place.

Did she eat well while she was at your house?

If not, another very short daytime only visit (well before the long trip) could be very helpful for her.

 

I'd suggest watching her behavior closely during and after your typical long walks. A couple of reasons excessive exercise could be questionable for some highly anxious dogs is because it's similar to mental "flooding". As Schultzlc mentioned, being in a new environment with new people/new dogs can be overwhelming to some dogs, especially a spook. Even if this dog appears to be beyond her earliest adoption fears with her owner, those feelings can return in the absence of her owner, especially in a new environment. (Sort of similar to long lost dogs reverting to fearful feral behavior.) Also, unless her owner already slowly increased this dog's exercise stamina, it might be a bit much for her physically, but I imagine you will check her paw pads after walks to ensure pad thickness is still okay.

 

I assume her mom will bring her dog bed, food/bowls and familiar items from home to help her feel more secure. Her mom's scent on unwashed, well-worn shirt/s could help too. (A couple of shirt back-ups could be placed in a sealed plastic bag for you to provide mid-visit.) Hope her longer upcoming visit will go well. She's adorable!

 

 

 

 

[Opals_mom]

I had the same problem with a dog I doggysat - she was fine at home but at my place she had to be "re potty trained." I had to take her to the vet for another reason and mentioned it to them and they also said it's new and she'd never been away from home and was nervous so I had to kind of start over. Once she gets a little more comfortable and sees that Mom comes back she'll do better.

 

MAN she's cute

[KickReturn]

Great that this little girl was able to have a trial visit before being left for a lengthy stay in a new place.

Did she eat well while she was at your house?

If not, another very short daytime only visit (well before the long trip) could be very helpful for her.

 

I'd suggest watching her behavior closely during and after your typical long walks. A couple of reasons excessive exercise could be questionable for some highly anxious dogs is because it's similar to mental "flooding". As Schultzlc mentioned, being in a new environment with new people/new dogs can be overwhelming to some dogs, especially a spook. Even if this dog appears to be beyond her earliest adoption fears with her owner, those feelings can return in the absence of her owner, especially in a new environment. (Sort of similar to long lost dogs reverting to fearful feral behavior.) Also, unless her owner already slowly increased this dog's exercise stamina, it might be a bit much for her physically, but I imagine you will check her paw pads after walks to ensure pad thickness is still okay.

 

I assume her mom will bring her dog bed, food/bowls and familiar items from home to help her feel more secure. Her mom's scent on unwashed, well-worn shirt/s could help too. (A couple of shirt back-ups could be placed in a sealed plastic bag for you to provide mid-visit.) Hope her longer upcoming visit will go well. She's adorable!

 

 

 

 

 

She ate well.

 

We have other visits planned before the big stay.

 

She is a real adventure dog. Her owner covers a lot of ground with her quickly. I have seen her off leash and she is a happy explorer. Will leave the trails and scamper around the forest.

 

Her behaviour seemed very normal other then the peeing. I think I have to house train again. But she never had an accident from day one in her new home so....

 

I wonder if the presence of another female caused her to feel competitive and mark as a result.

[Guest jetska]

I hate to admit it (and I have new carpet now) but every single Greyhound who has come into my home has peed in it! Males, females--I don't know why, but it's definitely a marking thing.

 

Every male hound who has come here has peed! Have been lucky with the girls who have visited.

[Guest BlueCrab]

Trixie immediately peed in our carpeted basement the first time she went down there, and every time I bring her to my office for a quick "hello", she tries to pee. Doesn't make my boss very welcoming of her visits! She's stayed in a bunch of hotels over the years and has never tried it in any hotel, thank goodness!

[NeylasMom]

If you have an accommodating vet, it sure wouldn't hurt to take a sample in and ask them to check it for bacteria (infection).

 

But, some females do mark. Nothing to do with size of house or leftover scents. It's an irresistible urge and keeping a close eye on her is your best bet. (I say this as the current owner of a girl who will mark anything, any time, and who has yet to run out of pee; she can beat any boy I've ever known in a leg-lifting contest. Going new places is a great treat for her because there are new things to pee on! Oh boy!)

She could be doing it more because of nervousness, but either way, house training 101 is your best bet. Tether her if that won't be stressful, or give her down time in a crate when you can't watch and otherwise be on top of her and get her outside the second you start to see her start to squat.

[Pennymom]

My girls are both guilty of this behavior in new places. Penny so much so that she has to wear "bad girl panties" for the first little while. We also take lots of dog beds with us, and anywhere she appears to be investigating gets a dog bed thrown over it immediately. They don't seem to pee on their own beds.

[KickReturn]

I am going to restrict the area that she will have access to when she is here. Even just the main leveI, much of it carpeted, is just too much for a dog used to living in a much smaller space (a third of the size according to her owner) with mostly hardwood. I will put beds everywhere so she get the idea that the whole thing is her new kennel.

 

I have a crate but I am terrified to leave her in it unsupervised. Her owner has never used a crate and has no information about her behaviour in a crate. The hard part is that I have to leave her alone for about 3 hours the first day so I cannot supervise her. She will have the company of Hester and another visiting grey. Maybe a crate is the way to go for the first few days whenerver I am not around.

[NeylasMom]

I definitely would not try crating her for the first time when you leave. If you have time to try to acclimate her a bit by giving her some crate time when you are in the room and she has something to do, that is one thing. Otherwise, just restrict her access like you plan. You may find if you're only gone for a few hours that the dogs sleep anyway and she doesn't pee while you're gone.