How to Keep Male Dogs From Peeing on Furniture

No matter what age, or at what training level a male dog has achieved, there is always a chance that he may try to urinate on furniture. Many male dogs will pee on the furniture to mark a territory, especially if it is a new object in the house.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Shaker can
• Treats for positive reinforcement
• Get male dogs neutered

1. Get your puppy neutered. Studies have shown that doing this early can prevent unwanted activities later on. Unless you plan on breeding your dog, many counties will require that all pets be spayed or neutered. Neutering an older dog, who has been peeing on furniture for awhile, may not break the habit even after he undergoes the procedure and, at that point, training is the only option.

2. Supervise the dog from the moment you get him. Dogs learn very quickly, so correcting him when he urinates on the furniture is beneficial in reducing the occurrences. Stay consistent with correction so that the dog can easily understand that what he is doing is wrong and he needs to change his behavior to make you happy. Only allow a puppy to roam where you can see him, and close doors to rooms that he is not allowed to go in. Supervising him will allow you to catch him in the act and correct him immediately.

3. Try attention grabbing solutions such as filing an empty soda can with a few pennies and taping the opening shut. Once you see your dog beginning to circle around an area he may pee on, shake the can to get his attention. The few pennies inside the can will create a loud noise that will startle him and hopefully stop him before he goes. Correct his behavior by saying "No, potty!" If he tries to urinate after you have gotten his attention, repeat the process or try to get his attention some other way. Be consistent in training him because that is the only way he will learn.

4. Use positive reinforcement when he goes to the bathroom in his designated spot. Dogs learn quickly when given positive attention, so be sure to reward him with either petting or tiny treats. Avoid getting angry or yelling at him, since it will only make him try and urinate on furniture when you are not looking, so that he won't get in trouble or he will be confused and not learn what he needs to do.

5. Clean areas that have been urinated on in order to remove any scent that the male dogs might be attracted to. Do not use any products that contain ammonia, since it smells just like urine and can actually encourage them to go in that spot. Leaving dogs for long periods of time might also make them suffer from separation anxiety and cause them to go to the bathroom in places other then where they are supposed to. Relieve their stress by leaving them with a blanket or old shirt that has your scent on it to comfort them.

Tips & Warnings

• Give dogs plenty of positive reinforcement so that they learn behaviors quickly.
• Don't yell or punish dogs for not doing what you say right away because it takes a few weeks to learn behaviors.

[jerryluv]

on 12/13/2008 Great advice and appropriately informative.