Now that Gracie and Cooper are used to the new house rules and schedule, they have gotten a LOT better. No more accidents in the house, no more getting up on the the furniture without asking, no more begging for treats, no more being nit-picky with their food (they eat it all in one portion), they understand how to operate on a tether in the yard, they are crating themselves at night now, and all is going really well.
We are still having a problem with Cooper and his marking, though. Cooper is two years old and intact. I don't really think he was every properly housebroken as a puppy - he would be let out into the yard by himself whenever he asked. So about like having a dog door. But he's not peeing in the house so much as he is marking in the house.
It's a one bedroom apartment, so there isn't much space for him to go unsupervised. We've started keeping the bedroom door shut when we're in the living room because he's peed all over the bed three different times now. He'll also hike his leg on some gun cases Mike has laying in his closet.
Just this morning, I was sitting on the bed on the computer and I saw Cooper hike his leg on an egg crate mattress liner up against the wall that was in need of cleaning. Mid hike I hollered at him and he immediately ran into the other room and went belly up (that is his response to any kind of "I'm not happy with you" vibe - even if he only thinks he's in trouble). I put him outside.
How do you stop dogs from marking? We don't really want to neuter him unless we have to, but would neutering him help? I'm of the opinion that having balls doesn't make a dog mark indoors, bad training does...but obviously since he wasn't trained properly, the balls are now factoring in.
He isn't doing a full out bladder emptying like he does when he pees, nor he is defecating in the house, so do I still need to treat it like it is a house breaking issue, or is it just a marking issue?
Never had a dog that marked before, so I'm at a bit of a loss.
We are still having a problem with Cooper and his marking, though. Cooper is two years old and intact. I don't really think he was every properly housebroken as a puppy - he would be let out into the yard by himself whenever he asked. So about like having a dog door. But he's not peeing in the house so much as he is marking in the house.
It's a one bedroom apartment, so there isn't much space for him to go unsupervised. We've started keeping the bedroom door shut when we're in the living room because he's peed all over the bed three different times now. He'll also hike his leg on some gun cases Mike has laying in his closet.
Just this morning, I was sitting on the bed on the computer and I saw Cooper hike his leg on an egg crate mattress liner up against the wall that was in need of cleaning. Mid hike I hollered at him and he immediately ran into the other room and went belly up (that is his response to any kind of "I'm not happy with you" vibe - even if he only thinks he's in trouble). I put him outside.
How do you stop dogs from marking? We don't really want to neuter him unless we have to, but would neutering him help? I'm of the opinion that having balls doesn't make a dog mark indoors, bad training does...but obviously since he wasn't trained properly, the balls are now factoring in.
He isn't doing a full out bladder emptying like he does when he pees, nor he is defecating in the house, so do I still need to treat it like it is a house breaking issue, or is it just a marking issue?
Never had a dog that marked before, so I'm at a bit of a loss.