OT: Dog marking

TheStateUofMS

Well-known member
Dec 26, 2009
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I have a 4 year old German Shorthair Pointer and a 2 year old Cavapoo. They're both best friends and the best dogs in the world, but both have the same issue of going to the bathroom in the house at night and both probably related. The Cavapoo goes to the bathroom in the house at night and the GSP will mark on top of it and sometimes elsewhere. They both got neutered about a year ago. The GSP became a pretty bad marker pre neuter and he's much better since, but lately it seems he's starting to mark in the house again. Often times he marks if the Cavapoo can't hold his bladder throughout the night, so I wake up to a Cavapoo piss and then the GSP goes and marks on top of it.

In the past when the GSP gets bad at marking, we crated him more during the night and during the day and ultimately we fall out of that habit over time, but that's really the only solution I've read about that's supposed to work. You can't get on to the dog after the fact because they simply won't know what you're talking about, which sounds crazy. Rubbing a dogs nose in his own piss you would think would register, but I've read it does not (read this a long time ago, so I'm not actively doing this when I find a mark). I've tried to discourage the GSP from marking outside too especially on top of the Cavapoo's piss, but I don't know if that's really something I can control.

Right now I'm thinking I stop letting the Cavapoo have water and treats after 10pm (he craps in house at night sometimes too) and see if that helps and crate the GSP at night. The GSP and Cavapoo both like to sleep with us, so sucks not having them in the bed, but this cannot continue at the rate we're going.

Any help is much appreciated.
 

OopsICroomedmypants

Well-known member
Sep 29, 2022
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Crate the cavapoo. We had a Havanese that would do that. I’d take him to where he peed and scold him the next morning. He knew what was up, but he was an ******* of a dog if I ever saw one. I crated him at night for a while and he learned freedom is better than peeing on things. Make sure your cavapoo doesn’t have kidney problems. As far as a GSP, I couldn’t crate him. Those dogs need tons of exercise. That’s why I got a lab instead. If he pees in the house I’ll need a raft.
 

TheStateUofMS

Well-known member
Dec 26, 2009
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Crate the cavapoo. We had a Havanese that would do that. I’d take him to where he peed and scold him the next morning. He knew what was up, but he was an ******* of a dog if I ever saw one. I crated him at night for a while and he learned freedom is better than peeing on things. Make sure your cavapoo doesn’t have kidney problems. As far as a GSP, I couldn’t crate him. Those dogs need tons of exercise. That’s why I got a lab instead. If he pees in the house I’ll need a raft.
Thanks for the input. The Cavapoo is really sweet. He knows when he's guilty.

The crating of the GSP is only when I'm not around. He's not getting exercise at night anyway or if I have to leave the house for a bit. He does go outside and we do have a yard, so he gets exercise but i know what you mean about the high energy and those dogs needing exercise.
 
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SwampDawg

Active member
Feb 24, 2008
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I can't advise you but I'll give you sympathy. Our dog wakes me up to take him out at night, at least once a night. Gets up on hind legs by the bed and gently paws me until I wake up. I'm pretty much still asleep as I open the door for him and wait, so it's really not to much of a task. We love him, I'm retired, so no big deal. I know lots of people wouldn't put up with it.
 
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TheStateUofMS

Well-known member
Dec 26, 2009
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I can't advise you but I'll give you sympathy. Our dog wakes me up to take him out at night, at least once a night. Gets up on hind legs by the bed and gently paws me until I wake up. I'm pretty much still asleep as I open the door for him and wait, so it's really not to much of a task. We love him, I'm retired, so no big deal. I know lots of people wouldn't put up with it.
I'd rather do that than have to clean up piss and wash the carpet a couple times a week.
 

Curby

Well-known member
Aug 23, 2012
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Pull that carpet up and put down hardwood/tile floors.

They gotta be outside enough for them to find their "perfect" spot to do their business. They are picky about that. If you have a fenced-in back yard you don't have to worry about them wandering off. Also, sounds like you have males, which is better than females as far as going in the house. We have cats, and that seems true with them. male cats love going in the litter box. Female cats will get pissed about something and go all over the place.
 

DoomSlayer

Member
Jan 13, 2018
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This makes me proud of my stray beagle mix that showed up on my front porch 7 years ago. 7 years and she’s never peed or pooped in the house one time. She’s had diarrhea twice and simply scratched at the door for me to take her out, the only two times she’s ever scratched at the door in 7 years. And then with diarrhea she still wouldn’t poop in my yard, she held it until we got out towards the woods.
 
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TheStateUofMS

Well-known member
Dec 26, 2009
8,617
835
113
Pull that carpet up and put down hardwood/tile floors.

They gotta be outside enough for them to find their "perfect" spot to do their business. They are picky about that. If you have a fenced-in back yard you don't have to worry about them wandering off. Also, sounds like you have males, which is better than females as far as going in the house. We have cats, and that seems true with them. male cats love going in the litter box. Female cats will get pissed about something and go all over the place.
We have hard floors. They go on some washable floor runners. The pee doesn't stink after it's washed. It's really little dog not holding his bladder, then big dog goes over and marks it.

ETA: We have two cats as well. Litterbox is in a enclosure that looks like furniture. The cats go outside mostly as they have a cat door. Dogs used to mess with litter box so we got the enclosure. My male cat is easy. My wife's female cat does exactly what you described. She ruined one carpeted bedroom and it's getting tiled tomorrow.
 
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