Puppy Peed On Couch, Now Thinks Its A Potty :(

[Everlilly]

Hey all,

I've posted here before, I have a 4 month old male moodle pup named Teddy. Thus far everything has gone swimmingly, Teddy was a bit hesitant about puppy school but he opened up and is now a really great, social little guy.

Toilet training was always something of a miracle. When he arrived he was already trained to pee on command by the owner, and had hardly any accidents at all (once or twice if I failed to take him out soon enough after playtime, or something like that).

He is always in the same room as one of us, or in "his room" if we cant watch him.

Recently we were playing on the couch and I went to the other side of the room to get his toy, turned around and he was PEEING ON THE COUCH. Just squatting there, peeing. I gave the corrective "utttt", ran over, picked him up mid stream and rushed him outside.. said his "pee trigger" and he finished his business.

I spent the next 3 days cleaning that couch. Deodorizing with stuff specifically made for dog urine (Urine Off, which I got from my local vet clinic), using the couch cleaner which came with the couch, using some carpet cleaner.. everything I could think of to get rid of the smell because I definitely do not want him thinking it is an "okay potty place" at all.

I thought that was the end of it, apparently not.

Came downstairs this morning and my partner was in the room with Teddy, as I walked in I saw Teddy literally squat and pee on the couch!!! The back door was wide open and my partner had taken him out 10 minutes before so it wasn't like he was busting with no options.

I understand that this was a fail on my/my partners part by leaving him unsupervised (well, he was in the same room he just jumped up when my partner had his back turned) but what can we do to discourage this kind of behaviour? And is there a reason he'd suddenly start doing this?

Teddy only has access to two rooms in the house - our bedroom and the living room - so there's no way we could cut that down any further he needs to be allowed in the room with the couch. We're trying to get him used to not being allowed on the couch but previously it was not a no-no so he doesn't understand.

I really am at my wits end. The couch absolutely reeks now and it's one of those ones without removable cushions so I'm not even sure how to fix it. At the moment I have Teddy on a leash any time he's out of his room but it hardly seems far that he has to be dragged around attached to me for the rest of time?

Please help

[SkySoaringMagpie]

Is he otherwise totally reliable with toilet training? No accidents anywhere else?

The couch probably smells like you and your partner. Try Googling for dogs who pee on their humans' beds. That might give you a few ideas about what is going on, but ultimately you are going to have to ensure through management that he doesn't get the opportunity to do it again. This is a situation in which crate training would be useful when you need to leave him unsupervised.

A couple of websites:

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=2456

http://askadogtrainer.blogspot.com.au/2009/12/why-does-my-dog-pee-on-my-bed.html

Edited add another:

http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_Marking.php

Edited October 30, 2012 by SkySoaringMagpie

[minimax]

My male pup went through a period of peeing on beds and lounges, when he did it he was "punished" in the usual method I use, which is being ignored or put outside for a few minutes. For him, being ignored is the worst thing in the world so he learnt quickly that peeing in those places wasn't getting him what he wanted (attention, or whatever).

Attachment is a good method, but given the opportunity he's still going to do it so you need to train him not to, using whatever normal "punishment" method you use.

For cleaning, I use a vinegar /water mix and put the lounge in the sun (if you can!)

[Simply Grand]

Just a reminder, Teddy is a Maltese x Poodle :)

Mine have all peed in inappropriate places as they have started to grow out of babyhood. I don't know why really, and as I've mentioned before, I'm a totally lazy toilet trainer, but like minimax said, I've found timeouts effective in a situation like this, once they are old enough to understand the positive consequences of going in the right spot but maybe haven't quite grasped that they do not have a choice about it as far as we're concerned!!

Time out for mine was: frown but don't look at them, don't say anything, pick them up and carry away from my body, put in bathroom with light off and door closed while I cleaned up the mess, then go back and let them out calmly, assuming they are also being calm and quiet.

This is punishment, which I don't advocate in baby puppies as I don't believe they understand it, so ignoring accidents and rewarding going in the right place conditions them, but once they can control their bladder and start to understand that they have choices I think non-pain-causing (not a real term) punishment can be useful.

Edited October 30, 2012 by Simply Grand

[Rebanne]

Just a reminder, Teddy is a Maltese x Poodle :)

thanks for that as I had no idea what a moodle was, I did assume it was yet another crossbred dog with a designer name, and I was right :) but had no idea on size or anything else

[Rebanne]

go to bunnings and get some of the compost cages and put them around the couch for now. Very easily removed for the people to sit on, bit hard for a small breed pup to get over - but not impossible! so you still have to be aware.

Being tied you you won't be for ever but it's a good stratery for now. You need to be very sure your pup actually does toilet outside, most pups at 4 months don't wee 10 mins later. So be sure he is going when actually outside.

[Jed]

I would cover the couch with plastic, or put a cardboard box or something on it so he cannot jump on it (take it off when you want to sit down). Clean it with a biological cleaner such as you have been using such as Biozet.

Supervise him carefully and take him outside when appropriate If he cannot get on the couch he cannot pee on it.I think this is the least stressful way of stopping him.

Other option is to get a few mousetraps. Put them on the couch, and set them. Cover the with a layer of newspapers. When he jumps on the couch, the traps will go out, hopefully frightening him off the couch.

If you leave what you decide to use in place for a month or so, he should have lost interest by the time you put the couch back to "normal"

He is probably doing it as part of his settling in process, bur more important than the reason is stopping him.

Whatever method you use good luck with it.

[Allywil]

Recently we were playing on the couch and I went to the other side of the room to get his toy, turned around and he was PEEING ON THE COUCH. Just squatting there, peeing. I gave the corrective "utttt", ran over, picked him up mid stream and rushed him outside.. said his "pee trigger" and he finished his business.

That's the right approach to teach them from what I have ever learned, but you have to watch them and be right on it and grab them just as they start to squat and take them outside. If he's messing the couch up, keep him off it for the time being.