# I think my dog dislikes my roommate! Help!



## sewituc (Jan 18, 2011)

So I rescued a 12lb puppy from a different city, he was abandoned. Estimated to be 2 years at the time, I named him Mr. Binx, Got him checked out and cleaned up. We believe he's a Pomeranian/Chihuahua. Playful & slightly poofy, very cute. Will definitely have to post a pic. Had him for about a year and now I'm getting divorced. Naturally he's my baby so I took him with me. I had to leave behind Rosie, our Rottweiler and two cats. We moved out December 4th and In with some friends. They also have a little dog named Bella, the two get along GREAT! Cuddling, kissing, playing, chasing, sharing toys and treats, it's adorable. And I have two roommates now; we'll call 'em Jack & Jill, a couple of course. Binx loves Jill, in the a.m. when I get up to leave for work he waits by her bedroom door for me to open it so he can go cuddle with her (Jack already being gone). But I'm starting to think he doesn't like Jack, and I guess I'm looking for confirmation and ideas of how to fix the issues.

I'm not home as often as often as I should be, the new apartment is pretty far from my office so I crash at friends sometimes. Well about 3 weeks ago, I get home from work, take the doggies out, make me some dinner, and as soon as the roommates get back, he pee's on the couch. Not on the corner of furniture as if he were marking, not right where he's standing as if he were too excited, he runs and jumps on the couch and pees right in the middle of the cushion as if he’s upset about something. Then again just yesterday, got home, walked the doggies, made some dinner, just sat at my computer when Jack & Jill walk in and the doggies go running and I hear screaming cause he apparently peed on some of Jacks belongings left on the floor. 

If he's shut up in my room, he doesn't pee or poop (unless he's left too long, which is very rarely). When it's just me and Jill in the apartment, he goes outside like he's supposed to. When Jill is the only one to walk through the door, nothing happens. But for some reason, more often than not, if Jack is coming through the door - He pees on something. I'm just not sure why. I had just let him out; he seems to like Jack, sits in his lap, allows Jack to pet him, and sits when Jack tells him too in order to take them outside. I suppose Jack is more of the disciplinarian/trainer but still... If he's cuddly and cute with Jack, it doesn't make sense that he dislikes Jack, but I can't figure out why else he would pee on something almost every time Jack comes home.

Anyway, I think I described most of the details. Hope someone has some insight. I may be moving into my own place soon enough so maybe it won't be an issue, but if he's not being trained properly or if there's something I can do or if he's hurting because he misses the cats he used to chase at the old house (when I was married), I guess it'd help to know that. 

Thanks for any ideas ya'll might be able to offer, I want my puppy to be happy and am just worried that he's not!


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## Casskanerva (Jan 10, 2011)

I really don't believe that dogs do thing out of spite. But I don't really have any advice sorry.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

Dogs definitely sense our stresses and emotions. AND, they get stressed by changes, too. So, your poor guy is going through lots of adjustments, right now. 
First, he's moved to a new environment with new sights, smells, sounds, and people. Then, he's probably missing the old cats, and the old home, and routines. And, you mention that sometimes, you don't even come home after work, due to your apartment being quite a distance from your job. 

IMO, he has no consistency right now. Sometimes you come home after work, sometimes you don't. Sometimes, he's shut in your room for a longer time, sometimes he's not. How often does he get exercised? How often do you work on training with him? Dogs need a routine, regular training, regular exercise, regular playtime. 

That said, I don't think he dislikes Jack. AND, the other poster is right; dogs don't do things out of spite. They don't think that way; that's a human emotion.
BUT, it does sound like excited or submissive peeing. That happens a lot! In fact, my dog, Harper, LOVES my dad. Every time we go see my parents, Harper will pee on my dad, or on the floor, couch, etc, wherever he is when he sees my dad. It doesn't matter if he's just gone pee, he will still pee every time he sees my dad.

Some dogs do excited or submissive peeing as puppies and grow out of it, but if you have a dog that's going through some stresses, or just a normally anxious dog (like a part chihuahua might be) then it could continue to happen.

The thing to do would be to make sure that you take the dog outside every time Jack comes home, so the dog can greet Jack outside. That way, there's no mess to clean up. This kind of thing is really about management. You know your dog has this problem, it's a physical thing, because of the excitement, he's not doing it to be disobedient. So, manage the problem by having him greet Jack outside.
And, clean up any previous messes with an enzymatic cleaner!


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## KBLover (Sep 9, 2008)

sewituc said:


> But I'm starting to think he doesn't like Jack, and I guess I'm looking for confirmation and ideas of how to fix the issues.


If there's a true negative emotion associated with Jack, you can try to use classical conditioning to help change that. 

Every time he looks at Jack, praise and treat. Over and over and over and over and over again. Then let the dog go chill somewhere. Repeat a couple times a day for a while and see if that if this doesn't change her mentality.

Once that happens, you could then ask for things like having him target Jack (touch him with his nose/paw) and then praise and treat. 

Basically you want to connect and associate good things with this person. That, at least, should help.


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

That's intresting, being a chi mix he might be naturally nervous. You could also have jack walk by him & drop him yummy treats without saying anything to him.

It might also be better for him to have more stability in his life esp since he is recently in his new home. Can you set up an x pen for him on an easily cleaned floor with a few pee pads or better yet, doggie litter in a litter box with a bed or crate on the other side so he doesn't have to be too cooped up in the event you can't make it home.


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