# Dog Peeing on the Back Porch



## SherpaStyle (Apr 11, 2011)

Hello,

I've done searches but couldn't find much specifically related to my problem. We have a 2 1/2 year old unneutered male golden retriever who recently (this winter) started peeing on the back porch and barbecue. He was potty trained easily and has only marked indoors twice, at houses where other male dogs lived. We have a female (his littermate), but no other dogs have been over to our house all winter. We found out he had been peeing on the porch this winter when I was shoveling the snow off the back deck and noticed it was yellow in one area. He was caught in the act of lifting his leg on the BBQ the other day and dad was not happy! Is there any way to deter this behavior? I have read that hanging aluminum foil in the areas he is peeing could work, but I don't really want to look at foil everytime I look out the back window or am on the deck. Is there some sort of spray deterrent that would work?

Thanks!


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

Is he an indoor, or outdoor dog?


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## SherpaStyle (Apr 11, 2011)

Both. They sleep inside at night but spend most of the day outside. They have an outdoor kennel where they live when we're at work and have free roam of the yard when we're home and the weather is nice. They eat on the back porch, so I think he has developed a routine of eating and then urinating on the porch.


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

Are the dogs walked before or after their meals? This would help, I think, to drain their system and desire to pee at home.


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## Puddin's Training Tips (Apr 9, 2011)

Dear Sherpa
First I would clean the deck really well with an enzyme cleanser like Nature's Miracle. Dogs will go back to a spot that was marked if they can smell it and they can smell it even when you can't.

Then when you let the dogs out to potty, walk them out to the yard and praise them highly when they go on the grass. You will have to do this over and over again - walking them past the deck. You will have to keep your eye on them when they are outside and if you see him about to lift his leg, just make a sudden hoise like "Ah!" (nothing aversive, no angry tone) then lead him to a spot in the yard.

Additionally, after you have cleaned th deck really well, you can give them food in the spot where they were pottying so that the see the deck as part of their living area.
I completely agree with curbside. Take them on long walks - especially nature trails. Dogs love marking in new places.

Trainer Emily Larlham has an excellent video on potty training. If you don't want them to potty on the porch, then consider it like part of the house and go from there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvPiFcG7ROI

A good book on this subject is Way to Go by Karen Lundon

Good luck!

Oh! It's always a great idea to spay or neuter. Sometimes it can help with marking behavior; sometimes it won't. But lots of other great reasons to get a dog fixed

Ooops! Just realized that you are already feeding them on the back porch. Once you clean the spot, I would put the bowl right over the spot.


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