# Dogs have decided to start to pee on the new deck



## Pasofino (Apr 10, 2008)

We have just recently built a new deck...and have the plants on it and 2 pieces of new furniture.

The dogs love it and sleep on it, play ,etc. We have 9 dogs and for the most part, are well mannered, with a few exceptions. 

I realize that they need to mark this new deck as their territory, or want to.... but I am not interested in them doing it any more....

I have (had) 2 plants on the edge that are now yellow, which is how I found out that the dogs were peeing all over them and the deck.

So, any ideas as to how I can stop them from peeing on it?

It is only the males, of which I have 6. Three of them have stopped, since I caught them and told them NO..they understand that and those 3 have stopped, but I cannot catch the other 3 when I am outside.

We have doggy doors so they can come and go at their leisure, making it harder to catch them in the act. I can see them from inside, but by the time I get out, it is too late to do anything but watch them walk away leaving a yellow puddle on the deck...


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

Sounds like an owner-absent problem. Not much you can do about that...well, really, you can do everything about that. The solution to your problem is remedial house training. However, you need to be present in order to conduct said training. I know, I know, you're dogs are house trained, they're just marking, right? Doesn't matter. You'll hear it said many times, dogs do not generalize well, and when something new is presented in their environment you have to expect a few steps back in training - so you too have to change your behavior and take a few steps back in training the dogs. Thus remedial house training. The dogs can't have a learning history that you prefer if you don't give it to them. So show them what you want and reward that behavior. Minimize errors, and give them instruction when they make an error.


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## Pasofino (Apr 10, 2008)

Thanks curbside....good info.

I never thought about it that way, but you are right.

I sat outside last night and waited for them to come out, one by one they did and once I said NO, they walked off the deck.

I imagine it will take a few days to get them to understand that "no" means no all the time.

Thanks for the insight


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## Erick Aguilar (Jun 9, 2008)

This is what i used to do when my dogs did that exact same thing:

When a dog pee's in a spot you don't want them to pee

Wash the spot first with soap and water.. now, since dogs have very sensitive noses, you must neutralize the area, use Ammonia and water, or Vinegar Water. Remember that dogs have fantastic noses, that can smell one part of urine in 60 million parts of water, if he smells urine in a spot, he will wet that same spot again, and again, if everything else fails, place a chair or object that covers the pee'd area (after you cleaned it) for some weeks, hopefull the dogs will forget about that area.

Worked for me!


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## Pasofino (Apr 10, 2008)

I used enzymes on the spots to totally get rid of them....

Then did exactly as curbside suggested.....I just had to take responsibliity, the deck was not their idea, but mine, so I had to retrain them.

I just walked out when I saw a male go outside, asked them in a nice tone to NOT pee on the spot and they walked on...I followed until they were OFF the deck...

Repeated requests over a 2 day period has completely stopped it!

They now walk right off the deck and go wherever they want to..they can mark or pee on it once they are on the ground, that is fine and we have come to a happy ending!

Thanks all


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