# Peeing in protest



## Hardymum (May 19, 2009)

We have a one-year-old beagle mix we recently adopted. He is housebroken, but will pee when he doesn't like something. For example, I crated him for a little while today and he peed on his blanket. He had just been outside, so I know he wasn't having a potty emergency. He has done this in the past while looking right at me, as if to say "Take this, lady!"

The other day, I took our other dog for a walk and left him behind. My husband told me that the beagle whined and cried at the door the whole time we were gone. He didn't notice - but I did - that the beagle had also peed on the door mat. When I mentioned it to the vet, he said it sounded like a " doggie temper tantrum."

All I can do is clean it up, and remove the blanket when he is crated during the day. He hasn't peed when the blanket wasn't there. Of course if I catch him doing it, then I can verbally correct him. 

I'm assuming this will go away eventually as he gets more comfortable with us. Is that right? Just curious if anyone else has had this problem and if I'm taking the right approach.

Thank you!


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## jesirose (Mar 27, 2008)

Dogs don't pee in protest. They don't think going potty is a bad thing like we do. They aren't ashamed or using it as a tool. They like pee and poop. 

Clean the blanket in an enzyme cleaner.


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## Westhighlander (Sep 28, 2007)

Dogs don't know how to protest, but they do get nervous and anxious. Seems like he may have some serperation issues. What other times has this happened?


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## Hardymum (May 19, 2009)

jesirose said:


> Clean the blanket in an enzyme cleaner.


Do you mean something like OxyClean? Or something from the pet store, like Simple Solution? Do you spot-treat it, or pour it in the wash?

I've been adding some bleach to the washer to remove the smell.



Westhighlander said:


> Dogs don't know how to protest, but they do get nervous and anxious. Seems like he may have some serperation issues. What other times has this happened?


I thought that was funny when the vet said it, because I assumed it was anxiety, as well. We just adopted him a couple of weeks ago from the pound, so naturally he has separation anxiety, and it is more pronounced with me because I'm the one caring for him most of the time. But it hasn't happened any other time except when crating, and the incident with the doormat.


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## Westhighlander (Sep 28, 2007)

Since it has only happened twice it's too early to say it is anxiety although peeing under those two scenarios suggest there is something there. 

Like Jesi said just clean the blanket with something like nature's miracle. I would wring out the pee, spot treat it and then wash it. Just keep observing to see if there is a pattern.


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## Cheetah (May 25, 2006)

It sounds like stress to me, and the blanket is something that is nice and absorbent, so he can pee on it and it won't make a mess everywhere and get on him. Not a protest at all.


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## hulkamaniac (Feb 11, 2009)

I don't think dogs are capable of protesting things. Well, aside from planting their butts and refusing to walk anyway.


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

I agree as well that this is very possibly anxiety based. I can't believe your vet calling it a tantrum, and this doesn't bode well for good behaviour advice from him.

Cracker is fully housebroken but suffers from SA. She doesn't chew thank god but she does howl, cry, pace, drool and pee. She is on meds now, but I find the biggest difference is the DAP diffuser. It calms her really well while I work on the desensitization. You can see the difference in a big way between the beginning of the bottle and when it is starting to wear out.

He's still not settled in yet, give it some time and try not to give too much attention (OVER affection), keep your arrivals and departures calm and ignore the dogs for the first several minutes.


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## jesirose (Mar 27, 2008)

Hardymum said:


> Do you mean something like OxyClean? Or something from the pet store, like Simple Solution? Do you spot-treat it, or pour it in the wash?
> 
> I've been adding some bleach to the washer to remove the smell.
> 
> ...


Yes, Simple Solution. Made for pet odors. It needs to get the ammonia out. I'd soak it in SS or Nature's Miracle, then go in the regular wash.


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## Hardymum (May 19, 2009)

Westhighlander said:


> Since it has only happened twice it's too early to say it is anxiety although peeing under those two scenarios suggest there is something there.
> 
> Like Jesi said just clean the blanket with something like nature's miracle. I would wring out the pee, spot treat it and then wash it. Just keep observing to see if there is a pattern.


No, it's happened much more than twice. Those are just the only two situations in which it has occurred.

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I feel very confident in our vet's medical advice, but apparently he isn't a dog behavior expert.


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

Tis true. Most vets get only cursory education in behaviour as it is not a big part of their practical knowledge...unless they are a veterinary behaviourist and have the specialty training in addition to their medical training.


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## jesirose (Mar 27, 2008)

How old is the beagle?


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## Hardymum (May 19, 2009)

jesirose said:


> How old is the beagle?


Way to read my post! (Just kidding. ) He's one.


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## jesirose (Mar 27, 2008)

Hardymum said:


> Way to read my post! (Just kidding. ) He's one.


*headdesk*

He probably was never adequately potty trained, and thinks it's okay to pee in there. That's why he's looking at you. Remove the blanket, and make sure you take him out often. Treat him as if he's an 8 week old puppy.


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## Hardymum (May 19, 2009)

They told us when we adopted him that he *is* housebroken (and he has never peed or pooped in the house other than when crated or upset.) But they did say that because he was at PetSmart in the adoption center for a couple of weeks, and the store personnel didn't let him out often enough, he had messed in his kennel a few times. So that may be the problem in addition to the anxiety. I just remembered that.

I hope you didn't hurt your head.


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## jesirose (Mar 27, 2008)

Yeah if he got in the habit of going in the crate, it can be hard to stop it.


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## sshawgo (May 18, 2009)

My dog Oreo is going on 10 years old and she still does the same thing. If you find out how to break them I would love to know the secret. 
Sherri Shawgo
**Unauthorized Ad Removed**


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## Cheetah (May 25, 2006)

Hardymum said:


> They told us when we adopted him that he *is* housebroken (and he has never peed or pooped in the house other than when crated or upset.)


When I adopted Eevee from the shelter here, they told me she was potty-trained as well. When I brought her home, the first thing she did was pee on my carpet LOL.

That aside, it still sounds like a stressed reaction to me.


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## Hardymum (May 19, 2009)

I found a bottle of Simple Solution that I didn't know I had, and soaked the blankets in it (mixed with water) in the washer. I made the solution as strong as I could, while being wet enough to soak the blankets through. I don't know exactly where the spots are because I already washed them. I also wiped out the bottom of the cage with it. 

I don't think he likes to be dirty, because I've noticed that if the blanket is soiled he whines and cries when put back in the cage. But if it's clean, he seems calmer. Not completely calm, but more so than when it's dirty. 

(A couple of times I didn't notice he had peed on it until much later. His pee doesn't smell that strong.)

I am getting a bit tired of sniffing blankets to see if they have pee on them! Holy Moly, only someone who really loves animals would put their nose and face right up to something that may have doggie urine on it!


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## Westhighlander (Sep 28, 2007)

I would just removed the blanket for now until you know for sure if he is housebroken or not.


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## Cheetah (May 25, 2006)

I know what you mean about sniffing blankets! I went through that with Shippo during his potty training, because he liked peeing on soft, absorbent things. He went for a while having a bare crate because he kept peeing on anything I put in there LOL. Thank goodness he grew out of it!

One thing that worked for me (but that's just me) was color-safe bleach in the wash with my pet laundry. I also tried cleaning his crate with enzyme cleaners, but it never really seemed to remove the smell. In the end, I had to result to cleaning his crate out in the yard with a diluted bleach solution, and then rinsing repeatedly like CRAZY, then setting the crate out in the sun to dry for a bit. 

Some people will disagree on the bleach idea, but when I worked at the shelter here (the biggest, most influential shelter in the state), when we were getting a kennel ready for a new dog, we BLEACHED that sucker and then rinsed, rinsed, rinsed!

(Always over-rinse, since it is bleach)


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## sshawgo (May 18, 2009)

Cheetah said:


> I know what you mean about sniffing blankets! I went through that with Shippo during his potty training, because he liked peeing on soft, absorbent things. He went for a while having a bare crate because he kept peeing on anything I put in there LOL. Thank goodness he grew out of it!
> 
> One thing that worked for me (but that's just me) was color-safe bleach in the wash with my pet laundry. I also tried cleaning his crate with enzyme cleaners, but it never really seemed to remove the smell. In the end, I had to result to cleaning his crate out in the yard with a diluted bleach solution, and then rinsing repeatedly like CRAZY, then setting the crate out in the sun to dry for a bit.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the suggestion, I have never used bleach so I will try that.


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