# My new puppy keeps peeing on the furniture



## nikadex (Mar 24, 2010)

Hi there,

I just adopted a seven month old pug/boston and he keeps peeing on the furniture. He's had almost no accidents on the floor and can go 9 hours over night in his crate no problem but every time he goes up on the couch or bed or any furniture he immediately lifts his leg and pees. I know it isn't a case of the dog needing to go because he'll do this right after we come inside from a walk. It seems to be possibly a marking issue??? He is not neutered yet...could this possibly be a reason? I am trying to keep him off the furniture but it is difficult to keep an eye on him 24/7 and I have two other dogs that he is following around all the time and they are allowed on the furniture. So, how do I let little Dexter know that it is not acceptable to "go" on the furniture? I am in an apartment so rushing the dog outside is almost impossible...and again I know it's not an "I have to go" issue. I've been thinking maybe to put him on the furniture and be right there and as soon as he moves to lift his leg give him a correction and put him on the floor....or put down pee pads and as soon as he gestures take him to the pee pad but I don't think he'd actually go on the pad because I don't think he needs to go he's just marking. Any ideas would be appreciated...please and thank you!!


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## mightymal (Sep 23, 2009)

If he has successfully peed on the furniture (or if any of the dogs have), make sure to clean it with special cleaner to get the stain AND odor out. He could be marking since he is not neutered and I'd be wanting to fix him ASAP.  Is he pee-pad trained or house-trained to go outside? If it is the former, I'd be worried about him getting the textures confused (pee pad and couch) and would work on getting him to potty outside, and outside only, immediately. 

In the meantime, I'd keep him off the furniture as much as possible - my dogs have to earn furniture rights and it doesn't sound like your little guy is quite there yet.  A stuffed kong or high value toy can likely convince him to keep all four on the floor.  If he does manage to get up there, hike, and you catch him in the act, I'd startle him with a clap and a "TSK TSK!!", then get him outside to finish up. If he won't pee outside, then I'd crate him for a few minutes back inside while I clean up the mess. But in this case, I think an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of "cure".


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## briteday (Feb 10, 2007)

Marking is a behavior, not the result of hormones that can be controlled by neutering. Some dogs will stop marking after they are neutered but that is not a general rule.

If your dog is urinating on furniture it is your fault for letting him have access. Go back to potty training 101. Keep the dog crated except when he is outside on a potty break or you have him under total supervision, perhaps tethered to you with a leash so that he cannot wander out of sight to potty elsewhere. If you cannot watch him then he goes in the crate or at least in a gated safe room.


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## nikadex (Mar 24, 2010)

Mightymal, thanks for your input. I just adopted him a week ago and am not sure how he was house trained but the idea of confusing texture makes a lot of sense....because he is not having any accidents on the floor or walls at all, it's only when he goes up on furniture. When I have caught him in the act I have given a correction and put him in his crate for a short time out. He is being neutered next Friday so hopefully that might help but for now I'll just keep a super close eye on him and keep him off the furniture!

To Briteday, thank you as well but I want Dexter to learn that peeing on the furniture is wrong so I just don't see how keeping him crated is going to help with this problem. If he were just peeing everywhere I would agree but in this situation don't because I need a way to teach him that specific behaviour is wrong...


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

He could be marking from the stress of being in a new home and with other dogs. He may seem happy but settling in takes time and it is still stressful to get in the groove on new people, home, schedule, rules etc.

Neutering may or may not help with this...but if it is a STRESS marking behaviour be very careful about overcorrecting, this could increase the behaviour and leave you correcting even more (it's a vicious cycle). 

As much as marking is not a "true" urination (like a full bladder) it IS still a housetraining issue and for housetraining 90 percent of the solution is management and prevention NOT correction. The more he gets the opportunity to practice the behaviour, whether you punish him for it or not, the harder it will be to get rid of. 

If you catch him in the act (which means he wasn't being supervised or confined) you STARTLE him with a noise and grab him and take him to the place he SHOULD go. This is an interruption, not a correction. Punishment in the form of physical corrections will simply have him doing it when YOU are not there because it is YOU that would be the part of the equation that he understands..not that the behaviour is "wrong".


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## nikadex (Mar 24, 2010)

Thanks Cracker. I was thinking that the little guy has settled in quite nicely and hadn't really thought that he may still be stressed by his move, but it makes sense, he's been here just under two weeks. I'm being extra dilligent with keeping him in my eyes sight so he's not able to get up on the furniture and lift a leg so hopefully this little bad habit goes away soon!


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