Pet peepee problem

BigJoe

New Member
Location
Near Dallas TX
I have 2 7 yr old female Dobermans that keep peeing in the house and if I put them outside they bark until I let them in. They are a matched set that came with my wife so I can't get rid of them.
Any suggestions?
 

Details please. Did your wife housebreak them? Did they move in just recently? Is this a new to you house that may have had dogs urinating in it before you moved in? Have you taken them to the vet to see if there's a problem? Questions, questions??
 
Details please. Did your wife housebreak them? Did they move in just recently? Is this a new to you house that may have had dogs urinating in it before you moved in? Have you taken them to the vet to see if there's a problem? Questions, questions??

Good questions Steelcitiesgray, without some background it's hard to give advice. Were the dogs reliably housebroken and this just started? Have both of them been spayed, if not it could be marking territory. And I agree, it's possible it's a medical condition that can be treated, but to me it would be strange for them both to have it.

We used to have a female Dobie when we first got together, my husband's dog initially, and she never soiled the house, was very reliable. Every try letting them out one by one to do their business? How about walks on a leash, do they relieve themselves that way? This problem can probably be resolved once all causes can be identified and addressed.
 
Typically dogs need to go a half hour after they eat. If they don't go in your yard then take them on a long walk (and take a puppy bag or walk in the woods) because some dogs won't go in their own yard. Dobermans need a LOT of exercise. If they don't get enough exercise they will have behavioral problems such as yours.

I once heard of a method to housebreak a puppy that I thought was too extreme but you have an extreme case. I'm not sure I would recommend this but it's a method called "crate training". Is there a crate big enough for a Doberman? If so, google "crate-training for dogs" and see what you think.
 
Typically dogs need to go a half hour after they eat. If they don't go in your yard then take them on a long walk (and take a puppy bag or walk in the woods) because some dogs won't go in their own yard. Dobermans need a LOT of exercise. If they don't get enough exercise they will have behavioral problems such as yours.

I once heard of a method to housebreak a puppy that I thought was too extreme but you have an extreme case. I'm not sure I would recommend this but it's a method called "crate training". Is there a crate big enough for a Doberman? If so, google "crate-training for dogs" and see what you think.

Crate training is a wonderful way to train a puppy. They actually love their crates as they are "den" animals and feel very safe there. Not sure how well it would work for an adult dog though-especially if they have never been crated before. And yes,there are crates that can accommodate huge dogs-much bigger than Dobermans.

As far as these girls peeing in the house though,I`m afraid that at 7 years old you would have a very difficult time breaking them of it. I would check with a trainer and ask,but that`s awfully old to expect to change that behavior. I had Toy Poodles for many years,and peeing in the house is very common with little dogs. I kept pee pads everywhere but finally got tired of it and had the carpets pulled up and my entire downstairs that they had access to floored in laminate flooring. They never peed on that. Pretty sure a Doberman wouldn`t either because it would splash on their legs and they do not like that.
 
Crate training I agree is wonderful..of course never used as punishments

I would try and start again as I would with puppies, Take then out, watch them very carefully, use the words you choose. I say to my girls. go pee pee. I have one who goes immediately and one who comes back in without going. I stop her and say go pee pee and she goes back. when the first one does it I say clever girl Maisie, then clever girl Florence .I use a very silly voice, then we go back to the house and all the time I am saying things like such clever girls. so clever. As soon as I get in the door there is a jar and those clever girls get a treat, all the time I am getting the lid off I am complementing them, . Their tails are wagging and they are wining with excitement. I never use that jar of treats for anything else.

Even visiting dogs pick up on it real quick.
 
Crate training is a wonderful way to train a puppy. They actually love their crates as they are "den" animals and feel very safe there.

Absolutely! And I've successfully crate trained adult rescue dogs. They have always spent a lot of time voluntarily in their crates.

If your dogs have just begun urinating in the house, there may be a physical reason. I would rule that out first.

I'm not a fan of carpet - I don't think it's ever clean. Dogs and carpet are an especially bad combination.
 
I have 2 7 yr old female Dobermans that keep peeing in the house and if I put them outside they bark until I let them in. They are a matched set that came with my wife so I can't get rid of them.
Any suggestions?

I have dog doors -- that absolutely has solved any problem I've ever had with any of my dogs over the years. Most dogs do not want to soil where they "live" if they can help it. Dog doors also make your life a lot simpler, since you don't have to watch them all the time to be sure you take them out in time, OR during the night! They are pretty easy to install, too, if yo have a wooden door.

I had a flat coat retriever once, who as she got older, had more and more trouble with accidents in the house (it started when she was about 7-ish, as I recall). That's when I put in the dog doors in utter desperation -- solved the problem instantly! You just have to teach them how to use it and they come and go at will.
 
Sorry for delay. My grown daughter raised them from 6 weeks old then decided to dump them on us when she finally moved out on her own. The house is new to us and did not have pets before plus we replaced the carpet, with wood.
They are sisters and very codependent. Our vet suspects diabetes but they are too big for my wife to take to vet and I am on crutches and can't handle them either. My daughter can't be bothered. They both are neutered. A dog door will
not work cause then the cats would escape.
 
BigJoe, Call your daughter and tell her to come get her dogs. This is a shame that her dogs are ruining your house. This is NOT your responsibility. If your daughter will not take them, have your wife call a rescue or take them to a no kill shelter and send the bill to your daughter. Dogs like this need exercise and you and your wife can't do this. It's not right for the dogs or you. Time to tell your "grown" daughter to grow up and take on her responsibility.
 
Sorry for delay. My grown daughter raised them from 6 weeks old then decided to dump them on us when she finally moved out on her own. The house is new to us and did not have pets before plus we replaced the carpet, with wood.
They are sisters and very codependent. Our vet suspects diabetes but they are too big for my wife to take to vet and I am on crutches and can't handle them either. My daughter can't be bothered. They both are neutered. A dog door will
not work cause then the cats would escape.

Mobile vets will come to your home.
 


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