In this post we’re going to be talking about how to stop a dog marking in the house. Before I go any further it’s important for me to clarify one major point –there is a difference between a dog marking in the house and a dog peeing in the house.

Peeing or marking?

Puddles in the house will typically signal peeing, while urine marking is done in small amounts, usually to an upright surface, although horizontal surfaces work well too!! If you’ve determined it’s peeing, the question now becomes why?

Reasons why your dog is peeing in the house

Not getting enough walks or opportunities to go out

You may want to re-visit your dog walking schedule, and make sure everyone responsible for taking the dog out is, in fact, taking the dog out.

Drinking a lot of water

It may be as simple as your dog feeling the heat and drinking a lot

He may not have access to a water bowl wherever he ends up settling, can’t be bothered to find one so drinks a lot when he finally does find a water source.

If you have an old dog, increased drinking may be due to a change in medication, kidney disease, diabetes or dementia to name just a few reasons. If this is the case please see your vet as soon as possible.

What is dog marking NOT?

It is not a house training issue, your dog seeking revenge or being spiteful for something you’ve done.

Why dogs urine mark in the house

It is usually a sign of anxiety or stress or claiming ownership. Some of the situations that can cause a dog to mark include –  

• a new baby
• an unfamiliar face
• another pet
• new things in the house
• moving house
• being adopted
• sign of illness or medical problem in an old dog
• may see a dog outside and feel the need to mark his territory
• suffering from separation anxiety
• lacks confidence
• reaction to unfixed animals in the house
• staking his claim to items or territory he thinks belong to him

Do all dogs do it?

No, they don’t.

It seems fixing a dog when they’re fairly young makes it less likely they’ll mark. Unfixed males are bigger culprits than fixed ones, and small breeds more than larger ones. Females have also been known to mark, but it’s far less common.

Please do not…

Yell or hit your dog, it is never an answer to any issue.

If you come home and find he’s been busy, just clean it up. There’s nothing to say after the fact.

How to stop a dog marking in the house

Check-up time. The first thing you should always do when you notice a change in your dog’s behaviour, especially if you live with a senior dog, is to take him to the vet for a check-up. You want to rule out medical issues first.

Neuter your dog. Although it’s not a guarantee, it’s a great start and should be done anyway! Here’s my opportunity to lecture about the importance of spaying and neutering in order to prevent unwanted litters. Before you start to allow your animals to breed for profit, walk into any animal shelter and see them overflowing with abandoned animals. Okay I’m off my soapbox!

Keep objects out of reach. If he likes to mark visitors’ belongings, new items you’ve just bought or whatever you notice he tends to like doing it on, keep that/them out of reach.

Catch him in the act. You have the best chance of your dog learning that it’s not okay if you catch him in the act. When we first adopted Jack he started marking, something I had never experienced before, and quite frankly wasn’t very fond of! After catching him a few times and saying “no” like I meant it (and I most certainly did!), he stopped.

I do know he’s likely to do it in someone’s house if I’m not watching so I keep my eye on him when we’re visiting. I believe he’s marking his territory and seems to think a lot of things belong to him.

Change your route. Why not take him to explore different areas on your walks, giving him lots of opportunity to mark plenty of new objects.

Introduce the newcomer. If your dog is letting you know he’s anxious or stressed about the new face in the house, introduce them and let them get to know each other. Treats or toys are great ice breakers. If your dog has his own spot, keep the newbie out of there until they’re on good terms and even then he may not be welcomed. Keep them separated if you have to when no one is around, just until they’re getting along.

Watch for signs and make some noise. Look for signs he’s about to lift his leg – he could be showing a bit too much interest in an item or area, or sniffing in one spot, then say “no” in a firm voice, clap your hands, stamp your foot…whatever works. No need to scream, you don’t want to scare him you just want to distract him.

Physical exercise and mental stimulation. Boredom can quickly make marking behaviour worse, so make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise (swimming, walking, hiking, agility, indoor dog park…according to his mobility level) and mental stimulation in the form of puzzle toys and games. 

Praise. When your dog pees/marks outside, praise him, a lot, and give him treats or toys (whatever motivates him). You want him to learn rewards are high for doing the “right” thing.

What’s your dog’s marking behaviour?  For example, does he pee on his bed or your other dog’s bed if left alone too long? Pick the bed up off the floor next time you go out, and see if that makes a difference. Jack was never keen on my heart dog Red. He didn’t bother her but I do believe he was jealous of her so at one point he started to mark her bed. I stopped that behaviour very quickly and all it took was picking her bed up off the floor when I went out.

Clean. Any area your dog peed in must be thoroughly cleaned and odours eliminated. Masking them isn’t enough, because your dog can still smell them.

Separation anxiety. Dogs that suffer from separation anxiety may pee from anxiety or lack of confidence. See my article on treating separation anxiety for tips that may help.

Make him feel safe. You need to train him, create structure and routine. This goes a long way to reducing anxiety.

Belly band. As the name suggests it is a band of fabric that wraps around your dog’s belly and absorbs urine.  

Confinement. Some dogs may never be trusted, and since it’s impossible to watch him 24 hours a day, your best bet may be to limit his free run access of the house. Confining him to smaller areas with baby gates and barricades when no one is around is a good solution.

If he marks in my house, will he mark in every house?

It is entirely possible, especially if they also have pets. Either leave him at home so you can relax and have fun or, if you really want to bring him, keep him on a leash so you can monitor him.

How to stop a dog marking in the house – conclusion

If you have a dog that urine marks, believe me I know how you feel! I do hope you found the information helpful, and I would be very interested to hear how things are going.

Is there a specific item your dog marks? Can you recognise the signs before he does it? Have you been able to stop this behaviour and if yes, what’s your secret? Sharing helps others so please leave a comment below.

**There is an affiliate link in this post, so if you buy something I may receive a commission. This has no effect on the price for you.**

Dear Hindy,

Every time we open the front door Penny tries to run out. Usually we catch her, but twice we didn’t and she took off. Once my husband caught up with her quickly, the second time she was gone for 2 hours. Thankfully someone found her and called us. If it happens again we might not be so lucky. Please help. Thank you, Jean

Dear Jean,

How terrifying that must have been for all of you, thank goodness she’s always gotten back safely. This really is an urgent situation so let’s get right to it. I’m going to state the obvious but…have everyone in the house be careful when opening the door. No standing with it open, and maybe you can put up a baby gate on the outside of the door in the meantime for extra security.

One of the reasons she may be door dashing (yep, that’s what it’s called) is because she’s bored or under stimulated. If she doesn’t get enough walks and/or play time, correcting that should help.

The training is involved, a little too involved for this forum, but here is the essence of it.

You need to teach Penny impulse control, and you do that by teaching her to “stay,” she moves when you tell her it’s okay to move and you reward her when she listens.

Stand facing her, hand up and palm facing outward then say “stay.” Use any one word you choose to tell her it’s okay to move, then give her a treat or favourite toy as a reward. If she moves before you tell her she can, no reward. Practice this periodically throughout the day, then it’s time to increase the amount of time you ask her to stay.

Once you’ve done that you’ll take a step back, all the time reminding her to stay. Then over time you’ll take another step back than another, rewarding her each time she stays until you tell her she can move.

Repeat this in the vicinity of the front door. As you progress you’ll open the door a crack, then another crack. You see where I’m going with this. You might want to practice this part of the training with a long leash for safety.

A quick note – even though she will one day be great at staying, I still recommend you’re careful about leaving doors open.

Good luck!

**Ready to schedule a virtual training session with me? Great let’s get started!! Simply fill in the contact form with your time zone and what you need help with, and I’ll be in touch to set up an appointment.**  

Dear Hindy,

We adopted Zac a few months ago, and we love him to pieces. The problem is he’s a chewer, and he isn’t fussy about what he will chew. He has lots of toys but he doesn’t limit himself to them. Can you please give me some tips to help him stop. I don’t want my furniture legs to be his next victim!! Thank you, Melanie

Dear Melanie,

Don’t worry, I’ll try and help before that happens!!

There are various reasons for chewing which can include teething, boredom, anxiety, and looking for attention. How is that attention seeking? Perhaps a pet parent is busy and doesn’t spend enough time with their dog. Yelling at him for chewing something he shouldn’t is still attention. If you think he’s feeling anxious because he’s left alone for several hours each day, try and arrange for a dog walker, family, friend or neighbour to stop by. Another option is putting him in doggy day care, even if it’s just a couple of times a week.

A key factor in tackling so many behaviour issues, including this one, is ensuring your dog gets plenty of physical exercise and mental stimulation. That means not only walks but perhaps things like agility, fly ball, puzzle toys, short training sessions at home…

Provide Zac with sturdy chew toys, but don’t give him all at once. Rotate them to keep his interest, and praise him when he chews what’s appropriate.

When you’re out, limit his access to the entire house by blocking off a smaller area for him

A Kong is an excellent boredom buster, and will keep Zac chewing on what’s appropriate. Spread some peanut butter inside, cheese spread, homemade doggy ice cream…

In the meantime, don’t leave anything valuable/important in your dog’s path until he learns what is and is not acceptable

Good luck.

**Ready to schedule a virtual training session with me? Great let’s get started!! Simply fill in the contact form with your time zone and what you need help with, and I’ll be in touch to set up an appointment.**  

*There are affiliate links in this post, which means if you purchase anything I may make a commission for the sale. This has no effect on the price you pay. *

Dear Hindy,

Alfie is 3 months old and every time we come home, or anyone comes to visit he pees a little. I know he’s excited to see us, and we feel the same way, but now we have stains on our carpet. Even if he does it on the floor it’s still a behaviour we would like to change. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Samantha

Dear Samantha,

I know what you’re saying, who wants to come home to pee stains on the carpet! It’s common for a puppy to lose control when they’re excited and it’s called “excitement urination.” Most will grow out of it, but you may not want to wait to see if that happens in Alfie’s case.  

I always recommend a trip to the vet when there is an issue, just to rule out a medical reason.

The good news is, there are things you can do to stop it.

Rather than you, and everyone else who comes into your home, making a big fuss of Alfie when you walk through the door, keep it low key, ignoring him if you have to. Once he’s calm you can interact. Make sure all visitors are told before they come knocking

Let him decide who he wants to greet, as that can relieve some of the pressure he may be feeling when everyone runs over to him because he’s so darn cute!

Get down to his level, rather than looming over him

When socialising your pup, do so gradually, so he’s not exposed to too many new things, environments…too quickly

Teach your dog to “sit” before greeting anyone

Make sure Alfie is getting enough physical exercise and mental stimulation. A dog that is tired won’t be as excitable

Never, ever punish your dog for this or any other unwanted behaviour

Good luck.

**Ready to schedule a virtual training session with me? Great let’s get started!! Simply fill in the contact form with your time zone and what you need help with, and I’ll be in touch to set up an appointment.**  

Dear Hindy,

Nothing makes Josie happier than her walks, but she’s so super excited she jumps around like a lunatic and it’s impossible to put her leash on. It’s stressful and irritating. Any advice? Thank you, Robert

Dear Robert,

My dog Jack was the same way when we first adopted him. A lot has to do with how often a dog gets walked. If they only get one walk a day, if that, how can we expect anything less? If you feel this is the case, I hope you will find a way to take her out at least twice a day, but 3 times is better.

Please don’t yell or punish her for her over exuberance!!

Okay, let’s look at how we can start the walk off on a much calmer note.

The simple rule is – the leash does not go on until Josie is sitting calmly, and every person who walks her must follow this rule. If for some reason it’s too hard for her to sit, have her stand/stay – that works too.

Call her over to the spot where you get her ready for her walk, and ask her to sit. As soon as she starts jumping around drop the leash, turn your back and don’t say a word. When she’s quiet for a few seconds pick up the leash and clip it on. If she starts jumping again drop the leash, turn around, wait for her to calm down before trying to attach the leash again.  

It really is as simple as that.

It can be frustrating, I’ve been through it myself, but you’ll be surprised how quickly she will learn – when she’s calm she gets her walk.

I’m a big believer in training with treats, but not in this case because the longed for walk is the reward.  

Good luck.

**Ready to schedule a virtual training session with me? Great let’s get started!! Simply fill in the contact form with your time zone and what you need help with, and I’ll be in touch to set up an appointment.**   

Dear Hindy,

Every time we sit down to eat a meal, Holly is right there next to my husband or one of the kids. She’s constantly begging for food, and barks when she doesn’t get any, or enough. Meal time is stressful and noisy and I just want to enjoy time with my family. How do I stop this? Thank you, Jennifer

Dear Jennifer,

It is so irritating when you’re trying to have a conversation at dinner time, and the music in the background is the sound of your dog barking. Okay, it’s not music!!

I noticed you said Holly sits next to everyone else, but not you. Can I assume you’re the only one who doesn’t indulge the dog?

In order to get Holly to stop begging, every single person must be on the same page, and in agreement that the dog is no longer fed table scraps…period. There’s no exceptions, and no slipping her food when no one is looking. When her behaviour doesn’t change you’ll know someone isn’t listening.

Okay here’s what to do.

Decide where in the room you would prefer she be during mealtime. The next time your dog begs stand up, face her, and with your body back her up to that spot, then ask her to “stay” of “lie down.” Be prepared for Holly to follow you back to the table as soon as you walk away, but that’s okay. Repeat the process as many times as it takes for her to learn where her place is at meal times.

It will disrupt you, and you may get annoyed if you have to keep doing it, but as long as you are consistent she will learn. You may be pleasantly surprised it doesn’t take her long at all!

For extra motivation, why not give her a frozen treat in a Kong or a favourite toy to play with. It will be more effective if it’s something she gets only during this training.   

Good luck.

**Ready to schedule a virtual training session with me? Great let’s get started!! Simply fill in the contact form with your time zone and what you need help with, and I’ll be in touch to set up an appointment.**   

Dear Hindy,

My wife and I recently adopted a 4 year old dog named Justin. He’s great, except when he pees in the house. I understand giving him time to get used to his new home, and learning he’ll get walked regularly, but he does it after a walk! We don’t want to give him back but we didn’t sign up for this. Thanks, Robert

Dear Robert,

First of all, congratulations on rescuing a dog and saving a life! It’s wonderful to hear you understand a dog needs time to adjust to a new home, and accidents are not unexpected. This however sounds more like urine marking. My rescue dog Jack used to do the same thing, and boy did it annoy me!

You don’t mention if you already had another dog in the house. Marking in a household with more than one dog is not unusual, as they tend to compete for resources which includes human attention.

Just by walking Justin I’m sure you’ve noticed how he marks as he goes. Perfectly acceptable outside, but not inside. There are things you can do to stop it and here are a few –

• Keep an eye on him indoors, and when he’s about to mark call his name, or interrupt him with whatever word you choose
• They usually have a favourite spot so block access to that spot, or if it’s another dog’s bed for example, pick it up off the floor when you’re out
• Your dog may be bored, not getting enough physical exercise or mental stimulation
• As it’s more common in unneutered dogs, having your dog fixed (if he isn’t already) could help

Good luck!

**Ready to schedule a virtual training session with me? Great let’s get started!! Simply fill in the contact form with your time zone and what you need help with, and I’ll be in touch to set up an appointment.**   

Dear Hindy,

Every time the doorbell rings Bella goes ballistic, barking like a lunatic and it takes forever to get her to stop. My kids have a lot of friends coming over so the bell is often ringing, and Bella is driving us nuts. What can we do? Thanks, Anna.

Dear Anna,

I know how tough that can be for everyone, and even put a damper on your kids’ fun. Let’s see how we can help.

They key to this is a technique called desensitisation, which is exactly what it says, desensitising her to the sound of the doorbell to the point where she no longer reacts. It’s such an easy thing to practice anytime of the day, all you need is someone to go outside, ring the doorbell and be the “visitor.” Bella will of course start barking but don’t do anything, just let her carry on until she stops. Resist the temptation to yell at her or even look at her, as hard as it will be.

Practice about 5 minutes at a time, a few times a day. Every dog learns at a different pace so it’s impossible to say how long it will take.

There are a few variations you can try, start with one and see how it goes, if not move on to another. Be sure to explain to your guests what you’re doing and enlist their support.

When she stops barking give her a treat and open the door.

When she stops barking open the door to let the visitor in, and let the person be the reward. If she loves company that may be enough.

Adding a bit to the second option, once the visitor is in the house, he or she can ask your dog to sit and give her a treat. Leave some outside for your visitors, but keep them off the ground so squirrels and the like don’t eat them!!

Good luck.

**Ready to schedule a virtual training session with me? Great let’s get started!! Simply fill in the contact form with your time zone and what you need help with, and I’ll be in touch to set up an appointment.**   

Dear Hindy,

My wife and I recently adopted a new puppy we named Sidney. He’s very fussy about what he eats, so we keep buying different foods for him to try. He’ll eat it for a couple of days then want something different. We are going to run out of brands to try soon. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks, Dennis

Dear Dennis,

I’ve had the same experiences, only in my case it was one of my senior foster dogs. I was constantly trying something new, anything to get her to eat. The thing is, many owners unwittingly create the fussiness (no offence!!) by constantly buying different foods when the previous one is refused. Your pup knows you’ll do it, so there’s no reason for him not to be fussy.

I don’t know if you free feed Sidney (leave food out for him all day to eat as he pleases), or you have set meal times, but I strongly advise you to have set meal times. Choose a quality brand with a choice of flavors so he has variety. Call him to come eat, put the food bowl down for 15 minutes and if he doesn’t eat pick it up and try again at the next scheduled meal.

Don’t panic if he doesn’t eat for a couple of meals, and don’t give in if he doesn’t. Make sure he’s not satisfying his hunger by feeding him too many treats either!! He won’t try and starve himself and will quickly learn he eats what he gets. If he goes several days without eating, he may have a health problem you should see your vet about.

Good luck.

**Ready to schedule a virtual training session with me? Great let’s get started!! Simply fill in the contact form with your time zone and what you need help with, and I’ll be in touch to set up an appointment.**

Dear Hindy,

This is so disgusting I can barely write it. My dog Melvin eats poop…and loves it! He stinks and I won’t let him near me. How do I stop it? Thanks, Evelyn.

Dear Evelyn,

Gross to us but not uncommon for them I’m afraid! I did have a dog that ate poop as well, so I totally understand what you’re saying.

The “official” term is known as Coprophagia and there are various reasons why a dog might engage in that activity. It could be the result of a medical condition such as Cushing’s, pancreatitis or intestinal issues, but most often it is behaviorial. Some dogs simply enjoy the taste, or they’ve developed a habit and can’t stop doing something they like.

The only way there really is to stop is –

Monitor him closely when out walking, and keep an eye out for any area he’s particularly interested in

If you do let him off leash try and watch where he goes, but if you can’t you may need to keep him on a leash for awhile and see if it breaks a habit

Clean up poop immediately, especially if it’s in the backyard and he plays there

If you have a cat be sure you keep the litter box clean 

Good luck!

**Ready to schedule a training session with me? Great let’s get started!! Simply fill in the contact form with your time zone and what you need help with, and I’ll be in touch to set up an appointment.**