Question:
: I'm writing to you as a last resort. I have an eleveen week old baby. Before our baby was born Max was pooping in the nursery. He's four years old and totally housebroken. We took him to the vet then and were told that it was a reaction to the changes and to toughen up on his obidence. We id this and the situaiton resolved itself. Then we brought our son home. Of course, Max is having a hard time coming to terms with not being the center of our attention anymore. He started peeing in the nursery when the baby was about 4 weeks old. So I gated off the room, but this past weekend he started peeing right outside of the gate! We have tried everything we can think of--using Nature's Miracle to clean it up, walking him more often, spending extra special time just with him, taking him on more play dates, etc. etc, but to no avail--he's still peeing inside. Usually it's f he has not been allowed something--like up on the couch with us. So, he sneaks upstairs and pees. I don't even fin it until after the fact--my mistake for trusting him to have run of the house. This is happening while we are home and without any signals to go outside first. I'm to the point where I can't take it anymore. Being a new and first time mom is challenging enough. The vet gave me medication to give him to calm his nerves, but he throws it up and I feel bad giving it to him. I don't know what else to do. Please help!
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Hi Carey,
If Max is no neutered, please get him neutered asap. He is marking, and if intact, it was inevitable. You could have controlled it by neutering him early, and now the problem may never completely go away.
If you have not had a urinalysis run on him, please do so. This is a test that runs around $6 and will tell you if this problem is a bladder infection or urinary problem. If it is a medical issue, please resolve it medically and don't give him up for something you could fixed.
Keep up the things you are doing to help him-- playing with him during baby's naps, taking him out often (increase this to once an hour when possible), etc. Another thing you will need to do is watch him better. He just plain has to go. He is NOT sneaking upstairs to pee out of spite. He's sneaking away because that is dog's instinct, to separate themselves from the pack for private matters such as these. If you can not follow him, start using baby gates to keep him in the room where you are. Close the door to the nursery and other rooms he doesn't need to be in when you are not in these rooms. When you can not watch him at all, crate him.
If you are scolding him for these actions after the fact or catching him in the act and scolding too harshly or physically, you may be escalating the problem. If you catch him peeing in the house, a mild "no" and an immediate trip outside is sufficient. Whenever you take him outside and he goes, praise him like crazy and treat him also. Please also remember that if you did not neuter him, this is a problem you created. It is not his fault.
I'm very sorry that you feel we are the last resort. There are no quick fixes for problems like this, and it is going to take effort on your part to resolve it. We can not be responsible for what is your decision. I hope that you will reconsider Max's position in your family, and what giving up pets when the going gets rough teaches children about pet ownership. Your baby is too little to remember Max now, but he will learn about Max and learn from your actions.
Good luck!
Heather
