Re: Marking Terror!!!

In Reply to: Marking Terror!!!
Posted by:  Chris
Posted on:  October 31, 2001 at 09:14:38

: I've been cleaning up after my JRT for ages... 90% everyday. Last nite, I finally finished at 3am (no kidding!) He knows how to go to the papers. But sometimes he chooses to mark my kitchen cabinets, giving the papers a miss altogether. I stay in flat and he's restricted to the kitchen only by baby gate. I blot up the mess 'til dry, spray and wipe with commercial spray cleaner over the area and finish up with the smell remover (which really is quite good...no ammonia smell at all!).

:
: 1) Any advise to stop him from marking at home, anyone?
: 2) He marks at home even if he just return from a 30min walk downstairs and i let him sniff trees and poles. But he just doesn't mark in the streets. ONLY IN MY KITCHEN! Help! Why is he like this?
: 3) I started him from paper training right from the start. He's 8months now. i'm so frustrated that i want to switch him to housetraining now. i want to bring him downstairs twice a day, once in morning and once in the night. Is this sufficient? How do i do this transition? How long will it take? What should i do or do with him during the intervals when he wants a pee or poo at home?
: 4) I have a wire crate for him in the kitchen. trouble is, this doesn't even stop him from marking. He just aims at the wires and out into the kitchen flooring and cabinets....

: I'm at my wit's end and is contemplating giving him up now. I really don't want to but this is really killing me. I'm cleaning my kitchen almost 2 hours everyday.

: Please HELP!
: Desperately seeking answers,

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Hi Chris,

Mistake number ONE is keeping this dog paper trained. All that does is signal to your dog that it is OKAY to eliminate in the house.

Start training this dog to go outside only.

Mistake number TWO is not getting your dog neutered at an early age. If you neuter a dog while a young puppy (around 5 months and some even do it sooner) before it KNOWS its a male dog the chances of him marking are dramatically lessened. I have two neutered males and neither one of them marks indoors and hardly even outdoors.

You are sending this dog mixed signals. Choose your elimination method and then stick to it. We endorse the housebreaking outdoor method. The only time I personally advise papertraining is with toy breeds and then if they are living in a high rise. A dog still needs to be let outdoors everyday though. JRTs are too big for paper training in my opinion. So many people have problems with their dogs missing the paper probably because they have not laid out a big enough area and quite frankly I sure wouldn't want to come home to piles of poop and puddles of pee. JMHO

I hope you are using an enzymatic cleaner like Nature's Miracle because these types of cleaners are the only thing that will eliminate the odor so the dog doesn't re-mark.

Let me also tell you that even with an adult dog that is fully housetrained going out to eliminate twice a day is NOT ENOUGH!! An adult dog should be allowed to relieve itself at least 4 times a day. What if you were only allowed to relieve yourself twice a day? Pretty uncomfortable I would say!

YOU need to make the commitment it takes to own not only a JRT but a dog in general and if you don't have the time to take your dog out 4 times a day then I would rethink dog ownership...seriously.

I am going to tell you to buy the book I am recommending. Please do it! The book is titled "How to Housebreak a Dog in 7 Days" by Shirlee Kalstone. It is paperback and under $7 and can be purchased right here through the JRTCA site. I will provide the link, look under training.

This book will be a GOD-SEND to you! Get the book and get your dog neutered. Clean the areas up and eliminate the odors. Get your dog out more and you should start to see results.

Good Luck!
Marie