He's being a bold boy. Any ideas why?? Please help!!

**Barba** · 16th September 2008, 07:52 PM

Hi girls,

Just looking for a bit of advise from you all.

Charlie turned 1 this month and for the last 2 days he seems to be misbehaving.

Firstly he did a wee on our bed last week. Yesterday (when i had the back door open) he stood at the door and did a wee all over the door frame. Thismorning, after being outside for 20 mins, my hubby came downstairs to find that Charlie had pooed all over the kitchen floor and then this evening (again after being outside from about 20 mins) he did a wee on his bed.

I just can't think why there's a change in him. I'm really baffled. Does anyone have any ideas?? Any advise/ideas would be appreciated.

**sallymum** · 16th September 2008, 08:45 PM

Is he nurered. Has his routine changed. Has there been another dog in his home.
I would first though bring him to vets to make sure he hasnt got a urine/kidney infection.
Forgot to add, has his bed just been washed. Every time i wash my lots beds u can guarantee that one of them will wee on them.

**Karlin** · 16th September 2008, 08:53 PM

This is NOT misbehaving or being bold. He has absolutely *no comprehension* of the notion of being bold.

It is either one or perhaps a couple of the following:

1) he wasn't allowed out in time --especially overnight -- and was expected to hold himself longer than he was able. How long does he go between walks or trips outside of adequate length for him to relieve himself? Is he actually taken outside on a lead and supervised to make sure he goes or allowed out to wander around and maybe go or not go?

2) he has a medical issue. The first stop you make right now needs to be the vet to make sure he isn't ill -- before focusing on anything else.

3) he is not fully housetrained and perhaps has been having accidents you haven't noticed anyway. These are some you happened to see. Many people give their dogs too much freedom, too soon.

4) he isn't neutered and is now marking territory inside. He is the right age to be doing this if intact. Lifting a leg on a doorframe is marking.

5) age 1 is still very young to be fully reliable. many dogs still have the occasional accident. Dogs also like weeing on beds because they are full of rich smells. Chances are, if you have let him wander through the house unsupervised, he has peed in the bed before and you haven't noticed. Once, marked, he will likely keep returning to wee there to the scent of past wees. Wash everything in biological washing powder -- anything else will simply mask the scent for you but the dog can still smell where he went. If the pee soaked into the mattress, that is a bigger problem.

6) you have punished or scolded him when he has had accidents inside. Dogs that are punished tend to learn to go only when you are not there or not watching

A dog generally won't suddenly start doing something like this unless it is sick or something has happened to upset routine -- a new dog, a new baby, a change of house etc. If none of those, then most likely he has actually been doing this out of sight for a while and you need to go back to start over with housetraining, as if he were a puppy. The good thing is that remedial training goes a lot faster than starting from scratch!

**pippa** · 16th September 2008, 09:11 PM

Gus started marking my table legs first thing in the morning at about this age and the curtains the odd time too...he stopped doing it after he was neutered.

**cecily** · 16th September 2008, 10:35 PM

Likewise with Dougal. He was starting to mark around age one.
We had him neutered VERY soon after that

He will be 2 in October and is still not 100% fully housetrained. But at worst he will have one wee during the day if we're at work. Usually we're back by half 3 and he can hold it. He's completely reliable when we're at home.

One thing though that I've found is SO important is to continue treating them and praising them when they go outside. Dougal goes on command straight away every time he goes out, and gets praise and a treat. He gets extremely excited about this. However it's taken lots of hard work to get to this point. A year ago I'm quite sure he was still having accidents while we were at home because he had cottoned on to the go outside = reward.

When you say he was outside for 20 mins, was he just put out and left for 20mins, or did you stand out with him and wait for him to go? Because if he doesn't know that when he's put out its for toilet he will probably spend the 20mins trying to get back in to you, too distracted to go to the toilet, and then will go when he comes in

. Dougal's housetraining took a bit of a step back when we stopped being totally consistant with him. Once I started going out with him every time and treating him as soon as he went things got back on track.

Best of luck

**Aileen** · 17th September 2008, 07:18 AM

Barney started wetting in the house since Sam died I started to go outside with him and he is alright again
--Aileen and (Barney---Jazzie)

**Jan Bell** · 17th September 2008, 09:01 AM

We had a bit of a replapse with Rufus around this age, so we went right back to the beginning and started to take him out and stay with him in the garden regularly like we did when he was younger. We used a key phrase (hurry up) every time he went and gave him a treat and lots of fuss. Took a bit of time and effort but he improved really quickly.

Neighbours still must think we are crackers though, as 'hurry up' is the standard cue for a wee so they hear it all the time over the fence. Probably think we are very impatient Cavalier owners.

**Barba** · 17th September 2008, 10:11 AM

Thanks for the replies girls

Sallymum, He hasn't been neutered and there haven't been any other dogs in the house for a while and his bed hasn't been freshly washed so maybe to be on the safe side we will take him to the vet.

Karlin, the door is always open but maybe once every 2 hours we stand outside with him and tell him to 'wee wee' most times he does a wee or poo but this has changed in the last couple of days. He's never punished, it's something i'm dead against, he's like our baby and we make sure he's never ever mistreated by anyone.

The only things that are different are 1. I'm pregnant and i'm not sure if he can sense it? and 2. My dad lives next door and both our doors are always open but my dad is away and Charlie hasn't seen my dad in over a week.

Thanks for the other replies girls. I guess we'll take him to the vet and if she says he's ok we'll have to start the house training over again.

**Karlin** · 17th September 2008, 10:28 AM

I'd vet check him, and if that is Ok and he doesn't have a urinary infection or something else causing this, then block off access to bedrooms and beds and have him under strict control when allowed in rooms, and keep him under watch at all times -- don't let him roam around the house.

If he is intact, it doesn't matter whether other dogs have been around -- he will start marking at this age. If you leave him intact, this is going to be a training issue and just be aware he can never be considered reliable when visiting other people's homes as he is likely to lift his leg on furniture/doorways in other houses. Most people I know with intact males cannot let them wander around the house on their own as they will mark against furniture or doorways in particular.