Okay, I need some suggestions about house training.

[Loril Hawk]

Colter is the perfect, happy, playful puppy.  His only, and I mean only problem is his urinating right in front of the front door.  It almost seems like a habit because I took him to Vermont for a week, and he never, not once, not a little, not ever urinated indoors in the house I rented.  But, here, at his home, he continues to "go hurry up" right in the same place.  The rug has been cleaned--I've used the black light--no urine stains.  No urine smell.  The black light shows it is gone.  But he keeps doing it.  He's almost 7 months old.

And, he does it even after he's come in from outside.  I've been keeping him on a leash when he's in the house, but I can't keep it on him all of the time.  Just now, I brought them in, and I went to grab my computer, came into the entry way, and a new pee stain on the area rug.  It's like he pees just to pee.  At 7 months, his bladder should be able to hold his urine shouldn't it?  I have done everything I'm supposed to do since I first got him.  Kept him crated while in the house; taken him outside, at first every 10 minutes, then 20, then 30, then an hour, praising him every time he did it where he's supposed to do it.  I know he knows better because of how he was in Vermont. 

How do I break him of this habit?  And how do I teach him to let me know when he needs to go outside?  Or is it just possible he pees out of habit?   I really need help with this.  I don't know what to do when I don't catch him at it (which I have in the past, scolded him and took him right outside.  I also have praised him and given him treats when he "goes hurry up" outside.  I'm at a loss.


Loril

[Loril Hawk]

That's what I think it is...a habit. I just borrowed (and scoured) a very used dog crate. I am going to start keeping him in there and taking him out regularly. I am also going to look for a very wide gate between the living room and entry way. The big problem is that he has to go through the entry way to get to the kitchen, where the water and food is. I have never had a dog mark in the house (except for a little Jack Russel Terrier mix I rescued in Colorado--awful experience). So this is new. I was hoping when he was neutered he'd stop. Alas...no.

[Lynda Kamrath]

I've never tried this, but I hear it works. Get your hands on some lion (or other large cat) pee and put that on a rug near the door. He won't pee in an area where a lion had peed. That should break the habit, but he also may refuse to use that door at all.

[Loril Hawk]

Where in the world would one get Lion pee?? And I can't even imagine how that would smell! I've never heard of that.

[shelly]

Wow! A lion????? Guess this has to be special ordered.. I would think that would smell much worse than Cotler's peepee - LOL

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

If the pee spot is not right in front of the door so that someone coming in would hit the object, place something like a kitchen chair right over the spot. My son's doberman had a 'special' spot in the dining room. Finally I put a chair over the spot and he quit because he couldn't get to that specific area - at least before you can stop him. Put his food dish there or a rubber bathtub mat and his water dish. Then use Maryann's suggestions.

[Loril Hawk]

Well, it's been 4 days now and no accidents in the entry way. I put his food bowl and mat in the middle of the entryway rug. And nothing. It's great! And I'm surprised because he had no "favorite" spot on the rug, just anywhere on it. And it's too big to try to put something on every space...but, for now, he's stopped. Thanks for all of your great ideas!

[shelly]

Yeah! That's great news!!!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Just FYI. We just returned from a vacation (Clancy and Ned were with us) and Clancy decided to poop in an area on the patio. After cleaning the area, I poured white vinegar on the spot so he moved about a foot or two over! I poured more vinegar and put patio chairs over the spots and so far it has worked!!!!!! No more poop on the patio and what was with this behavior anyway!

[Loril Hawk]

Who knows what gets into their heads! And then when they mistake for days and days on end, then all of a sudden stop. Weird.