We have a 1 yr old Boston Terrior. We got him when he was about 4 mo old. he is crate trained. Really smart little dog, had an issue with potty training but we got past that...or for the most part- now if you tell him to get in his crate or go outside or get off the couch or anything he doesnt want to do at that moment he rolls over and pees. not just a little - shoots you with it. we dont beat him( although thought has crossed my mind after he peed on me right before work one morning) we simply tell him no and put him outside. He is fixed - i thought that would help the situation but no go there. Last night i wouldnt let him up on my sons bed so he just peed on the carpet next to the bed and ran out - he had just come in from outside so i know it was just b/c he was mad. but we are about to move into a new house and i dont want a dog who will pee all over everything. i cant seem to get him to stop. I cant just leave him outside- we have 105 degree weather. any suggestions? Id hate to have to take him to the pound - we love him, just dont want him to pee all over us and our house!

This is definitely a rebellion issue, pushing your buttons, etc. Rebellious teenagers sometimes require treating them like much younger children before they will shape up and take responsibility for their behavior, sometimes even requiring 100% eyeball supervision-- like a little baby. I'd do the same with this rebellious little dog-- revert back to puppy training, keeping him crated or leashed at all times. Practice obedience training, require him to follow some commands before being fed, etc. Remind him who the alpha members of the pack are, and put him back in his place.

It's not rebellion. It's submissive urination. If he were being rebellious, he'd be lifting his leg on you, not rolling over (a submissive posture). A lot of dogs will go through this at around a year of age. Most will outgrow it if you handle the situation correctly, which is to ignore it, and change the way you approach the dog. The more you try to "show him who's boss" the worse it will get, because he's already showing submission. He's already saying "You're the boss." If you start trying to play alpha, he's going to think you aren't getting the message. He may think you've lost your mind.

Make sure you aren't exacerbating the problem by standing over him, grabbing him unexpectedly, or reacting like you're angry. Be prepared before you ask him to do something. Think about your body language, and how he's going to see it. Use a quiet, soft, calm voice, and praise him a lot any time he manages not to pee. Excited, angry or loud voices are going to make him react with submission, and peeing.

If you want him to get off the furniture, lure him down with a toy or treat, and praise him for his obedience. When you want him to go in his crate, make it sound like something he'd want to do, and toss a treat into the crate. But above all, don't punish him for being submissive.

Until you work out the problem, and he gets over it, you can put a belly band on him (they're like Depends for male dogs), so when the water works start, it's not going anywhere you don't want it to be. Like on your clothing. If it doesn't resolve as he matures, consult a behavioral trainer for help.

Oh, yeah. My bad. Vetgroomer made a good observation about that rolling over point. I sort of missed that, sorry.

I totally agree with Vetgroomer's comments. I adopted a female Jack Russell Terrier. She is a doll and is very loving and well trained. Is totally house-trained, too. But, when corrected, in a harsh voice or just an unkind tone, she did the same thing. Calmly and easily training her worked wonders! She was 6 months old when I got her and had already been through 4 owners! The poor girl didn't know what she was supposed to do! It takes some extra patience (and the belly band helps you keep yours!) to help them through this adjustment period. My little girl overcame all of this after about a year -- I think it took her that long to realize that I love her and she is not leaving. Just as a child would, she probably felt she would be thrown away if she didn't do things right. Just sets her up for failure, poor thing. As Petgroomer said, don't punish for submissiveness -- that is your dog trying his best to do the right thing but not knowing how. My little girl would pee if y ou were simply excited to see her and changed your tone of voice!

[wishbone]

Well said vetgroomer.

If you can't figure out why he doing that then you may need a vet advise or some tips from behaviorist.

The best product I have seen to help you with your problem is the Happy Jack Dog Diaper. You can pick them up here: Happy Jack Best Dog Diapers - belly wraps with the non-slip strap