I adopted two dogs from the pound two weeks ago.

One, beagle, is incredibly calm & lazy. She listens well & is incredibly obidient. Rarely will she pee in the house.

The other, irish terrier, marks his territory constantly and has trouble sitting still.

What can I do so that this terrier stresses me out less? Currently my stress level with him is through the roof. I am gone @ work most of the day & when I leave in the morning it is always before sun up. Can I leave him/them outside in the snow? I bought a dogloo but niether of them will go in it. They are currently baby-gated in the guest bathroom durring the day.

Also, does anyone have any quick tips to keep my floors cleaner? I have laminate and you can't mop that!

-Ryan

honestly you cant expect much- ideally you should have taken a few days off to help them adjust before you leave them all day. Is the boy neutered??

Dogs mark its what they do........my boy is still mad at me for my recent addition and I caught him marking her toys. Of course he stopped once I corrected him but they need to establish their territory- maybe they need to work out who is alpha still?

I mop my laminate floors..........

They need exercise- make sure your walking them when you get home. I would never ever leave my dogs outside alone unattended all day.

It takes time. I know how it can be- 4 mos it took for my 3rd dog to fit in and to be trusted - they go thru alot and need to feel secure (3 of mine are shelter dogs)

Yes, you can mop laminate--just follow with a towel or dry mop to dry it if it is too wet.

NO, do not leave them out in the snow unattended all day. Would you want to be outside in the cold all day?

You are stressed. They are stressed. The "calm" one may well be so "calm" because it has shutdown--it's so stressed it is afraid to move--in time he may become the hyper one. Exercise can help all of you both with stress reduction and with bonding.

The terrier is claiming territory. You need to establish with him that everything belongs to you, not him. Stand over the toys or put your foot on them to communicate that the toys and everything else is yours. Limit his access to things and places and establish that all good things come through you (the NILIF principle: Nothing In Life Is Free---make him earn everything--sit for food, for example.)

Exercise, exercise, exercise. They should get a good long walk in the morning before you go to work and another when you get home. A bored dog with no way to expend energy and stress is a destructive dog. A tired dog who has expended energy is a calm dog. When you walk them, don't let them walk in front and DON'T let them pull you. They should walk beside or behind you, never in front. Lead dog walks in front of the pack, not behind it. Lead dogs exit doors first. Lead dogs eat first. Lead dogs have first choice of where to sit, sleep, etc.

Exercise. Discipline. Affection. In that order.
Rules, boundaries, limitations. You may wish to restrict their access to part of your house until they earn the right to go further. No sleeping in your bed until they have earned the privilege. No free roaming (house or yard) until they have earned the privilege.

Well of course you can leave a dog out in the snow, if you want him to freeze to death. If its cold enough to be snowing, the dog should NOT be left out for long periods of time. Just because their dogs it doesnt mean that they can just live outside like wild animals. Considering both your dogs breeds dont have the longest hair or the fullest coats (as in a heavy undercoat) It would be like if you put on a pair of thin PJ pants, a cotton long sleeved shirt and a pair of socks and went and sat outside for 8 hours. How well do you think YOU would feel???

You need to go and get two crates. The crate should only be big enough for the dog to get in, turn around, stand up and lay down without being cramped. No extra room, no food, no water. A dog will not pee where it sleeps. A kennel that is too big will only let the dog go to one corner, pee and then go and lay in a dry spot.

A hyper dog is a mischievous dog. When you get home, exercise him like crazy. Dont allow him to free range in the house. Either baby gate him into the room with you or attatch a flat nylon leash to him and then keep it attached to you. Where you go, he goes. If you see that he is showing signs of wanting to go potty, scoop him up and take him outside. If your doing something where you cannot watch him completely or keep the leash attached to you (say your taking a shower, needing to get some housework done, etc) then he needs to be in his kennel. Dogs are den animals anyway and many people say that if they leave the kennel door open, the dogs will lay in their willingly.

BUT, never put him in there as discipline! If he needs to go in his crate because its time for you to leave or you cant watch him, put him in there with a very happy vibe (tell him he's a good boy, pat his head, give him a treat or do something that he really loves) He'll soon find his kennel as a safe zone and enjoy going in there.

All four of my dogs go in their kennel on either "kennel" or "time for bed" commands. Of course I had to bribe them with treats at first, but eventually they would go in on their own. Our kennels are in our bedroom for the winter because it stays warmer in there (bedrooms are the only rooms we have carpet in and we have a HUGE bedroom) They actually will go to bed and get in their kennels JUST because I turned the TV off!

Sure you can mop laminate floors...if you have dogs, use some Lysol too as it's a great disinfectant!

[wishbone]

Consider crating him and use some crate training.

Patience is the key in order for things to get well, try teaching your dog not to pee in your floor you may even scold them when you caught them on act, this will surely leave a mark on their minds as they mature it will be easier for you to take care of them..