Behavioral Question!

Meggs19

New member
Oct 14, 2011
290
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Madison, WI
Bulldog(s) Names
Tonka
So Tonka is 11 months now and he was kind of difficult to potty train but he's been good for a long time now. He still will have an accident or two when we take him to other people's places though. I wonder if it's because he is in an unfamiliar place adn doesn't know that it's not OK to do that there? So that's one issue.

The second issue: most of the time if he has accidents at our place it's if he gets a little too excited playing or scared from the vacuum and let's out a little dribble. BUT....he has always had a thing for going potty on our bed!! As a puppy he liked to jump up there just to pee. He also would occasionally run upstairs, jump up on the bed and pee and come back downstairs and later I would go up and realize what he had done. Now, even though he is potty trained, he STILL does this. He just did it again the other day. He will even do it on the bed when we stay over at someone's house and are in the bed ready to sleep.

We take him our regularly so there's no way he has to go in any bad way and a lot of times if it's been a while since he's been out and he has to go he will tell us by sitting in front of the door. Why does he like to go potty on beds? Any idea how to stop this behavior as well as the accidents at other people's houses?
 

JAKEISGREAT

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Mar 25, 2011
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I'm thinking this is more of a message thing than a housebreaking issue. Like he is defying you and your leadership..the pack thing. But I'm not the one to give you advice! Let's ask a couple people..[MENTION=1714]Sherry[/MENTION]..[MENTION=2894]2BullyMama[/MENTION]...[MENTION=2071]Davidh[/MENTION]
 

LynnA

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Apr 25, 2012
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I'd say block your bedroom room off with a baby gate or close the door - do you crate him at all?
 
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Meggs19

Meggs19

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Oct 14, 2011
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Madison, WI
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Tonka
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I'd say block your bedroom room off with a baby gate or close the door - do you crate him at all?

He doesn't get crated, just baby-gated in the kitchen when we aren't home so he doesn't do it then. When we are home is when he does it...and sometimes even when we are in the bed with him. Now that I think about it he has gone and done it on my parent's bed too when we are visiting. It seems to be his preferred place if he's going to do it inside the house.
 

LynnA

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Well I'd say Tonka shouldnt sleep in Mommy and Daddys bed anymore until he gets the message. Do you bring him out of your bedroom when he does that and have him sleep elsewhere?
 

Sherry

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It sounds to me, as though he's marking a territory. If it doesn't smell like him, he make's it smell like him. Keep him out of those areas for sure. He's off limits and you must claim those beds. He can't respect them, he doesn't get to use them. Period. Personally I would crate or gate him in his territory where he is aloud to be, his area. He doesn't want to mark that. It's hard to remember, he is the dog, you are the leader. My husband has a hard time with this also. So I need to be leader. He will give up his seat if one of the dogs is in it. :nonono: Claim what is yours. When he can respect your bed and realize it is where you sleep and he is only invited, he will stop urinating in it.

keep me posted!
 

BulldogNBoxers

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Jun 21, 2012
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We have the SAME problem with our bulldog. We just block the bedrooms off in the house so he can't do it. Little brat! It's definitely a behavioral thing; you aren't giving him attention at that moment, he's mad a you for not taking him somewhere, who knows what goes on in their little master minds.
 

kazzy220

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Jul 31, 2010
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Maggie (My Angel Baby 5/31/2012). Daddy (2 years). Linus (1year). Bella (4 years)
It sounds to me, as though he's marking a territory. If it doesn't smell like him, he make's it smell like him. Keep him out of those areas for sure. He's off limits and you must claim those beds. He can't respect them, he doesn't get to use them. Period. Personally I would crate or gate him in his territory where he is aloud to be, his area. He doesn't want to mark that. It's hard to remember, he is the dog, you are the leader. My husband has a hard time with this also. So I need to be leader. He will give up his seat if one of the dogs is in it. :nonono: Claim what is yours. When he can respect your bed and realize it is where you sleep and he is only invited, he will stop urinating in it.

keep me posted!

I totally agree ... it's marking territory and you are not alone in this. A lot of bullys like to pee on the bed. I'd keep the doors to all bedrooms closed or babygate them off. And no more sleeping on the bed with you!

As for the peeing in a strange place ... I have had some of my dogs do that when they go visit with us to friends or family. I've no idea why that is. Certainly for one dog who is uber-submissive I think she was just over-excited!! She's now nine and still does it ... so she doesn't go visiting too much anymore!! :down:
 

Davidh

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I think [MENTION=1714]Sherry[/MENTION] it the nail on the head. Don't let him on the bed, baby gate him to only a small area where you are and I would crate train him. He will soon learn.
 

2BullyMama

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It sounds to me, as though he's marking a territory. If it doesn't smell like him, he make's it smell like him. Keep him out of those areas for sure. He's off limits and you must claim those beds. He can't respect them, he doesn't get to use them. Period. Personally I would crate or gate him in his territory where he is aloud to be, his area. He doesn't want to mark that. It's hard to remember, he is the dog, you are the leader. My husband has a hard time with this also. So I need to be leader. He will give up his seat if one of the dogs is in it. :nonono: Claim what is yours. When he can respect your bed and realize it is where you sleep and he is only invited, he will stop urinating in it.

keep me posted!
BINGO^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 

laurendoodler

Delilah's Personal Slave
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Feb 26, 2011
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I agree with Sherry and David, great advice.

One question though, what are you using to clean up the bed?? Even just washing the sheets can still leave a scent to the dog. I know a lot of dogs, that if they pee somewhere once, they like to keep doing it. Delilah is potty trained and never has accidents..but I took her to a friends house once and for some reason she peed in this corner. They cleaned it up but not with special cleaner. Next time we came back Delilah went right to that spot and tried to pee.
I recommend Nature's Miracle..works great with our cats when they have UTIs and we have to clean up the carpets and furniture, lol.
 

bullmama

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Yuna just did this about 3 weeks ago, it was because we put her in our room when Marlows dad came to visit him... She was getting a bit rambunctious so we put her in there.... I could tell she did not want to leave. Well she peed a little but boy she pooped a huge pile on it. She was not happy with us at all! Heck she never even gets on our bed (it's really high up so it takes a lot to get on it) so she was without a doubt sending us a message that she was P O 'd!!!


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porkysmamma

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Jun 21, 2012
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Oh dear our girl did it a few times and hers was just excitement she couldnt contain herself being able to sleep that close to us it has stopped now and she sits on my face when she has to potty at night (sure way to wake me up bully butt in my face lol) i agree with everyone else it sounds like he is marking his territory :( are you gus going to neuter him?
 

Maife

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Apr 8, 2012
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Germany
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Ulysses
OMG! Ulysses is also 11 months old and he does the exact same thing, except that he also does it when he is alone on the sofa. I always thought was a marking thing, so just keep our bedroom closed at all times and ask for people we visit to do the same, (I know it is so embarrassing! he did it on my in-laws' bed when they were taking care of him for a few days :cursing:) So that has helped and also I never leave him alone on the sofa, I know it's gonna happen when he starts bringing all his toys one by one, like making it "his" place, then he usually pees, to mark it I guess.
 

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