Behavioural Issues

[Anne'n'Cam]

I brought home Saydi less than 3 weeks ago and I love her however, about one week ago she started peeing in the house. She was completely house trained up until then (or so I thought). She has been generally peeing on our bed...I can't tell you how much laundry we've done recently. She does this when we go out, when we are sleeping or when we are watching t.v. But we take her outside to pee every few hours...3-4 hours on average and she always pees outside too. Does anyone have any suggestions as to why she might do this or how to stop her from doing this...please help!

[cyrax]

Why don't you put a leash on her and take her everywhere you go in the house? Do not let her out of sight for even a second. If you cannot keep an eye on her, just put her in a crate. Do not let her sleep in your bed or even sniff it.
Then... catch her in the act and say "NO" in a very grim tone. Most dogs will understand what you mean and stop peeing. If she doesn't force her to stop by popping the leash (how hard? Depends on your dog's temperament) within 1 sec of saying "NO". However you should not punish her if you missed that window of opportunity, because then your dog might start associating your arrival with "bad things".
You need to tell her that you like her peeing outside. So immediately AFTER she finishes peeing outside praise her a lot.
I need to tell you that dogs pee like that for two reasons : marking territory (female dogs marking territory is rare) or submissive peeing.
I am guessing that this is not the only problem she has.

[annie]

Saydi really sounds like she is having dependence issues. She punishes for leaving her alone or not paying attention to her. I am thus not too sure that making her follow you everywhere would be ideal...You should get her used to not being with you all the time.

I have another rescued dog who got adopted and does the same thing. It is very common for animals that were abandoned once. They think it's happening again...

You need to break the separation anxiety. The humanist way I was (slightly) trained to do so was by not letting her make clear-cut associations.
Let's start with when you go out. If every time you leave the house it is to go to work (meaning around 8 hours I guess), then she associate the door with a very long absence. You need to trick her: go out for a walk (10 min.), go shopping (1 or 2 hours), go to work, go out (3 hours)....You get the picture. Let her be in doubt so that she never knows for how long you're gone (you can even try leaving for a minute or 2 at the beginning) and won't be sure if she has to punish you or not.

Choosing your bed is smart. She knows you spend a lot of time there, and that it is comfortable.

When it comes to peeing when you are watching TV or when sleeping, it is trickier indeed. Crating is a possible solution. Completely crating her at the beginning during those occasions, and then gradually letting her out to show that you now somewhat trust her until you can completely do so.

I am not a fan of crating dogs, but it is often necessary with dogs with separation anxiety. Otherwise, you'll have to catch her on the spot and that is not always easy.

I hope it helps a little...Be patient! You are doing a great thing for this dog.

[Anne'n'Cam]

Thanks for the advice guys! Right after I originally posted...I caught her in the act and scolded her verbally rather harshly and she definately knew it was bad. She hasn't done it since...but I also made another connection. She was on medication for her ear fungis that was making her pee a lot more and more often...seems that could have been part of the problem because she is now finished the meds and like I said she hasn't done it.
Annie I think you could be right about the separation anxiety...I think I have it too! The great thing is that my boyfriend is home all day with her...so the most we have left her for is a few hours. What am I gonna do if I want to go into Seoul for the night though? :(
Saydi is also very wary of strangers (most of them). She tries to get away from their touch or growls and has even nipped at some people. Even if I make big arm movements...she is scared of me...puts her head down and closes her eyes...it makes me think she may have been abused in her earlier years and isn't very trusting of people. Now I try to avoid letting strangers pet her...fortunately she is more relaxed when friends of ours come INSIDE our apartment and she is comfortable with her surroundings (which explains why she was such a doll at the shelter too).
But anyhow...the peeing issue is solved!!! And I think she is such a special soul that I intend to adopt because our bond is so great. I'm thankful to everyone who helped me find her!

[alibuch]

If you want to go to Seoul for the night, just make sure you take her outside before you leave... and leave later. I've only had one FULL night out since I got Louise and I took her out before I left and put her in her crate. I left a bit later than normal because I knew I'd be out later. I got home at like 6am. So it was no longer than the time I was at work. And I stayed at home with her all day to make up for it. And I only slept for a few hours when I got home because I felt guilty for caging her up. Then we napped together on my bed. haha