My male Chihuahuas mark indoors. How can I stop this behavior?

If he is not neutered this can be a behavioral issue. I would recommend neutering him immediately to hopefully stop this behavior. I would also recommend crate training him. You must choose a crate that Hachi can stand up, sit down and turn around. A crate should only create a positive environment. Never use the crate for punishment. Despite what many people think do not line the crate with blankets or beds. Keeping Hachi in the crate when you cannot keep 100% eye on him is important. Every time you take him out of the crate take him on a walk to make sure they go to the bathroom and give positive reinforcement if he does. If they do not eliminate while you are outside then put Hachi back in the crate for another 20minutes. After 20 minutes take him out once again to try. If Hachi does go to the bathroom make sure you take time to play with him and when you have to turn your back again put them back in the crate. I hope this helps. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This can be a frustrating problem in intact males! The first thing I would do right away is have Junior neutered - many times, this will decrease the marking behavior dramatically even if it's already been going on for several years. After this is done, you will likely still need to work with him a bit on housetraining. Treat him like a young puppy who has no idea where to potty - take him out frequently, praise and reward for peeing outside, and supervise constantly indoors to prevent accidents. If you see him starting to lift his leg, clap your hands and say "ah-ah!" or "no!" - he will soon learn that this is not acceptable in the house, if you are consistent. Don't relax your supervision until he has had at least two weeks with no accidents at all, then increase his freedom in the house very slowly. This will take time and patience, but it can definitely be done.

You will have to treat then as puppies again. Keep them kenneled when not being watched and do not let them on the couch anymore. When they go outside make sure you praise them and reward them to reinforce the behavior

The best long-term solution is spaying/neutering to prevent any puppies, especially since if a male senses a female in heat they will try to do everything possible to get to that female. Keeping them physically separated with barriers in different rooms, crates, etc can help, but there is still the chance they can get together to mate if one escapes. Spaying and neutering can also help with marking behavior inside the house as it can be hormonal related, You can also use an enzymatic cleaner to clean any accidents and deter them from going potty inside. Reverting back to a "puppy" style of potty training taking them out every few hours can also help remind them of where to go and reduce accidents.

Hi. I would recommend they have some toys, clothing, things from home that smell like her. I would keep them on a leash or a crate or blocked off area if they are urinating throughout house. This is most likely marking and nerves. If they are urinating w excitement or approach, I would try ignoring them at first and using a low toned voice, and not looking in the eye. Lots of positive reinforcement from you, feeding from you, walks, pets etc when calm and they will do just fine.

The short answer is: maybe. Urine marking can develop into a set habit of behavior, and it can be difficult to get them to stop completely if they weren't neutered at an early age. However, in trying to minimize the behavior, the very first thing you should do IS to neuter your dog, so you're already on the right track. Here are a couple of great articles that you may find helpful in terms of curbing this behavior. https://www.spca.org/document.doc?id=116 https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-rules-for-effective-housetraining/ I hope that helps you! Thank you for asking PetCoach!

The first thing I would do is neuter him. An unneutered male can’t help but want to mark his territory. Unfortunately, he is 4 years old so this may have become a learned behavior meaning he may continue to do it after he is neuter. There is no guarantee he will stop. If I were you I would neuter him and while he is at the vet I would steam clean and deodorize every where he likes to mark. This is the best chance to help him stop this behavior. I hope this helps!