Ugh... okay, so my grandmother wants me to let her move in with us. Unfortunately, I got her hopes up before I walked into her house the other day after not being there for a while, and was hit with a wave of dog pee stench... >X.x;< Her doberman, Tuvoc, has apparently been lifting his leg ALL over the house, and so now it reeks... I had to break it to her this weekend that if she can't curb this behavior somehow, I can't let her move in with me. I REFUSE to live in a smelly, unsanitary home, and I also don't want MY male puppy picking up on what her dog is doing.
She told me "Well, marking is instinctive, and I can guarantee you that when Shippo grows up he'll be pissing ALL OVER your house because he's a boy." Ok, that sentence got to me. Shippo is 4 months old. He's already lifting his leg at this age. But you know what? He does it OUTSIDE, not all over the walls and corners and carpet inside MY space.
Anyway, after lots of arguing, she agreed to try any kind of training that might curb this behavior. If she doesn't, she unfortunately doesn't move in with me. I mean I'd love to have her, but I can't let any pets mess up this house, especially because it's a rental.
Ok, here's a little bit about Tuvoc:
Tuvoc is a male, neutered doberman. He was a rescue and was severely neglected and abused before my grandmother got him (I was there when he came home... he was a skeleton). I think he was neutered at a late age. She doesn't crate him or confine him to prevent leg-lifting (She's only tried shutting him in the bedroom but he does it in there too). She babies the heck out of him. When she catches him lifting his leg, she spanks him. I think if that worked he wouldn't still be lifting his leg on everything. She says he usually only does it when somebody is over, or there are pets over that don't live there. So every time I visit with my dogs and then leave, he marks where the puppie's crate was sitting. When my little brother stayed for the weekend, he marked where his crib had been.
I don't think spanking is working lmao... I think she needs to try something a little more effective. Do you guys have any suggestions for this?