Absolutely awesome post, Houndlove!!
MGB this is something that happened over time -- the resolution is INCREDIBLY hands-on, time-consuming, and has to be done with 100% consistency.
I have to echo what she said -- marking IS a house-training issue. If they are marking IN the house it is "house-training" (which is teaching them NOT to elminate in the house EVER!)
In order to do this realize you have two dogs who are essentially in competition with each other. My guess is you probably have a little one who is really "dominant" and the Shiba is saying "Huh? THAT little thing? Noooooooooooo, I'll leave MY calling card to fix that!"
In order to get control of this, frankly YOU have to get "control" of the whole thing. If I were you I would read everything I could get my hands on about "Nothing In Life Is Free" -- it's a dog training system that helps YOU, as the owner, realize that by letting the dog successfully call the shots, you *are* actually teaching them that they CAN do what they want.
So essentially you have to get their respect in addition to everything else.
It can be done. Truly it can. But it will change how you see these dogs, how you deal with them, and how you interact with them. You may think "I can't watch them ALL the time". yeah -- you can.
Crate ****training**** is probably your job #1. You can't just leave them in a crate -- it has to be TRAINING. You feed them in the crate, you give treats in there, you leave them in there literally just a minute without shutting the door with something yummy like the Kong in there. You change the dog's mind about the crate -- see good things DO happen in there!!!
But also -- you don't let THEM win. You don't let the dog out just because it's pitching a fit. You reward negative behavior and YOU were trained to let the dog what it pleased!!!!
Even if you have to stick your fingers in to pet the dog for a second you create a situation where the dog STOPS barking ***BEFORE*** you let them out.
you'll learn to be a master at setting up the situation so YOU win -- and that you give the good thing or do the good thing when the behavior is acceptable. NOT when the dog is doing something 'bad'.
It takes a long time and it takes patience -- but it CAN be done.
But don't chase the dog around the house. NOT EVER. That's a game only a dog can win.
Instead - put a leash on **each** of them and leave the leashes on until you are satisfied that the dog will 'come' when you call first time every *single* time. If that dog won't 'come' to you for ANY reason then that dog needs to be on leash even IN the house so it is ultimately under your control 24/7. If you chase the dog, he wins -- foregone conclusion.
You will also be surprised -- a dog ON LEASH even in the house knows inately that he's "busted". It will change behavior right away -- because they know you can now get hold of them. You have suddenly tipped the scales in your own favor.
And if you have to tie those leases TO you until you get the house-training issues resolved fine. But I have, at times, left a dog to drag a leash for months until the dog decided that listening TO me was the path it would take. You don't have to be mean, you don't have to yell -- just let them drag a leash. It's a marvelous equalizer.
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart."
Helen Keller
