dog problem

[dolly06]

my dog is 3yrs old and well toilet trained however recently he has taken to peeing on our rug, he doest go to toilet anywhere else in the house. have cleaned the area thouroughly and used every product recommended, but to no avail... if anyone knows why he is doing this or how i can stop it would be fantastic!

[kita1]

Is the rug new?

Is it sheepskin or something?

What happens if you remove the rug? (Or move it to a different place).

If he still goes for the rug then it is obviously something to do with that particular rug.

[zimzam]

I've had this problem with a rug. I asked at the vets and was offered an odour eliminator which was so expensive that I asked for a second opinion. I was advised to put the rug in a bath, add washing powder and let the whole lot drip dry. It worked, but unfortunately there was residue on the carpet below so the dog took to that. I then used Pet Health Care's Odour Eliminator (at about �6 for a 375 ml spray) on the carpet and that did the trick. Once a dog has left a scent its very very hard to remove the scent. If the rug can be dry cleaned then have that done and get odour eliminator to sp[ray on both sides before you put it down again and that should work.

[frilly]

Is the dog neutered? He may be marking his territory.
At 3 years old this is a huge possibility if there are any male members of your household he maybe competeing for dominance or even (as daft as it sounds.) competeing for you!. If there are no male members to compete against he may be just letting you know he is boss.
One way to possibly stop this is to have him neutered. But first you could try making sure he knows who is boss and show him his place in the family. Eg, Dont let him on the sofa, eat before him. Let him know he is a dog not a human and then he might not feel the urge to compete for dominance or you.
If all else fails, talk to a vet.

[dolly06]

thankyou thankyou thankyou, yes the rug is sheepskin, when the rug is being washed he doesnt go back to the same place, just always on the rug x

[kita1]

I think the fact that it is sheepskin is your problem. He is obviously attracted to the smell or something. He is not marking his territory or anything else as he doesn't go anywhere else and doesn't do it when the rug is removed.

I think your easiest solution is get an immitation rug! Or move it to a room where he does not have access. I don't think washing it will have any effect - he is obviously going for the scent of the leather or the sheep oils in the rug.

You could try retraining him to avoid the rug, but to be honest it would be time consuming and probably very frustrating! (It is amazing how they can sneak a quick wee in when you are not looking!!).

Good luck!!!