How to Keep a Long-Hair Show Dog From Marking in the House

A long-haired show dog experiences a lot of new sights and smells during its trips to dog shows. The dog must learn special agility training, follow a strict exercise regimen, receive daily brushing of its coat and be bathed every two to three days to ensure its long coat stays clean and silky, according to the Pet Place website. Such a regimen, in combination with the rigor of show events, may cause your dog stress, leading to unwanted behavior such as urine marking in your home. Take steps to reduce this behavior so you and your dog can live in peace.

Things You'll Need

  • Paper towels
  • Enzymatic cleaner
  • Black light
  • Long dog leash
  • Dog treats
  • Belly band or dog diaper
  • Dog pheromone spray
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Instructions

    • 1

      Absorb as much of the urine as you can with paper towels, then clean urine residue from your home thoroughly using an enzymatic cleaner to digest the organic material. If your dog smells the scent of its own marks or those of another dog, it will continue to mark the area until you clean away the smell. Use a black light to find older stains.

    • 2

      Put your dog on a long leash attached to your waist to closely supervise its behavior. A dog will go into a spare room to mark its territory with urine; if you keep the dog close to you, it cannot do this. Close the doors to any rooms that your dog has marked in the past. Watch the dog for signs that it wants to mark, including sniffing around and lifting one of its back legs or squatting. Immediately bring it outside before it has a chance to mark inside.

    • 3

      Teach your dog the "outside" and "in" commands. Show dogs receive agility and obedience training, so your show dog should readily understand the commands. Toss a treat out of an open door to your home, then say "outside" as the dog runs to get it. Toss a treat back into your home and say "in" or "go in" as the dog re-enters the home. Repeat this training until the dog goes outside or back inside upon voice command, without a treat prompt. If you see your dog marking an area, clap your hands loudly to stop it, say "outside" and usher the dog outside to mark. Yelling at your dog demonstrates your poor training, not the dog's.

    • 4

      Place a belly band on your male show dog or a dog diaper on your female dog to prevent it from soiling any spots in your home with urine. You can find these in pet supply stores. Use them as a training aid, along with vocal commands to get the dog outdoors to mark. These aids assist in preventing your dog from marking in hotel rooms when on the road to a dog show.

    • 5

      Spray a synthetic dog pheromone spray around your home, concentrating on areas your dog has previously marked with urine. These sprays contain chemicals that calm the dog, making it feel safe and reducing its anxiety level, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Use these sprays in your dog's carrier when transport the dog to dog shows.

    • 6

      Take your dog to a veterinarian to rule out a medical cause for its urine marking behavior, such as a urinary tract infection. Ask your veterinarian about putting your dog on prescription anti-anxiety medication to reduce its urine marking.