Dog urine marking and humping
We recently adopted a rescue beagle (2yo male neutered). He is an absolute angel except for two things. One, whenever he enters new territory (indoors), he scent marks compulsively, irregardless of the presence of other animals past or present. Once he is accustomed to the new place, he doesn't do it. This has happened at our house, friends' houses, and stores. And if we clap loudly and say, "No, Bernie!" he'll stop - even in mid-mark! We would like to take him places without having to watch him like a hawk for the first half hour to forty five minutes. The second issue - and probably related - is compulsive humping. He'll do it once you've been playing with him on the floor or ground for about twenty minutes and he's getting really worked up. He doesn't do it to other dogs, and he usually only humps human females. He doesn't respond as well to correction on this one. We've mostly tried distracting him or re-directing his focus, but it's not working too well. He was about a year and a half when he was neutered (that's when he arrived at a local shelter). Nothing is known about him before that, but it's quite likely he was used as a hunting beagle because he was found in a part of Louisiana that still uses beagles and other hounds as working/hunting dogs. He spent six months in the shelter and then a few months in foster care where he was with about ten other dogs where he was the smallest (he's about twenty pounds). We're wondering if dominance issues might be involved...? He doesn't like being put on his back to have his belly rubbed, which suggests a dominant personality - but then he cowers a fair amount and won't sustain eye contact which suggests a submissive personality. Other things that might be useful to know: he loves other dogs, likes humans, completely ignores cats unless they try to eat his food and then he barks, is VERY well housetrained, loves his crate, and is a classic beagle in that he spends our walking time with his nose glued to the ground and will do just about anything - including the classic Snoopy dance - to get food of any kind. Thank you in advance. |
Ask a vet plans available
- Ask the online vet a question for just $8.95; or
- Sign up for a one month membership for just $19.95 and ask the online vet unlimited questions about your pet.
- Find answers to common pet health and behavior questions $3.95/article
- Read up on previous ask the vet pet health questions for just $3.95
Vet question of the day
Add to
Dog with fleas
Last night my 7yo female neutered maltese was scatching a little & I noticed that the day before she did a little too. I rolled her over to look through her and found a flea...then 2 more a little bit later. I immediately ran to the store and bought Sergeants flea control that you put on their back between the shoulder blades & put that on her immediatedly. I washed all of her bedding & have vaccumed the house at least 3 times since. We have a huge 2 level house and the dog is 99.9% of the time on our main level in our living room & dining room. I found only 2 today...and that was early this morning...I have not seen any since...but am scared to death of how many fleas are in our house that I cannot see. I am afraid they are crawling everywhere & don't know where to start. The dog sometimes goes upstairs in our bedrooms.....I am afraid these pests could be in closets & etc....any advice would be greatly appreciated! - Click
here to read the answer
More
pet
health questions
Pet Care Articles and Pet Supplies Deals
| Dogs - dog care | 
Sign
up for the Ask the Vet newsletter
- Click
hereWe're in the news! Read full article here. |
