It has been a while since i posted last,but  i am concerned & wonder if anyone can help ,i have a 20 month old westie x Lhasa,for some time she has had a slightly strange habit of laying down with all four legs spread out ,she then "rubs herself"along the carpet !we have had an ongoing problem also with her wetting in the house ,we always put it down to a sort of scenting !she always seems to go back to the same places !but when talking to a friend last week she mentioned it may possibly be a urinary problem ,has anyone heard of this before !to be honest we are at our wits end ! i just wondered if anyone had any ideas ? many thanks in advance ,Sue T xx

Think the rubbing on the carpet is probably a skin condition, and the poor house training may be an infection. Before trying anything else I would get her to the vets to try to find out why she is rubbing her chest and tummy, and take a sample of the urine to have that checked for infection. You do not say if she pees all the time or just now and again or if she is intact or not.

Sue,

If  your  dog keeps going back to the same places for her "mistakes" it most likely means the scent of her urine is still in those places.  As suggested, have her checked by the vet and if she's okay I would go back to housetraining - after giving the "mistake zones" a thorough cleaning.  You can use a mild solution of white vinegar in water or buy one of the special purpose products for removing odours that any pet store will stock.

Stacey

Hi Jackie& Stacey ,thanks for taking time out to get back to me ,we rescued Lola when she was six months old ,ever since we have had her we have had this (what seemed like ) a scenting "thing "(sorry to sound so vague !) we have tried everyway of cleaning up after her ,i came here first for advice ,we never have a smell of urine ,just the marks ,it is a constant battle to keep on top it !! its just this rubbing ,her skin is sensative , & i use special s/poo for her i also keep her coat quite short she visits the groomer approx every 6 weeks ! she has the coat of the Lhasa so its very soft & wavy ,not rougher like the Westie ! so i dont think it is a skin problem ,she spreads out (sort of spread eagled) &just rubs herself once or twice on the carpet ,no licking or scratching !!i shall take her to the vet (much as she hates them !) but once again thanks & i will let you know what happens Take Care Sue T.xx P.S she was spayed before she was allowed out of the RSPCA home .

Even if you can't smell it, the dog can.  You need to get it completely out of the carpet so the dog can't smell it.  As long as she can she will continue to mark.  There are some good products on the market which will remove the smell.

We are using a product from Bac To Nature with our new puppy and she has never gone back to any of the few spots she's peed on, so it seems to be working.  But there are also products at the pet stores which will take it out as well.

However, it may be that she has a urine infection so I would take her to the vets for both the rubbing and the peeing.

Hope all turns out to be okay.

Wendy

Hi Everyone ,thanks for your help ,i have made an appointment for the vet again(i have taken her a couple of times for unrelated problems  but have discussed these problems with him  ) & trust me we have shampooed our carpets with every known product ,chemical /organic ,everything that has ever been used to clean carpets we have even bought a vax & also have them prof cleaned !,the groomer /vet /behaviorist etc are lost as to an explanation ,we have never actually seen her peeing/scenting ,to be able to act accordingly when she does it ,but when we are out walking everytime she comes across other dogs poo etc she squats or sometimes lifts her leg like a dog & does a couple of drops of urine on each ,i posted here when we first got her from the RSPCA ,& as we had a few problems with our cats (she still chases ,) her barking ,attention seeking ,i managed to sort most of these problems out with the help i got mainly from here ,but this peeing /scenting seems to have baffled everyone who she has seen ,things are still so bad that we are about to have a second carpet replaced with wooden floors & french doors put between sitting room & dining room to stop her getting to ANY carpet !! i know how this sounds but its costing us a fortune ,but more importantly we cannot find how to solve this problem ,she is in every other way a great little character,she just seems to have this overwhelming need to put her scent on top of every other animal she comes across ,that includes fox & deer ,shutting her out of parts of her home is not what we want ,but peeing wherever & whenever has to stop & i am at the end of my tether as to know where to go next ,Thanks for your help though Sue T xx

A bitch who lifts her leg to pee has quite a high desire to be perceived as 'better' than the rest..........  Is it possible the urine has soaked through the carpets and into the floor boards/concrete?  Have you used white spirit to break down the fatty acids that hold the scent that dogs can detect?  It might also be useful to use some house training tricks like keep her tied to you, so you HAVE to be aware of what she is doing............

Hi Digger ,we have pulled the carpets up & as i mentioned before scrubbed ,soaked & washed everything ,we were even given a solution by our dog groomer ,& it guarantees your money back if it is not 100% effective ......!!it has not worked ,i do think the idea of tying her to us  is worth a try !,i know it must sound hard to believe but there are four of us living here with her & not one of us has "caught her in the act"she is always sniffing though!i will try what you have suggested,thanks for your help,Regards Sue T xx

Sue,

You really should go back to housetraining, puppy style.  If four of you are in the house and not once has anyone caught her "in the act" then she is not being watched closely enough.  The problem may simply be that she is not fully housetrained.   I would suggest if you do not have a crate/cage to buy one or borrow one.   When she is not under observation, put her in the cage.  If you are going to leave the house, put her in the cage.   If all four human residents work together, you just might be able to solve the problem.

Stacey