My daughter-in-law has two entire dogs. One is a 22mth old Staff and the other a 14mth old Cavalier. They have recently (within the last couple of months) started cocking their legs on anything and everything, in the house and in the garden. They have free run of the downstairs and garden when Lisa is at home and are crated for short periods of time, during school run, shopping etc.
They are never left alone for very long. Lisa is at her wits end, as the two dogs are making her life hell with this constant peeing. It stinks!
She has two young children and cannot keep up with the constant disinfecting and cleaning. They pee on the garden furniture, planters, kiddies toys, paddling pool (yuk), shopping bags, laundry basket, EVERTHING that stands still!
I only have experience of bitches and would appreciate other peoples views. Could it be a dominance thing? Would it help to get one or both neutered.

small dogs like cavs are prone to marking behaviour. I'm not an expert on this behaviour and I only have 1 dog but it does seem peculiar that it has started this late esp for the staffie at 22 months. Usually marking occurs just after they have started to raise their legs to wee (so I am told) Perhaps it is a dominance thing with 2 intact males, there is not much difference in age between them so the older hasnt matured into adult hood yet, and the cav is going through adolescence:rolleyes:

I had my dog neutered at one year because he was marking a lot and it has disappeared completely. I would suggest that your daughter talk to her vet about neutering, but she may have to get both neutered - I'm not sure if neutered and unneutered dogs will live together very happily, the vet would advise you of this.

In the interim your daughter could buy or make a belly band for the cav to wear indoors (material which wraps around the body with velcro and you slip a small pad inside to soak up the urine) If you want details of where to buy you can PM me.

Ok do either of them cock to mark outside and if so, how old and who started first.

My current 'wild guess' is that the staffy is not a particularly mature dog for his age, the youngster has just started to scent mark and this has pushed the staff into doign the same.(this could be the other way round though)

If they are both not particularly secure with where they stand with one another, then scent marking in the house especially if they are marking and remarking over the top of one anothers marks would make sense.

Neutering may help..... neutering may not make a blind bit of difference - ive got a neutered male here who, if stressed or insecure, will scent mark in the house.

For those reasons as well, i belive using a belly band (where the idea is you teach the dog not to mark whilst wearing it as its unpleasant) is unfair and not particularly kind if there are underlying reasons why the dogs are marking in the house and if it is scent marking and not toiletting, then there will be reasons.

Its not especially odd for dogs to mature later, in fact i think its more odd that we expect them to be mature far sooner than this. I wouldnt class many dogs under 2 years old as being mature adults at all.

Em

Can't really agree with your comments about belly bands - I wouldnt use them for toilet training that would be unfair. But if its for scent marking and the problem cannot be resolved then it's better than having a toilet for a house! Its not to teach them not to urinate in the house, its to protect your property from marking. Lots of small dog owners have this problem. You put half a pad like "poise" inside the belly band so the urine is drawn away from the skin, it doesnt harm the dog in any way. If lopears daughter in law has children and the house and toys are constantly being wee'd on then this is a lesser evil. Daughter in law has taken on a lot having two dogs close in age and maturity as well as having small children - if this helps her to cope and destress the situation until other options can be investigated then it is worth doing.  However they will need to consider all the opinions and advice and do whats right for them!

Even so... its still unfair. No, it wont teach them not to mark in the house, but they will still feel the need to do so unless the underlying issue is addressed - if its not addressed then the two dogs could still be feeling insecure or stressed about something.... hardly kind really, its just masking the problem, not solving it.

Em

Don't know about your small dogs June, but mine do not cock their legs anywhere inappropriate. Henry (4 year old entire Cavalier) did once as a puppy, got severely shouted at, and never tried it again. He never even cocks inside when my bitch is in season.

I agree that it's likely to be adolescence - possibly tell them off when you catch them, or try a squirt of water? Also clean anywhere they have gone or the scent will linger!