Dog jealous of baby?

Ahrian

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#1
Hi, my dog, Cricket, is a Chow/Collie mix that we adopted from the shelter about 3 years ago. She's approximately 7 years old.

I recently had a baby (he's 5 months old now) and ever since I was pregnant the dog has been peeing in the house.

Sometimes she will be just fine, but other times if we pay more attention to the baby then her she will pee in the house. We try to give her attention and play with her. We let her outside to pee every 2 hours when we are home (otherwise she is crated)

My husband and I are at our wits end on how to get her to stop peeing in the house. She's a great dog otherwise, very quiet and gentle. But I can't take cleaning up pee at least once a week, lately it's been daily. We've already taken her to the vet and there was nothing physically wrong with her.

Help!
 

lizzybeth727

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#2
She's not jealous of the baby.

When dogs get older (and 7 years for a large breed is, unfortunately, considered older), they loose some of their bladder control. I think it's very possible this is what you're experiencing. If so, there's not a lot you can do about it.... they make diapers for dogs, you might find those to be easier than cleaning up all the time.

You might also have to take her outside more often, maybe every 1 1/2 hours while you are at home, especially if she's awake a lot. What I mean is, if she's napping of course don't wake her up just to take her outside, but do pay attention to when she wakes up and starts walking around, that's probably when she'll have to go.
 

Saje

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#3
Are you using an enzyme cleaner to clean up the pee spots? You should start doing that if you aren't.

My Nanook is a bit 'jealous' of our daughter. Some of the rules have changed a bit and it's definitely an adjustment period. Some dogs adjust better than others.

How did you introduce the baby to your dog? And how did she react? I'd make sure you give your dog a lot of one-on-one attention everyday without the baby so she knows she's still special.

It may be incontinence as well. Did you ask your vet?

Congrats on the baby :)
 

angelzeus

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#5
i would be careful with this it could be jelous or it could be age i would first talk to your vet to rule out any medical problems if there are none then i would really supervise the baby around your dog chows are a very tempermental breed that get attached to one person if that person is not there for them there is not telling what this dog will do
 
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RedyreRottweilers

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#6
I just want to know where you are finding the urine. Is she urinating in front of you, or are you finding spots after the fact?

Honestly, tho, I don't think it really matters. I see a poor prognosis for the future of this dog.
 

bubbatd

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#7
Sorry that you are having this problem and yes , I'd be very watchful ! Chows can be very unpredictable !
 

Buddy'sParents

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#8
I'm wondering what you're vet had to say about it since you said you took Cricket in to be examined? Did he have any suggestions? Was any bloodwork done or was it just a physical examination?
 

Maxy24

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#9
It could be stress or her age. How much has her schedule changed? Does she still get play time and exercise with you or your husband? Were new rules put into place suddenly (restrictions from rooms she used to be allowed in or things like that). Has she been getting punished more since you got pregnant (some normal canine behavior like jumping are tolerable...unless your pregnant so you started punishing her for these previously accepted behaviors). Does the babies crying bother her? How does she overall react to the baby? If any of these thins are the problem she could be peeing out of stress due to too many changes too quickly.

Does she ever pee in her sleep? Does she still ask to go out ever? Does she tend to go in the same spot? Does she regularly soil your or the babies clothing instead of say the carpet? Does she tend to have the accidents at a certain time each day? Does she hold it through the night?

Make sure the cleaner you use, as was said before, contains enzymes because enzymes actually break down the proteins in the urine that dogs can smell and people can't.

I hope you can figure this out, I'm sure she is a great dog and I know how frustrating this must be especially with a new baby. Good luck!
 

Ahrian

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#11
Her schedule really hasn't changed, we play with her the same amount that we used to. Maybe she needs more attention with the baby here?

She's not restricted any more than she normally was. The only time she gets in trouble is when she pees on the floor

She's really gentle with the baby, usually just trying to lick him. She used to steal his socks off his feet but she seems to have stopped that. She doesn't act like the crying bothers her anymore, she used to run back and forth from the baby to use until we took care of the baby and he'd stop crying. Now she just sits there, sometimes she'll look at him.

She does not pee in her sleep or her crate, she can hold it all night or while we are at work and then goes when we let her outside. She only pees on the carpet, never anything else. But she will pee in the baby's room if we don't keep the door shut (it used to be shut all the time anyway before we had the baby so she's used to that).

I haven't noticed any pattern to the peeing except it seems to happen only when we're feeding, playing with or bathing the baby. Just the other night we were bathing the baby and she peed right outside the door to the room we were bathing him in, and she had just come back in from outside.

In regards to the vet, she had no urinary infection, the only thing they noticed at the time was the pH of her urine was high. They gave us some pills for that and she seemed better. Maybe that's something that could be a reoccurring problem? Nothing else with the urine culture was found. Can't recall if they did blood work.

It could be stress or her age. How much has her schedule changed? Does she still get play time and exercise with you or your husband? Were new rules put into place suddenly (restrictions from rooms she used to be allowed in or things like that). Has she been getting punished more since you got pregnant (some normal canine behavior like jumping are tolerable...unless your pregnant so you started punishing her for these previously accepted behaviors). Does the babies crying bother her? How does she overall react to the baby? If any of these thins are the problem she could be peeing out of stress due to too many changes too quickly.

Does she ever pee in her sleep? Does she still ask to go out ever? Does she tend to go in the same spot? Does she regularly soil your or the babies clothing instead of say the carpet? Does she tend to have the accidents at a certain time each day? Does she hold it through the night?
 
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RedyreRottweilers

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#12
Dogs use urine routinely to mark things they feel ownership of, and this could be what is going on with the baby.

Since it is clear when she does this, you should put her in a position where she is UNABLE to do so when you are attending to the baby.

You can handle this in a variety of ways. Since she loves the baby, it would make sense to have a nice comfortable wire crate at several locations in your home where she can lounge, but still feel a part of what is going in, while you are feeding or attending to the baby. You could have a crate in your LR, one in the baby's room, one in your BR, etc.

If this is the only real issue, and she only does it when you are attending to the baby, it's easily prevented with using a crate for the dog at that time. By putting an open crate in the areas where you generally take care of the baby, she does not have to feel excluded, but you don't have to watch her either.
 

Jackson

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#13

I have had this same issue with our Shih Tzu...He is 2 1/2 years old and was housebroken, but since finding out I am pregnant he has started marking in the house(seems to have started around the same time...) It doesn't matter if he has just been outside or not and it is when we are home and aren't looking. He just sneaks off. We started crating him when we are not home and try our best to keep a close eye on him when we are home if he is not right beside us. The vet did bloodwork and found nothing. He was treated for crystals and yeast(?) in his urine, but I think it was just his bad attitude more than anything physically wrong! I am due at the end of August and am at my wits end with his marking in my house. I can totally sympathize with you, because i don't want to be diapering a new baby and my dog that does know better!!!
 

Saje

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#14
Don't think of it as your dog 'knowing better.' There are probably a lot of factors playing a role. Like your pregnancy hormones. Dogs can sense that and react differently. They need an adjustment period. I assume your dog is altered and that you are cleaning with an enzyme cleaner as well? Again, I think that paying special attention to the dog can be really helpful. Even just talking to him and explaining what is going on may help. Have you thought about how you will introduce the baby?
 

bubbatd

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#15
Okay Red .... SOME Chows can be unpredictable . I've really only known 2 well ....kisses one minute and a growl and snap later .
 

Jackson

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#18
Yes, we have been using enzymatic cleaners...last night we put him in his crate to sleep, which we don't usually do. He has his own bed and is usually just fine there,but before bed he peed in the bathroom...he didn't sleep all night! Now I am up at 5:30 am!!! We do have a trainer, I am awaitning her call as it is the long weekend...Her suggestion was the crate because we have never used this method before with him. I just feel it wasn't introduced properly and is now a form of punishment not a happy place for him to go...As for introducing the baby, well I have started using baby lotion and powder so he gets familiar with those scents, and we will bring home a recieving blanket as soon as we can. I have given hm one of my old t-shirts that I have worn so he smells my hormones and seems fine with that. I plan to let him check out hte baby as soon as we bring her home and to have (supervised) time with her, although he is great with children. I believe all dogs have an unpredictability! any other ideas for an intorduction???
 
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RedyreRottweilers

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#19
Okay Red .... SOME Chows can be unpredictable . I've really only known 2 well ....kisses one minute and a growl and snap later .
You have no right to judge an entire breed by your personal experience with 2 poor examples.

You hold a position here, and your comments should be more carefully considered before they are thrown out there for the masses.

A properly bred Chow Chow is no more unpredictable than any other dog.

I have known some unpredictable Golden Retrievers too, but I don't judge the entire breed, nor post inappropriate blanket statements on public bulletin boards.

I deal every day with the results of what happens when people ignorantly and arbitrarily judge an entire breed by the actions of a few.

I was very upset by your comment.
 

puppydog

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#20
I hardly think she meant anything about it. I think people need to stop treating others on this board as if they are idiots and children. I have known the Chow breed to be less stable then others. Yes, it is not the rule but they are not for the inexperienced dog owner.
I got jumped all over for saying I would prefer a Golden as a bird dog then a GSP because the Golden is more stable. By stable I meant not as high drive. That rose hell. I am a qualified trainer, I have worked with dogs most of my life. I had people treating me as if I was stupid. I really think people could just take things how they are meant instead of getting up on their soap box.

Grammy has years of experience in breeding and working with dogs, I am sure she is fully aware that you cannot blanket statement all dogs, she made a generalised comment that should have been taken as just that. Come now people. This board has become a little wound up of late.

With regard to the OP, have you had the vet check if your girl has sphincter degeneration, it happens in some spayed bitches and can be rectified with a daily tablet.
 

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