Are most dogs smart enough to make that connection? I don't know. IME, they seem to realize that peeing outside is the thing to do, and it becomes a habit. I don't know that most dogs have the ability to see far enough into the future to realize that if they pee on something now, they won't be able to lay on it later. Maybe in his mind he's marking it so other dogs don't sleep there? Who knows?
I dunno, I thought the entire basis of crate training was that dogs don't pee where they sleep. Does anyone else have this problem? He doesn't mark outside, doesn't lift his leg, and always empties his bladder, he also goes to curl up on a previously peed bed and then whines because he can't lay there. It doesn't look like a territorial thing to me. Ru also occasionally pees on soft toys and then gets upset when he can't play with them later. I've never had a dog pee on their toys and then be unhappy about it, so yes I think most dogs are smart enough to make some sort of connection between peeing on stuff they like, and stuff they like having pee on it.
The way you've talked about Ru in this thread makes me think you don't like the dog and he would be better off being re-homed. The way you talked about Ulysses in your last thread made me think you didn't like him and he needed to be sent to a different foster.
I am certainly capable of loving and appreciating my dog and also thinking he is the dumbest dog I have ever met. I am also incredibly snarky on the internet. I do think that suggesting Ru would be better off rehomed is idealistic at best, and woefully ignorant at worst. Southern California shelters are absolutely packed and overflowing with unwanted chihuahuas, they might even outnumber the pit bulls. There aren't exactly people lining up to adopt chihuahuas with housetraining problems around here, and dumping mine on the overburdened rescue system would be irresponsible even if I did want to rehome him.
If I didn't like Ulysses and enjoy working with him, I would have followed the advice of many of my friends, vets, and partners in rescue and had euthanized when he bit me. I am fostering him through a small network of independent rescuers, and we all agreed that if I did not feel willing and capable of working with him, the best choice would be to have him euthanized. I think it's great that your area apparently has multiple fosters willing to take on the liability and risk of fostering a dog with three bites in his short rescue history, but here there's just me.
i know you're only venting, and venting helps at times, but I kind of get the feeling you've already decided he's just too thick to learn and are ruling every suggestion out without really putting your heart and soul into it.
Can't tether, too clumsy.
Can't belly band, its failure, won't work etc.
Can't get to vets, symptoms aren't right, too expensive etc.
You're kind of half heartedly having a pop at a few things, but going into it feeling it's pointless. Maybe he's not stupid, maybe he's just pretty **** smart and can tell you're not really trying that hard after all. Maybe he's picking up on your frustration but lack of commitment to the solution. I certainly wouldn't rule out anxiety from your body language if you're as frustrated with him as your posts suggest.... You need to find a zen place and start again.
I don't feel like you're ON this 100% from what you've posted. Personally unless I was going to go full force factor 10000 training mode on it, I'd resign myself to the fact I owned a pissy dog.... And invest in a lot of beds and cleaning solution.
I am superbly, monumentally frustrated with this dog because the degree of lockdown required to make it through an entire day with zero pee inside is absurd.
He is tethered. He is small enough that I can drop his leash over doorknobs. I just can't tether him on anything other than a hard floor because I know he is willing to pee on rugs, blankets, cat trees, and anything else that would make the floor less miserable for him to sit on. He absolutely hates existing on a bare floor.
He is wearing a belly band. I am at this very moment sewing several more and attempting to perfect a design that will actually stay on without sliding down his tiny hips. I would sew them onto shirts except I don't have any shirts that won't slide down his shoulders, and this dog owns more clothes than my husband, he's just super hard to fit and can slither out of almost anything. I would pin them to his harness if it was fast or easy to undo when he goes outside.
He will be going to the vet to rule out a medical cause, as soon as I have paid down my CareCredit or saved up enough for the tests. I'm glad veterinary care is more affordable in other places, but I can't just nip off to the vet and spend $500 just in case, we've had too many other vet bills in the last couple of months.
I am incredibly frustrated because this is supposed to be my easy, low-effort dog that I can just enjoy without constantly needing to monitor his behavior. I am incredibly frustrated because it seems to be the only way to make any sort of progress. Keeping him supervised, crated, or tethered on a bare floor at all times makes him absolutely miserable. Making him this miserable is making me miserable.
If I relent and stop being super-pissed at him all the time, I end up feeling bad for dragging him out of his blanket nest on the couch and tethering his belly banded butt to the bathroom doorknob so I can pee while he shivers. Why not just leave him snuggled up for a minute or two? The moment I have any sympathy or pity or mercy at all I mess up and let him pee on stuff. The only way to commit to this 1000% is to keep chanting "You've done this to yourself. You've done this to yourself. You've done this to yourself." while not letting him be undiapered, unsupervised, or untethered for even a moment. It's making us both miserable and I hate it, but I also hate having a pissy dog. Normal dogs don't require ragebootcamp for successful housetraining.