How do I stop my rescue Jack Russell from peeing in the house?

I have a new 2 year old (approx) rescue Jack Russell - looks like a Parsons. He does his business outside but will keep marking his territory inside. How do I stop him? Also I am having terrible trouble with recall (I use a long lead and treats/squeaky toy) and look forward to the day when he can run loose. I have had all sorts of dogs, all my life, but never a terrier - so feisty!

Hello Sylvia regarding the scent marking, how long have you had your little dog and have you other dogs in the house? If he is new and just scent marking, this may improve as he settles in and gains a little confidence.

For now he may be better limited to a few areas of the house.
It helps to make sure he is empty when allowed around the house. Having checked your little dog has no medical problems eg a urinary tract infection I would treat him as a puppy taking him out at frequent intervals after sleep/food/ excitement/ first thing in the morning/last thing at night/about an hour since he last went out and make it a rewarding experience for him to relieve himself outside by giving praise and a tip bit of chicken when he does. Taking him for a short walk to an area used by other dogs will help to stimulate him to relieve himself so you can make sure he is 'empty' before returning to the house .

I would also throughly clean where he has marked in the house to remove every trace of the scent of urine, it is best to use a none ammonia based cleaner like biological washing powder. For hard surfaces you can also rub down with cotton wool containing one drop of pure oil of lavender to deter further marking in the same place.

With regard to the recall, I would suggest lots of practise around the house to begin with. I show a dog a toy or treat and when it is coming toward me I say its name and add the word 'come' so coming is associated with a pleasant experience. I do this many times a day increasing the distance and progressing to the garden then an enclosed area like a field.

Thanks for that reply. I usually clean the place he has urinated, then use an anti-pong spray from the pet shop. Yesterday I used Ariel liquid gel (I don't use powder) to wash all the floors downstairs and the bits of the furniture he has urinated on in the past. Then I sprayed the spots he has already used. No more peeing indoors - yet! I think it was the Ariel that did it!

We've had him for 3 weeks now and his confidence is increasing to the point where he tries to dominate me but I am winning that battle very well. Recall is impossible in the house and garden, unless someone holds him away from me, because he sticks to me like a leech. Wherever I go - he goes. I draw the line at the bathroom, so he lies outside the door waiting for me. So, if the peeing has stopped (crossed fingers), then the recall is the only problem left that I find difficult to deal with.

He can nip, but a sharp 'ah' stops him and he hardly does it at all now. We have a field/children's play area at the back of our house which we can reach via a gate in our garden or round the road. We usually go round the road. He escaped when I went out to the bins yesterday but I didn't bother chasing him - I just went out of the gate in the garden and caught him coming up the alleyway into the field. Bless his little cotton socks! Oh and before you go 'shock horror' at the thought of the road - we live in a cul-de-sac off a cul-de-sac so hardly any traffic, thank goodness. Thanks again for your help.

It sounds very much like marking, rather than peeing (looks and smells the same to us, of course) which is probably a confidence boosting thing. The fact that he follows you everywhere also indicates a lack of confidence at home.

Three weeks is a very short time for him to adjust so bear with it for a while. i am sure things will get better.

Recall - that is going to take some work. If he has been used to running free (presumably you don't know this) he is going to continue to do so. Might be the exact opposite and he has never been allowed free runs so he is making the most of it lol. Keep practising with long line and harness, and when he is more confident by calling him from places around the house as already suggested.

You mention that you haven't had a terrier before - they are different. I love them - they have such great characters, but do come as a bit of a shock for folk who have had placid dogs, or dogs who are always ready to do your bidding. Give him a break - he has a mind of his own which is their greatest asset and - sometimes - their biggest flaw

And I doubt very much he is trying to 'dominate' you (see other posts on Dogsey and Barry Eatons 'dominance fact or fiction' for details of what is probably going on. Terriers - like all dogs, but perhaps to an even greater degree - need consistency and to be really sure where their boundaries are. He will no doubt try to push against these barriers, but that is not him being dominant.

I have lived with terriers - Staffords in my case - for the past fifteen years. They are wonderful, but will try your patience sometimes. They give back much more than they take, though, so just try to adapt your thinking a bit. An example of how bl**dy minded they can be: my bitch, Molly, had a cruciate operation. She was not allowed to do stairs, but she slept upstairs with me, so she had to be carried up and down. She hated being carried (wasn't nasty or anything, but would make herself a dead weight and generally let you know she wasn't impressed lol). A week or so after her op she was carried upstairs and put down on the landing (rather than waiting until she was behind the barrier). She immediately went downstairs and walked straight back up again! It wasn't that she didn't want to be upstairs, she was just making a point.

Have fun with your dog, and keep your sense of humour if you can!

Hi Sylvia
in what way? I don't believe dogs 'dominate' owners though they may do things we don't wish them to do because they have never been taught otherwise.

It is early days yet and your little rescue dog has yet to learn to feel secure. At the moment when you are out of his sight he doesn't know that you will ever return, learning this will come in time. I would ignore him when he follows you, don't reward him with attention, no word no eye contact. I would also make sure his bed is in a quiet place, not moved around and really comfy and I would hide the odd treat in there. Whenever he goes in it give him lots of praise so he comes to associate it with good things and feeling secure.
When he has had time to settle in properly he should go to his bed when you are not around.

. It sounds as though you are doing very well with him

Hi there, I would like to offer a crumb of comfort and some hope too!

About 7 months ago, we too brought home a 10 year old (ish) rescue JRT and we were in despair over his constant marking around the house. Even when he had been out for a long walk he would still wander in and pee up against a door frame or wherever. Also, there would always be puddles on the kitchen floor in the morning.

Whenever we caught him in the act, we would give a sharp and loud "OI", and immediately take him outside. It wasn't that he hadn't been previously housetrained, so firmness was rather necessary. He had been neutered a week before we brought him home, and I think that once the affect of this kicked in after a few weeks,( plus our constant vigilance and the fact that he became more settled etc.) all desire to mark his new territory ceased. He has been absolutely clean now for several months.

Good luck, and just wait for the next set of problems to rear their heads Any cats nearby by any chance??!!! Or frogs, or anything that actually moves??!!!