Can a neutered dog actually be a "rig"?

[Romany]

We adopted a funny little energetic young dog from a rescue last fall, and he’s taken to farm life like a duck to water. He’s very smart, VERY energetic, very attentive, just awesome in many ways.

But - he has a couple of quirks that have me scratching my head …

One, he’s quite “studdy” as in, he has to pee/mark a lot when he’s out and about on the farm, and he’s very in-your-face in a friendly way with visitors (we have lots, as we’re in the middle of renovations), and has to sniff and sniff and SNIFF them.

Two - and this is the one that has us flummoxed - he, twice now, has zipped upstairs, found the bedroom door open, hopped on to the bed, and PEED ON A PILLOW. First time DH was dozing (it was early morning), and I’d come down to let the dogs out and make a cup of tea. Poor DH didn’t notice - I found the offending yellow splotch on my pillow when I came back upstairs. That was a couple of months ago. Second time was a couple of days ago, and this time he’d peed on DH’s pillow - an equal opportunities pee-er?

Anyway, he’s otherwise in good health, plays well with others, biddable, etc. Typical cheeky cocky little dog, I’d say. He’s probably a chihuahua x maybe terrier something? Who knows - he was a stray. We have 3 other dogs, all fixed, much older, and all but one sleeps in his/her own crate overnight, otherwise they’re loose in the house (but not the bedrooms!).

Ideas on why he’s doing this? Can dogs be rigs? I might talk to a behaviourist, as I don’t believe dogs WANT to be nuisances, but sometimes some are, for mysterious reasons. I did speak to the vet, and she was flummoxed, too!

Thanks

[Houndhill]

A neutered dog is perfectly capable of doing all those things.
Easy to check testosterone level to see. I bet he is neutered but obnoxious.

[Sansena]

uti? Though I do agree, it sounds behavioral. Still, best to check medical before going down that road. Benefit of the doubt and all.

[Simkie]

Sounds like a boy :lol: Those little ones can be a bear to housebreak. If they’re left entire past puberty, they can also retain a lot of intact male characteristics, like frequent marking. I agree with the others–nothing you describe would make me think there’s a testicle still in play. But easy enough to pull some blood and test, if you think it might be a possibility.

[LauraKY]

Blood test and urine test and a belly band. Belly band first. You don’t want him marking all over your house, I imagine.

[Romany]

Thanks all! I know zip about belly bands so I just looked them up … any brand in particular, or are they all much of a muchness? And yes, testosterone test is in his future. The rescue group we got him from had him neutered shortly before we got him, and we all figured he was around 18 months old, so yes, an adult. Or a teenager, anyway.

[Where_sMyWhite]

How old is your boy now?

Marking is something boy dogs do with or without “equipment” Looking for a missed testicle wouldn’t be high on my list. Can you go back to the rescue and see if the vet who neutered him mentioned if both testicles were descended when they were removed?

I have an intact 3 yr old Border Terrier. He went through a phase where he marked on everything in the house all the time. I would replace the bellyband 4-5 times/day because it was soaking wet Then one day he basically stopped.

One of my two occasionally has a “leak” but the small puddle will be in the middle of the floor. Neither are allowed in any of the bedrooms unless I am also in the room (baby gates blocks the rooms off). A few weeks ago, for the first time in months, found a mark pee spot on one corner of the bed. Sprayed it and hasn’t happened again.

Dogs sniff. Some more than others. Some of the sniff is a breed thing but some of it is just the individual.

When he pee’d on the pillows, was he perhaps making a statement either about “superiority” or about some event that occurred with him that he didn’t like/agree with? Could be (I am not an animal behaviorist) that peeing on the pillow was his way of establishing his place within the household pack?

[Romany]

WMW - he’s probably 2yo by now, at a guess. Good idea about following up with the rescue about vet’s notes from his neutering, thanks.

We previously had a rescue Pekingese who came to us around 10yo, and he had such a rickety heart murmur the vet suggested we didn’t neuter. He had better dog and people manners than the current cocky little snot, interestingly. Ya never know, with rescues, of course!

We’d wondered similar about his peeing on the pillows, as it is a very specific location! He got such a row he’s now leery of going upstairs, we think, which is fine. And yes, baby gates all over the place!

What spray do you use for pee spots?

eta: LOVE Border Terriers! They’re such characters.

[Where_sMyWhite]

I use Nature’s Miracle. I have a spray bottle and was, for a while, buying it by the gallon :eek: cheaper when you’re using it a lot. Seemed to work well on the carpet stuff.

Neutering is actually healthier for the boys but when sometimes is a bit of a “discussion”. Some think early is better while some, like the breeder I got my second boy from who wanted to wait until he was at least 2 1/2 yrs to let growth plates close.

FWIW, if you don’t catch him in the act of peeing, post-pee scolding isn’t always effective. They often don’t tie together their “pee” smell and the act of depositing said pee . When you get the pee spot later and scold them they’re more actually probably thinking… yeah, thats my pee, so what? Rather than peeing in the house is not acceptable.

One trick, suggested by my old trainer, that was a bit of a PITA but helped manage some of the activity when he was the house with me, he was attached to me or in a crate by my feet. When I’d move around, he’d move with me and occasionally yeah, he’d get put outside with plenty of praise when he did pee.

I did, when cleaning up after him, made conversation about how disappointed I was but never raised my voice at him. He would watch me clean up. I think he did get I wasn’t happy at cleaning up but also didn’t freak out when I came home and found a spot… it’s a fine line to walk at times for sure.