Dogs and pregnancy?

Vandy05

For all you dog owners out there, have you noticed since you got pg that your dogs are acting different? We have had our dogs for 8 and 7 years, and ever since the pg they have been acting out almost, getting on the couch when we arent home and peeing in the house...in the exact same spot! They have never done anything like this! I have no idea what to do but DH is so close to killing one. He said we may even have to start using kennels when we leave, which we havent ever had to do. Any thoughts, ideas or suggestions?

albertabride06

Yes for sure. Our dog went through a "poop and play in it" phase when we weren't home during the day. Not sure what made her stop but one day she just wasn't doing it anymore *thank goodness*.

luckyangel

My dog wont leave my side and if anyone including DH or the kids move at me too fast, she bares her teeth and growls at them. ?Other than that, she has been fine-no peeing or poop problems but she also has a dog door and dog run right off the back of the laundry room so she has free reign to come and go in and out as she pleases so we NEVER have problems with her going when we're not home.

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lkstor

my dogs definitely seem to know that something is different...  although thankfully no significant changes in behavior.

that being said - my dogs have always been in crates during the day, so they can't get into too much trouble

talk to your vet about the behavior issues?

as for peeing in the same spot - they tend to do that if the scent remains.  check out "natures miracle" for cleaning pet stains.

chrissy0791

omg...we have been having the same problem.  we found that our 3 yr old dog, out of the blue, has been raising his leg and peeing on things in the house.  it has me crazy.  i really hope it passes.  i make sure i give him extra attention now when we are home and he's thankfully stopped the past couple days.  maybe he felt neglected since i've been feeling crappy and just eating and going to bed at night.  it's so strange though.  good luck with your dogs...i hope they stop.

mb72105

I have not had issues with bad behavior, however my golden knows something is up.  He is really clingy and protective, follows me everywhere.  I have tripped over him several times.  In fact we knew we were pregnant again (this time) before we even took the test because of his actions.  It is neat to see the loyalty but it drives me insane!!

epopp85

My older wiener dog just got really worried about me and wanted to lay on my belly all of the time which, unfortunately, made me more nauseous.  We got an 8 wk old puppy 3 weeks before the BFP though, so I think there were enough changes to keep everyone occupied for the most part.

Bleeding_Heart

I found this on someone's blog yesterday and marked it because I KNEW someone would have a question about it:)Reasons your perfectly housebroken dog may be relieving himself in the house:?1. Urinary tract infection. Yes, just as we humans are prone to them so are dogs. Any time a dog suddenly starts peeing in the house, a trip to the vet is warranted.?UTI's?and other issues such as kidney stones and kidney infection can be fatal if left unchecked and untreated.

2. Your dog is feeling insecure and anxious. Think about possible big changes in the house that could be causing the stress. Is it the new baby? Is it the unveiling of all the new baby gear? Did you alter the dog's schedule too much too soon? Did you move your dog's safe place (crate, ex pen, bed) etc... thus causing anxiety?

3. You never got around to neutering your male dog and now he is marking his territory.

4. Your neutered dog feels competitive with another dog in the house and they are in a pissing match for dominant ranking.

5. Your?unspayed?female is letting all the boys in the hood know she is available for mating. What a?hoochie!

6. Your dog doesn't like the new smells on something unfamiliar so it marks it- this could be a pair of shoes you wore to volunteer at the animal shelter, a shopping bag, or new furniture.

Now lets talk about some of the possible solutions. None of these will be a magic bullet, but used in combination you can hopefully find the one that fits your situation.

1. Spay and Neuter your pets- it is never too late. In males testosterone plays a large role in marking. It most likely will not cure the marking habit, but it will make breaking the habit easier for you. If you are a parent as well, you should know that intact males are much more likely to bite than their neutered counterparts. It's also no wonder that 42.8% of dogs relinquished to shelters are not fixed and 96% had no prior obedience training.?https://www.petrescue.com/library/relinquish-pets.htm

2. To properly break the habit, a dog must be caught and corrected in the act i.e. mid stream. Yelling, hitting, and rubbing your dog's nose in it is not going to work. To do this, you must keep all eyes on?fido?at all times. I know you don't have eyes in the back of your head so I suggest crate training or using the umbilical method. To do this, your dog is on leash and attached to your waist at all times for constant supervision. This method of training is really effective for correcting many undesired behaviors, so keep it in mind for any other challenges you are facing.

3. Use the most effective house breaking method- praise. Become a cheerleader when your dog pees outside and in the appropriate place. Treat them like mad for "insert your pee catchphrase here" with a high value treat such as?freeze?dried liver. My catchphrase is "go pee, go poop" and by training and rewarding them using this phrase, mine will do their business on command. Very useful?when?juggling the demands of a baby, dogs, and work.?

4. Don't kid yourself into thinking that a dog marking while having the run of the house while you are gone is going to stop. For some dogs, confinement is the only answer. My dog Mack resides in a 4'x4' ex pen daily while we are at work. While he?doesn't?pee, he does ingest inedible things that could?kill?him when not supervised. Trust me, it's safe and is not cruel. If it keeps your dog alive and your house in one piece then it's a win win situation. Look into crate training, it is literally a life saver.

5. Thoroughly clean any areas with an enzymatic cleanser. I blot the area first, flood it with enzymatic cleanser, re blot, then re flood the area and let the enzymatic cleaner air dry. If for some reason I can still smell pee, I repeat the process but use my steam cleaner loaded only with enzymatic cleanser to soak and then suck up the mess. Using products like carpet shampoo will only mask the smell since your dog has a nose 100x more sensitive than yours, not to mention they leave a sticky residue that will trap dirt and create a whole new stain. To seek out old and hidden stains use a?blacklight. You can find black light bulbs at most home improvement warehouses or online places that carry hand held devices like this:https://www.sitstay.com/dog/supplies/servlet/product_10001_10001_41570_-1_Urine-Finder+Black+Light__13902_

6. When all else fails, there are prescription medications than can ease anxiety in dogs. These are also not a magic bullet, but could help smooth things over enough to make training easier on you all. Examples of medications are?Amtriptyline,?Buspar, Prozac etc... Be your pet's advocate and ask your vet about them. Many vets are not up to speed on their uses as they fall into the realm of behavior and most vets are busy staying on top of more health related subjects such asheartworm?treatment. If your vet doesn't consider them an option, find a new vet, perhaps one that specializes in behavior and or one that has a holistic practice. Information on these medications and more can be found here:?https://www.marvistavet.com/html/pharmacy_center.html
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ErinBrooke

My dogs haven't been acting too different, but one day after we finished cleaning out the nursery I left the door open and one of the dogs peed all over the carpet, I was so mad!

I guess I'm more worried about how they will act after birth, they are very attached to me and I'm a little nervous about the jealousy.