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toasty · 06-21-2007, 01:34 PM

I'm at my wit's end. We have a Boston and a Yorkie, both housebroken. We have successfully convinced the Boston that my wife and I are the alpha dogs, and we never really had a problem with the Yorkie being dominant towards us.

What has been a problem, though, is that the dogs have begun marking things around the house in what I can only assume is a show of dominance between themselves. Truman (the Boston) seems to be the higher-ranking dog, but Max (Yorkie) has never really fully embraced his role at the bottom of the totem pole, which I think is part of the problem.

Truman will pee on something, Max will follow up and pee on it, too, and then Truman will try to trump him by dropping a deuce on the floor nearby. The most coveted items in the house to pee on appear to be the guest bed and the floor mat in the guest bathroom. It's ridiculous. I guess this is where the phrase "pissing contest" comes from.

I know how to display dominance over the dogs, but is there a way to encourage them to fall into line amongst themselves?

06-21-2007, 01:34 PM	#1
toasty Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: St. Louis Posts: 11	Pissing Contest I'm at my wit's end. We have a Boston and a Yorkie, both housebroken. We have successfully convinced the Boston that my wife and I are the alpha dogs, and we never really had a problem with the Yorkie being dominant towards us. What has been a problem, though, is that the dogs have begun marking things around the house in what I can only assume is a show of dominance between themselves. Truman (the Boston) seems to be the higher-ranking dog, but Max (Yorkie) has never really fully embraced his role at the bottom of the totem pole, which I think is part of the problem. Truman will pee on something, Max will follow up and pee on it, too, and then Truman will try to trump him by dropping a deuce on the floor nearby. The most coveted items in the house to pee on appear to be the guest bed and the floor mat in the guest bathroom. It's ridiculous. I guess this is where the phrase "pissing contest" comes from. I know how to display dominance over the dogs, but is there a way to encourage them to fall into line amongst themselves?