Spiteful peeing?

[Iris dances]

I tried to find a post similar to my issue and couldn't find one. Newbie to YT and to yorkies in general... here's the back story...sorry if it's winded.

I have an American Mastiff (Tulkus/male) and a Black Lab (Ange/female). Both are wonderful, and full of personality. I just recently (it's been over a month now) started taking care of my sister's Yorkie (Jack/male). I will have him with me full time until December when I will take him back home to my sister. (I live in Illinois, sister and rest of family live in Ohio). I admittedly do not know much about Yorkies.

I think training is and should be individualized to a)the breed and b)the dog. What works with one dog may not work with another...and what works with one breed won't necessarily work for another breed. So, needless to say, I'm afraid to make a move and traumatize the little guy more than he (most likely) already has been.

Anyway! He's had issues in the past with peeing in my sisters house. People mentioned to her that it may be a testosterone based thing and maybe getting him neutered would help. She got him fixed a week or so before to brought him to me to keep for her. He has been awesome! He has his faults mind you...but for such a traumatic change...he's been great. I keep my dogs separate from him at all times. Well mainly I keep my giant American Mastiff (who thinks that he is way smaller than he actually is) away from the little "fragile" Yorkie. Until I am confident that everyone can be in the same room with out all heck breaking out...everyone has their own individual happy time with the humans.

He hasn't had any accidents in the house so far...EXCEPT for two days ago. I had my 2 dogs out in the living room with my husband and I...and Jack was gated into the hall way. I usually close all the bedroom doors and throw some toys and his bed in the hall way so he has lots of room to play, but can still see everyone interacting...and the dogs can have limited interaction with each other. (smell and romp on opposite sides of the gate) This has all worked out with out anyone getting upset. Well I let the bigger dogs out back and took Jack out front to go potty...brought him back in and he jumped up in the window and starting crazy barking at squirrels. I told him "no" made him get down and he chilled back out. When the big dogs were ready to come back into the house I put Jack back in the hallway. Jack started barking like a crazy dog again and I yelled at him to be quiet. He kept it up and I yelled again. He suddenly became quiet and went to the very back of the hallway and laid down. I told him he was a good boy for listening and went about my business. I accidentally left one of the rooms open (which he has been in multiple times before so not a new room) he went in got some of my undies and brought them out into the hallway and started attempting to shread them. I snatched them up...still not thinking that I left a door open (duh...how else did he get the undies?)...I needed something out of the room so I went in and saw that he had peed on the futon that was in that room. Mind you this was all in a matter of 15-20 minutes of him marking a couple places and having an actual pee outside. I picked him up and set him and went to take him into the room that he had peed and he started shaking like crazy. He even piddled when I set him on the futon near where he had peed. (I was not and did not rub his nose in it) I just wanted him to know that I knew what he did and it was not acceptable.

I do think this act was kind of out of spite. But, how do I break the possible pattern with out making him more spiteful. Everyone always says "positive reinforcement" well I've given him all the positive reinforcement I have to offer. I make sure I give him lots of praise, love, cuddles, treats...etc. I don't want him to ever shake like that again...it almost had me in tears. My bigger dogs drop their heads, tuck their tails, refuse eye contact when they've been caught...but they are never really afraid of my husband and I. I don't want Jack to be afraid...but I don't want him thinking my house is a public restroom either.

Thoughts???

Thanks in advance...and sorry it was so long...I just wanted to make sure you had enough to go off of to get the full gist of it.

[Iris dances]

I forgot to mention the ages of dogs...

Jack is 2yrs.
Tulkus is 5 yrs.
Angel is 7yrs.

All 3 are fixed. Oh, and my DH does like Jack. He doesn't show Jack the most attention, but also doesn't "discipline" him very much either. The DH is just afraid of getting attached to my sisters dog and then having to give him back to my sister in December. too cute, huh?

Anyway, just more info I thought might help with advice givers.

Thanks again!

[QuickSilver]

I think dogs may very occasionally pee out of spite, but I think much more often, the dogs are stressed, and the owners are reading too much into it. It sounds to me like your dog kind of bouncing off the walls and forgot his potty training. We forget that this can actually be hard for a dog to learn and remember. Also, when dogs exert themselves, they want to pee. I had a tough time training Thor out of micro-pees while he was playing inside. He would use his pad, but felt that if he was running around, it was more efficient to just stop for a second and pee wherever he happened to be.

Anyway, it sounds like it is still very soon after his neuter, so he may still be shaky on the potty training. Maybe he just needs a bit more exercise outside so he's not so tempted to tear up your house.

[Iris dances]

The peeing thing was the only thing that made me almost not want to take him for my sister. For a while there, I guess it got pretty bad at her house...so I'm just worried that he will get off track and start going all over the place at my house.

I've tried to make sure to take him out as often as I would take a puppy out and keep his food and water scheduled as to try and fend off the peeing in the house thing. Since this is just one incident, I'm not all that worried and am happy to go on believing that it was just an accident...and accidents happen. I am just afraid that it's going to start a peeing war in my house...and that would be insane.

Jack seems to be happy and adapting really quick, so maybe I just need to not over think it and go with the "flow"?

Should I not worry so much when he gets super shaky like that when being "disciplined"? I spoke firmly, not really yelling, and I didn't hit him or anything...


Oops I forgot to say...extra exercise outside sounds like a good idea though...he really loves it outside...he will play outside (even all by himself) until you practically have to drag him in.

[QuickSilver]

It's too bad he got so scared. Is it possible that your sister got angry with him? He might vaguely sense that humans get very angry around pee, without completely connecting that to the fact that the pee is coming out of him.

If you don't know already, I should tell you that yorkies can be very tough to potty train. You have to be really consistent and really patient. I haven't checked out the new potty training sticky at the top of this forum, but I'm sure it has very good advice. Potty training a yorkie who doesn't "get it" can be a full time job for a while.