dianed Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 After owning GSD,s for the past 30 years I decided I would adopted a 10 year old female Maltese from our local pound.Her microchip papers and council records said she was undersexed as late as 2005. She required major dental work and the removal of mammary tumors and a nipple. Because of the length of surgery time and the fact the vet said she had never had puppies we decided to wait and see if she would come in season. Well that has happened in the last week.Because of her size she is no problem to handle, she spends most of her time indoors and we live rural on large acres. What I have noticed with her is that she has some bad habits. Basically she acts like a male dog, marking her territory inside(I have stopped that) and outside. She cocks her leg to pee, she never squats. Some nights she toilets inside.I have been able to hide this from OH who would be less than impressed. Are these habits due to her not being neutered and if I did get her desexed do you think it will change or eliminate any of these habits at her age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory the Doted One Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 I haven't yet owned a female dog that doesn't cock her leg. Dory (current dog) cocks her leg and is a shocker for marking territory, not quite as bad as a boy dog, unless we are at the dog park. So desexing may not stop the leg cocking. As far as peeing in the house overnight, probably could work on training to fix that issue...ruling out a possilbe UTI that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dianed Posted January 6, 2012 Author Share Posted January 6, 2012 Thanks, I wondered if its a small dog thing, this cocking the leg. I think its so doesn't wet her leg seeing she is so close to the ground! There,s no uti problem. Yes I am training her, I caught her the other day getting into position! she knows she is not supposed to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest donatella Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 I own a small dog who never cocks her leg, so I'm sure they only get this from watching males? But I'm no expert. My mum owns 3 small dogs, 1 female tenterfield terrier (15), 1 male tenterfield terrier (10) and 1 male male Maltese (4), the boys cock their leg and the girl squats so I'm not sure it's a small dog thing specifically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greytpets Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 We have desexed quite a few older girls (the oldset to date has been 11years & 3 months) without any problems. It doesn't change their behavors much but they do seem to feel "better". I would recommend it because it should reduce the risk of further mammary tumours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory the Doted One Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 All my girls have been pretty 'feisty' characters. I don't think it is learned from being around male dogs and I've never found it to be a problem behaviour at all. If you take her back to square one with house training I don't see that you should have too much of a problem curtailing the peeing in the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shmoo Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I caught her the other day getting into position! she knows she is not supposed to do it. If she knows she is not supposed to do it... then why does she? Have you eliminated the smells from the house from where she previously marked? If the scent is still around it's going to be hard for her to resist. My Greyhound bitch was desexed around 3 yrs old and now at 9 yrs old still marks over my boys wee and other dogs at the dog park. She doesn't toilet inside, but never did even undesexed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_PL_ Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 OT sorry: We had four pyometra cases in a row of rescued female seniors. I completely understand the wait-and-see preference from your vet but there are pros and cons. Leg cocking though, lol just seems to be a bossy girl thing. I usually tell people that no matter what age you adopt, pretend you have a pup when it comes to housebreaking. They do pick it up if you're consistent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dianed Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 Greypets, Yes the return of mammary tumors is something I worry about. Powerlegs, I did have an elderly bitch with pyometra and its a terrible thing. This little one usually goes to one spot in an end room to do her jobs. Its spasmodic and only at nighttime. I wondered if the leg cocking was a bossy thing, she sure has the shepherd under control. As the first time owner of a small dog I am quite enjoying her.She is such a character, with the added bonus of a dog that barks when people enter the house yard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becks Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 if the accidents are over night, confine her to a safe area or crate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Well done for rescuing an old dog! Some older dogs can't hold their bladder but if she's going in the same place then put a mat down. I have rescued, fostered and adopted many littlies, female malts included. Some cock a leg, some don't but the strangest female Malt I had used to do handstands, very funny and the people who adopted her had lost one that did the same thing! I have a housetraining method you can use, make sure you take her out last thing at night but put some wee pads or towels down in the area she seems to use and hopefully she'll go on there. I rescued a 14 yr old female chi cross at Easter. Never been in a house. She's now housetrained but can't cope with the dog door, if I'm here she'll go there and I let her out but for when I'm at work, she goes on towels/pads I leave near the dog door - it works well for us. Lots of washing but I don't care, she's a dear little thing that deserves a happier life for whatever time she's got left. If you would like my housetraining method, please send me a pm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aetherglow Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 leg cocking and marking in girls is just a bossy girl thing. My girl is convinced she's the benevolent ruler of the world and has marked since her first season, becoming even more pronounced after her second season. She has a peculiar variation on cocking, though - she squats and tries to lift her leg as well! It looks like a difficult yoga move. She does not have a housetraining problem - she'll let me know if she wants to go out, even at night on rare occasions, but she's usually good for at least 8 hours overnight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfthewords Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I can't advise much, other than I have a Min Pin bitch who was desexed at 6 months and still cocks her leg to this day (9 years). The other female Min Pin is also desexed and does handstands... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozzie Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 My two females have pissing contests lifting their legs, Had an old sheepdog who used to lift her leg to pee, trouble was she only had three legs and it was the other back one she was missing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 You need to make this dog understand this is not her house. Already she is deciding what she does and doesnt want to do. As for the marking, I have an 8 year old bitch that has done it most of her life, she's the bossy boots of the house. Definately spey her, she doesnt need to be entire. At night crate her so she cannot run about the house and pee. Otherwise become a little firmer in training her what is required in this household and how she is to behave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leema Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Congratulations on your new family members. It sounds like your girl is just not toilet trained. This probably has nothing to do with her being entire. I doubt that, if you got her desexed, this would change. I would treat your maltese like a puppy and take her out every 30 minutes or so to go toilet, and put her in a crate if you can't supervise her inside. That being said, I have found that, with my girls, they pee more when they are in season. I say they like to 'advertise' that their status. For that reason, she may be peeing inside more so because she is in season. That being said, my toilet trained girls would not pee inside regardless whether they're in season or not. It's my bitches that aren't so well toilet trained that decide that it's okay to pee inside when in season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory the Doted One Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Dory backed up a tree once, so she could mark it nice and high. LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle. Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 My older Australian Shepherd bitch was neutered at 8 weeks of age (she is now 6) and I've had her for a year. She marks over other dogs, cocks her legs to pee, starts fights with dogs who she deems are needing an attitude adjustment, and all this without the help of hormones. My entire bitch pees like a lady, would rather die than push into another dogs space and has never lifted her leg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizT Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 (edited) You need to make this dog understand this is not her house. Already she is deciding what she does and doesnt want to do. As for the marking, I have an 8 year old bitch that has done it most of her life, she's the bossy boots of the house. Definately spey her, she doesnt need to be entire. At night crate her so she cannot run about the house and pee. Otherwise become a little firmer in training her what is required in this household and how she is to behave. We went through pretty much all of this with an 8 year old recently desexed male Cavalier last year who wanted to cock his leg on EVERYTHING. He was a rescue from a "Puppy Farm" and lived chained up in a chicken coupe with 20 other dogs. I had to house train him and with help and advice from DOLers it all worked out fine. But I had to put a belly band on him and watch him like a hawk when he was not in his crate for at least a month. Today he is a beautifully behaved boy, living with my elderly parents and always has impeccible manners when in the house. Edited January 7, 2012 by LizT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Oh and definitely desex her, I've rescued several older females with pyometra happening - it was discovered quickly as I always desex every dog I rescue asap unless there is a good reason why. I won't rehome any undesexed dog. One of the loveliest older female dogs I ever rescued (a German Shephered cross) was only with me for 6 months during which time she had 3 surgeries and was euthanased in the last one. The first, the desexing surgery, discovered ovarian cancer and attempted to cut it out. Second and third surgeries were undertaken when the symptoms had returned. It was the owner's fault for breeding with her all her life, leaving her undesexed and then dumping her at the pound. RIP Gloria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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