This is a question from a reader of my site:

Question:  I was wondering if you could help me?  I have a five month old Dalmatian who is deaf or believed to be as the previous owner told me.  She was house trained and doing really well with it but then my husband went away and she has gone backwards.  She was fine for the first few days but now she urinates everywhere and anywhere.  She only urinates out side if she has a walk even though she has access to the outside all day long.  She still pees around the house if you go to get her lead to take her for a walk.

She is also biting everything.  I give her a bone to try and discourage it but although she loves the bones she still chews everything.  She also has a thing about jumping up at my children and nipping them.  It only happens now and then with my youngest child but its all the time with my eldest. 

I’m at my wits end and don’t want to be telling my dog ‘off’ all the time.  I would like to enjoy having a dog although its very hard to at the moment.  She still gets attention and her regular four walks a day please could you help me?

Answer:  Sounds like you’ve got some work on your hands.  Here are some tips:

- A five month old dog that isn’t house trained should never even get the chance to go to the bathroom in the house.  A dog of that age should be either under constant supervision or in a crate.

- The easiest way to supervise at this age is to keep the dog on a leash at all times.  If the dog is on a leash you are in a position to correct her if she tries to pee in the house of if she tries to jump or nip at your children.

- Keeping the leash on her will eliminate her excited association with the leash that causes her to pee.

Good luck.