Frustrated "Fur" Mom & Dad!

[krushing]

I've been dealing with this for 6 years.  I have a male Feist (Max).  He is your typical "male" dog.  He loves to run away any chance he gets and he's continued to "mark" his territory in the house.  We never got him neutered because we got him from my husband's grandfather when he was a pup and he would use him as a stud for his females.  Well, granddad is gone and I'm tired of the constant pee spots I find.  We are going to get him snipped September 11 (soonest the vet could get him in).  Do you think he's too old for this to help with his marking and constant desire to escape the electric fence?  We live in a new house, so it's not the problem of him smelling other dogs, etc.  And I try to clean all the pee spots up with vinegar to help with him not returning to the same spot.

My other problem is Baby (she's 5 years old and half Feist and half Cur).  I've never had a dog that you can shut up and that will potty on their bed, etc.  All of my dogs have never pottied in "their" space.  But, she doesn't care.  She'll potty on her bed and then lay beside it or wherever.  It doesn't seem to bother her.  The vet said to maybe try an elevated bed so she would have to get down to potty, but I want her to stop pottying in her room all together.  She goes outside and will let you know when she needs to go.  It's just during the night she will use the bathroom.  Even though we stop her eating at a certain time and we take them out before they go to bed.

Any suggestions?

[sk123]

I'm not sure if the neutering will help with Max's tendency to run away. One of my Samoyed girls likes to run away as well (god knows why since she lives such a pampered life). They were both spayed in their first year, and that didn't change any of their behavior.