Marking

WebMD discusses common reasons why male and female dogs urinate to mark certain objects.

What if a slight change in the normal routine is enough to cause a leg lift? Think of a urine-marking dog as suffering from an addiction. A pissaholic.

Urine marking is when a dog marks an item or thing with urine, usually in small amounts. Dogs that normally do urine marking are males, though sometimes females may do this as well.

Scent marking is a very normal and common behavior (particularly in male dogs), but it becomes a big problem when marking occurs in the home. Both sexes scent mark, but unneutered males are the worst offenders because the presence of testosterone stimulates signaling of sexual availability and claiming of territory.

Urine marking is like a singles matchmaking hotline for your dog. The urine tells female dogs he's in charge, he owns the property and he is available for dates.

Leaving a scent mark with urine is a normal dog communicative behavior. Marking is most likely to occur on or near new or novel odors, especially the urine leftmarking1 by other dogs.

We've all seen it and we all feel the same about it. Nobody likes a dog that marks in their house. It stains furniture and makes the house smell like a kennel.

While both male and female dogs can mark, it’s usually a male dog that is lifting his leg around your house. And first things first, your dog isn’t marking because he is jealous or pissed off at you. Male dogs do mark for a variety of reasons, though: he smells a place where another dog peed, he has a medical issue, he isn’t actually housebroken, he is anxious about a new person/dog, or he is a new dog in a new situation. Let’s go through these and talk about how to remedy each one.

Before you decide to punish your male dog for marking in your house again, learn the causes of and solution to his dog marking behavior.

Learn how to prevent your unneutered pup from marking his territory.

Marking is a common reason dogs are relinquished to shelters. It can definitely be frustrating if you have to clean up urine spots all over your house several times a day. And, if you have multiple dogs, if one starts to mark, the others may mark or go to the bathroom in the house because the “scent” is there. Before you banish your dog to the backyard, however, try these tips and tricks.

I get a lot of questions about dog potty training and quite a few come from the owners of intact, older male dogs. But the problem is that urine marking is not a “potty training” problem!

Scent marking is a very normal and common behavior, particularly in male dogs, but it becomes a big problem when marking occurs in the home.

Marking is instinctual in canines and is primarily used to communicate ownership or assertiveness. The best way to curb the behavior is to establish a clear hierarchy in your pack and ensure that your dog feels safe and comfortable in his home.

If you have a dog that lifts his (or her) leg on anything and everything, you know what a frustrating and disgusting habit this can be! While it may be perfectly normal dog behavior, it’s not acceptable for dogs to choose to mark inside homes and public places. So it is up to the humans to try to explain that rule to the dog in a way he or she can understand.

How to Stop Dog Marking Behaviors. Dogs urine mark for a variety of reasons, namely to protect their territory, attract mates or because they are fearful and anxious. It's not done out of anger, jealousy, spite and so forth.

A dog marking his territory is not something that should surprise us. It is a perfectly normal behavior for a dog to want to claim what he perceives as his. This is not a problem unless the dog is marking inside, or if aggression is involved. If a dog is marking inside the home, then you’ve got several problems on your hand, one of which is a serious odor issue.

Marking is not relieving oneself – it is leaving small amounts of urine on items (trees, bushes, couch) to leave their “calling card” and to say “this is mine.” This often starts happening in adolescence as dogs mature. Marking is more common with intact dogs so if your dog is not neutered, having him “fixed” can help with the marking issue.

Canine urine marking is an instinct for male (and some female) dogs. But it can ruin your floors! Here, helpful tips on preventing—and treating—this unpleasant problem.

You mark your stuff by putting your name on it; your dog marks his with urine. Here's how to prevent urine-marking behaviors.