My Dog Is Marking In The House!
If you see a woman chasing a dog from room to room
, threatening them with a mop, it's possible you are watching a dog owner who has a male dog that's been marking in the house.
It should be understood that marking behavior is not the same as ordinary peeing in the house, although the result may be the same. Marking behavior, which may be no more than sprinkling everything in sight, is not a housetraining issue. It is about territory, dominance and sexuality. Sometimes it is about insecurity. But even dogs that are thoroughly housetrained can mark in the house.
Marking is usually, but not always, an issue that involves male dogs. Some females will mark in the house, but by far most dogs that exhibit marking behavior are male.
Dogs mark by peeing on furniture or other items in order to establish their territory. They are "marking" something as theirs. They are usually motivated to do so to show their status. There may be other dogs in the household that they think should be reminded about their position. There may be females around and they want to advertise their sexual availability. Or, the male may be insecure in some way and marking makes him feel bigger and tougher. He's tossing his hat in the ring, so to speak. He wants to be one of the guys.
As you probably know, dogs have incredible noses and they can gather a wealth of information from sniffing urine. Your dog is leaving information about himself and his position when he marks something.
Not surprisingly, most owners don't appreciate this practice in their homes.
Marking is far more prevalent with unneutered males since it seems to be linked to testosterone. Neutering at any point in a dog's life does seem to reduce or nearly eliminate the behavior (though it is not a guarantee). So, you might suggest to your intact male that if he doesn't want to lose something he values he should knock off the marking. If that doesn't work, there are some other ways to try to discourage marking behavior.
One of the best ways to stop the marking is to catch your dog in the act. This usually requires very close supervision and immediate correction. You may have to confine your dog to one small area of the house in order to watch him closely. You may even need to put him on a retractable leash in the house. However, this method is effective.
You can also make yourself a shaker bottle using an old soda bottle and fill it with pennies or something else that rattles. Watch your dog and as soon as he starts to mark you give your command, "NO MARK!" and rattle the shaker at him. The goal is to startle him into not marking. Do this consistently for a couple of days and he should be on his way to breaking the habit.
You may need to confine your dog while you are away from home, at least while you are trying to break the marking habit. You can crate your dog for a few hours while you are away from home in order to control the marking. Make sure your dog goes outside to potty, as usual, and praise him when he pees outside.
Remember to thoroughly clean every area where your dog marks in the house. These areas are special to him and you have to remove all trace of the urine so he won't be tempted to mark there again. A 50/50 solution of vinegar and water works well.
If none of these solutions works you may have to resign yourself to putting a belly band on your dog. A belly band is a wrap which fits around your dog's waist and over his penis. You fit it inside with a sanitary napkin. If your dog is tempted to mark and lift his leg then he pees into the band and not onto anything in the house. It's really a method of last resort.
by: Tristan Andrews
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