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And just as I was ready to give him more freedom in the house. As with any type of dog training, it may take time to teach your dog not to mark in the house. With a little patience and a lot of love, you can help your dog curb this unpleasant behavior. Keep in mind that separation anxiety — a dog urinating when you get home or get ready to leave — is not considered marking and should be dealt with differently.
How to Deal With Dogs Marking
A dog with a urinary tract infection (UTI) can experience an almost constant need to “go,” and will often expel small amounts of urine frequently throughout the day. Scent marking is a very normal and common behavior, particularly in male dogs, but it becomes a big problem when marking occurs in your house. Dogs mark to advertise their presence and to claim territory and resources. Pee and poop contain pheromones, or chemical messages, that convey information — age, gender, health, and reproductive status — about the dog doing the marking.
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The goal isn’t to scare or punish your pup, but simply to prevent him from marking. You might be thinking that it’s just not realistic to supervise your dog at all times. First, if you see your dog looking like he’s about to lift his leg, you have an opportunity to interrupt him. If you aren’t there to redirect him, you miss out on a valuable training opportunity.
What is the difference between marking and peeing in dogs?
Your veterinarian can help you determine whether surgery is appropriate for your dog. If you suspect a medical issue is causing your dog’s marking behavior, it’s crucial to consult a veterinarian. They will conduct a thorough examination, perform necessary tests, and recommend appropriate treatment if required. Addressing any underlying medical problems is essential for resolving the marking behavior.
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Unneutered dogs are more prone to marking behavior due to hormonal changes. Intact males may mark to communicate their presence and assert dominance. If your dog suddenly changes their behavior and starts marking or spraying without anything else changing in your home, it could be a sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI). Additionally, if your dog urinates without realizing it (whether sleeping or awake), this isn’t considered marking. If you suspect a UTI or medical issue, go to your vet ASAP to determine the cause. If you've noticed that your dog is constantly lifting their leg around your house, they're likely urine marking.
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Why Do Dogs Mark in the House?
You can choose from a variety of training methods ranging from group classes to private, in-home lessons to board-and-train. For both female dogs and male dogs, spaying or neutering will reduce or stop marking behavior. According to the North American Veterinary Community, as many as 50% of male dogs stop scent marking, or at least do it significantly less often, after being neutered. Dogs are territorial animals, and any disruption to their sense of security can prompt marking behavior.
Curbing the Issue of Dog Marking
A dog who marks is not a welcome guest, which might mean he misses out on some activities. My whippet used to try to lift his leg on the neighbor’s perfectly landscaped flower beds, but with consistent interruption and redirection, he now trots right on past them. That said, your neighbors probably wouldn’t appreciate your dog marking on parked cars or mailboxes. If you see him sidling up to an inappropriate marking surface outside, hurry him along and encourage him to go somewhere else. Like many other canine behaviors, such as chewing and barking, if it’s channeled appropriately, it’s not a problem. But first, we need to distinguish between marking and normal urination habits.
It is more common in unneutered dogs but not exclusive to them. On the other hand, sometimes adult dogs that are already toilet trained may start having accidents in the house for various reasons. This usually results in urine stains, large or small, on the floor. Issues like marking can be exacerbated by a lack of training and discipline; pets need guidance to help them navigate the human world. Lack of training is the number one reason dogs end up in shelters. You could also try a local trainer who uses positive, humane training methods.
Crate training can help keep your dog from marking in the house. Your vet can examine your dog to ensure that your dog doesn’t have a urinary tract infection (UTI) or other medical conditions that are causing them to mark. Frequent peeing and accidents can be symptoms of a UTI in dogs. We have all experienced or witnessed a good old-fashioned late-night dog howl or the cat who went to town scratching the walls.
Many property owners see pets as a dicey situation and do not want to risk the potential for property damage or lawsuits. And landlords in many states, including California, do have the legal right to deny pets, except for service animals (more on that later). Change the meaning of the place he has marked by leaving treats directly on the spot after cleaning it. And it will likely also take some additional house training on your part to change the marking behavior if it has become a deeply ingrained habit. Other triggers may be stress, like moving to a new home or even a change in your and your pup’s routine. Certain forms of anxiety, like separation anxiety, can also cause this behavior.
As his behavior improves, you can gradually give him more freedom to explore the house. Ultimately, if your dog has anxiety, you may need to enlist the help of a veterinary behaviorist to work through it. You can find a behaviorist in your area using this page on the dacvb.org site. My dog, Chilly, had severe anxieties, especially around loud noises, and this collar was a very effective tool we used to manage it. The pheromones have a calming effect on some dogs and can reduce the urge to mark.
So while both involve releasing urine, the function of these two behaviors is completely different. The scent of the urine contains information about his age, health, and reproductive status, as well as how he’s feeling emotionally, through pheromones. Living with a dog who marks inside your home can be aggravating and, frankly, pretty gross.
When you’re walking your pup, urine marking outdoors should be all right. Lead your pup away from the area by encouraging them to move along (use the voice that you know gets lots of wags) and offer treats if you have any on you. As long as the odor from your dog’s urine is still there, he’ll likely continue to mark the same spot. So it’s important to clean it up correctly, with a bio-enzymatic cleaner designed to eliminate biological waste, like urine. Be sure to let these completely dry to eliminate all traces of organic matter. However, it may be days or even weeks for the urine marking behavior to stop after your dog is altered since hormones gradually decline rather than come to a screeching halt.
One of the best ways to cut down on unwanted marking is to spay or neuter your dog. You can also reduce this behavior by minimizing sources of stress for your dog and training it to behave appropriately in exciting or stressful situations. Any time there’s a sudden change in your dog’s behavior, it’s wise to rule out underlying medical reasons for the behavior. No amount of behavior modification will overcome a medical condition. If you can’t easily identify the possible stress-related reason for your dog’s behavior change, we recommend a vet visit.
Dogs who mark need to be actively monitored if they are loose in the house. No, positive reinforcement is a more effective training method than punishment. Even a dog who was fully housebroken in their prior home or foster home will need time to adjust to your schedule, including going to the bathroom on a new routine and in new places. Just like in housebreaking, make sure to give your dog as many potty breaks as possible in the beginning, on a schedule, and praise them when they go outside. Adhering to this lengthy benchmark goes a long way toward making sure your dog fully understands the “house rules” of toileting habits.
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