Dog Marking Behavior

Tired of yellow spots and stains in your home? Are you irritated by frequent stops, so your male dog can mark everything? Before preventing dog marking behavior, it’s important to understand the cause.

Why Dogs Mark

Leaving small amounts of urine behind is normal. It’s like leaving a message for other dogs to read. I joke, but watching dogs sniff urine markings is like reading their Facebook pages. They may choose to “post back” or not. Intact males and females mark more often, as they’re usually trying to find a mate (you can say the same thing for single humans on their Facebook page too). Usually, males mark more often than females, but I’ve watched some intact females that can give the boys a run for their money!

Health

Anytime you notice a change, either heath or behavioral, bring your dog to a vet. As a dog trainer, I’ve personally witnessed an “un-potty trainable” dog that couldn’t hold his urine. This went on for a year, and this poor boy was only a year old. After a thorough vet exam, he had a congenital issue (born with it), which prevented him from holding his urine. After a quick surgery, he’s completely potty trained. Never assume. Always rule out health issues first.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a cause of marking behavior and frequent urination. Plus, if you notice your dog drinking and urinating more, this is cause for alarm. Health issues should be ruled out first before starting any training.

Anxiety

Anxiety is a cause of excessive marking. I’ve encountered this behavior with many stressed male dogs. Usually, anxiety-induced marking is accompanied with other abnormal behaviors, such as hyper vigilance (constant scanning of their environment for threats), suspicious behavior, pacing, moving slowly and/or an inability to relax.

If anxiety is suspected, contact a professional dog trainer or animal behaviorist. He can point you in the right direction. Punishing or expecting an anxious dog to get over it will not work. Just like people, some dogs are unable to calm themselves. In the meantime, try DAP therapy, soft music and Thundershirts. For maximum effectiveness, it’s best to use a combination approach while seeking professional help.

Is He Truly Potty Trained?

It’s a valid question and worth taking a day or two to incorporate potty training tips. If dog marking stops, then he wasn’t really potty trained, which is a relief. You found the cause and can easily move forward. 🙂

Clean the Marked Area

Most pet owners clean urine stains using everyday house cleaning products. While they remove the stain, they don’t remove the urine odor. Have you ever noticed your dog pees in the same place, outside or on pee pads? This is normal dog behavior, and we use it to our advantage when potty training a dog.

Dog have an intense sense of smell. As an example, if you walk into someone’s house and they’re cooking soup, you smell soup. But dogs smell each specific ingredient in the soup, such as onions, carrots, beef, noodles and so on.

Back to cleaning, clean and then re-clean the marked areas using recommended enzyme cleaners.

Dog Marks in One Spot

If your boy marks in one specific spot, keep it simple. Block the area with a gate or close the door. Most pet parents balk at these suggestions. They’re convinced that the door will remain closed or the item will be removed permanently. Actually, by removing the marked object, you’re removing the temptation to mark. When a dog practices a behavior, it gets stronger. Same goes with dog marking. Plus, it can become a learned behavior, which is tougher to manage. Trust me, remove it or close the door, clean the area using recommended enzyme cleaners (multiple cleanings are recommended) and, in six months, your dog will forget about it.

He’s a Multiple Spot Marker

This can be a bit tougher, so I’ll make a few recommendations. Usually, these boys have an underlying anxiety issue. To prevent, seek professional assistance, employ potty training techniques (crate when left alone) and try a belly band. While belly bands prevent urine from touching precious items, it doesn’t really teach a dog not to mark. Belly bands wrap around a dog’s waist, covering his private area, which acts as a protective barrier between urine and furniture.

Punishment

I know you were thinking about it, so let’s discuss it. In my 22 years of dog training, punishment has never worked for urine marking. What ends up happening is your dog will learn to mark when you’re not present. When this happens, you have a real challenge. For anxious dogs, the problem will worsen.

Prevention

Spaying and neutering will reduce dog marking behavior, especially if done before sexual maturity. If you want to dive further into this topic, take a peek at Anneke E. Lisberg’s article about the effects of neutering and scent marking.