Marking

[Oscar (AmBull)]

Ok so back story:

Oscar has become a huge marker, weeing on everything he can. This is a learned behaviour, my dads dog is a HUGE marker and Oscar has picked up this bad habit from him. The lab is not desexed and has always done it. Oscar is desexed and has been since 6 months. He wants to wee on everything on walks, which I do not let him, he gets one wee and then that's it. It is not a meedical thing, he only does it outside of our yard. Boiling point was a few weekends ago he wee'd on the labs bed and today he wee'd on our bin out the front.

I just want to know how to stop this and how should I be addressing it. I understand it is a dominance thing from what I have read? Just looking for some steps that I should take?

[Sandra777]

I wouldn't call it dominance, I would call it normal dog behaviour. Bitches mark too! (No, not saying bitches can't be dominant )

[wuffles]

I don't really care about marking, I just make sure he doesn't do it on letterboxes or other items placed in front yards

[W Sibs]

both my 2 are desexed (male and female) and they still mark, but they are only allow to do it outside.

if you don't want him to mark, you have to let him know you don't (by either Growl or No or however you make him stop doing something you don't want him to do)

[Oscar (AmBull)]

I don't mind him marking plants etc but I think marking another dogs bed is taking it too far and I am just unsure if this is considered ok?

I just wanted to gauge if I am being too worried about this or if I should be doing something to stop him. I did growl at him when he marked the other dogs bed?

[sandgrubber]

I'll buy 'learned behavior' but not 'dominance thing'. Sounds like he's learned it's 'cool' in some doggy sense of the word 'cool' , to lift his leg. Pretty harmless. Ignore and discourage the behaviour and it's likely to go away.

[Oscar (AmBull)]

Thanks for the replies, his marking is definitely a learned behaviour, but from what I have read about marking it is a dominance thing (not saying he is being dominant but in general I have read marking=dominance). I am glad it isn't a dominance thing. I will just ignore the behaviour, should I address it if he is peeing on things, ie another dogs bed?

[W Sibs]

Thanks for the replies, his marking is definitely a learned behaviour, but from what I have read about marking it is a dominance thing (not saying he is being dominant but in general I have read marking=dominance). I am glad it isn't a dominance thing. I will just ignore the behaviour, should I address it if he is peeing on things, ie another dogs bed?

Yeah, because, to me, that's just bad behaviour.

[Ali]

he may not be dominant...but maybe he leart this and is now trying to assert some dominace? especially if there is another dog in the house...and especially since he marked the other dogs bed hahaha

Doesnt marking mean the dog claiming owernship of the think marked..this bed is mine, this bin is mine, this letter box is mine etc...just becareful he doesnt mark you ;)

Edited July 27, 2011 by Ali

[3Woofs]

My boy is a huge marker also... it's a real pain!

Every time he comes home after being out all day, he spends the next 20 mins or so going around the whole yard peeing on everything including his bed!

[Oscar (AmBull)]

He is an only dog he pee'd on my dads dog bed at my dads house.

BUT I do not want him to mark if we get another dog. He has never pee'd on a person and if he pee'd on me I think I would die I think he has just learnt to do it and it has now become habit. I don't mind the outside marking, but not inside or on belongings.

[Weasels]

Thanks for the replies, his marking is definitely a learned behaviour, but from what I have read about marking it is a dominance thing (not saying he is being dominant but in general I have read marking=dominance). I am glad it isn't a dominance thing. I will just ignore the behaviour, should I address it if he is peeing on things, ie another dogs bed?

I'd say anything you don't want to happen again, address it. I would expect marking is self-rewarding (as opposed to attention seeking behaviour) so addressing ("No!") or redirection (taking him outside to a friendly tree) should work better than ignoring. Teaching him where/when to pee and where not to might be the best option rather than trying to stamp out a natural instinct. Boys will be boys....

[Oscar (AmBull)]

Thanks for the replies, his marking is definitely a learned behaviour, but from what I have read about marking it is a dominance thing (not saying he is being dominant but in general I have read marking=dominance). I am glad it isn't a dominance thing. I will just ignore the behaviour, should I address it if he is peeing on things, ie another dogs bed?

I'd say anything you don't want to happen again, address it. I would expect marking is self-rewarding (as opposed to attention seeking behaviour) so addressing ("No!") or redirection (taking him outside to a friendly tree) should work better than ignoring. Teaching him where/when to pee and where not to might be the best option rather than trying to stamp out a natural instinct. Boys will be boys....

Great advice thanks so much- how exactly do I teach him where and when to pee?

[Weasels]

Thanks for the replies, his marking is definitely a learned behaviour, but from what I have read about marking it is a dominance thing (not saying he is being dominant but in general I have read marking=dominance). I am glad it isn't a dominance thing. I will just ignore the behaviour, should I address it if he is peeing on things, ie another dogs bed?

I'd say anything you don't want to happen again, address it. I would expect marking is self-rewarding (as opposed to attention seeking behaviour) so addressing ("No!") or redirection (taking him outside to a friendly tree) should work better than ignoring. Teaching him where/when to pee and where not to might be the best option rather than trying to stamp out a natural instinct. Boys will be boys....

Great advice thanks so much- how exactly do I teach him where and when to pee?

Others may have better advice, as my boy only tried to pee on out other dog's bed once (right in front of me!) - I was so shocked I yelled "noooooooooo" and grabbed all 20kg of him and ran him outside holding him under his front legs I think the extreme reaction was enough to put him off trying it again.

But if you are out on a walk I would develop a good "walk on" command (then treat), so if he starts to lift his leg or sniff too long you can get him to abandon the marking and keep moving. When I'm out walking my boy I let him mark some things, but walk on from others (like letterboxes or people's new plants), so he gets used to having some impulse control and isn't quite such a menace to society :D

ETA: I just re-read your first post and saw you said you don't let him mark on walks. Do you mean you pull him off with the leash or redirect? To me the pulling away is just leaving him with unfinished business, whereas redirecting to a 'walk on' or a 'heel' is him voluntarily abandoning the marking for something better (treat or praise)

Edited July 27, 2011 by Weasels

[Ali]

I wish we could do that, walk up to a ferrari piss on it, "yep that mines now" go up to a house you like... MINE

a girl mine...man life would be sweet

[Nekhbet]

if only it was that easy Ali

My DDB tries to do that, walks over to the water, refills then here we go. If I catch him I simply shout and 'OI GET OUT OF IT' and he will stop.

Think of it this way, if you are not there to control it you cannot change it. If you catch him widdling on another dogs bed he's claiming as his own and going by your photo he's an American Bulldog? Dominance is something they're good at desexed or not. Get tough on him, dont let him go on a pissing spree when you visit somewhere and keep him with you, if he wont listen tie him up or pop him in the car. My bitch marks too, 7 1/2 years old, entire, extremely dominant and will pee over ANY dogs pee male or female. She even lifts her leg if we're at a communal dog area.

[Oscar (AmBull)]

if only it was that easy Ali

My DDB tries to do that, walks over to the water, refills then here we go. If I catch him I simply shout and 'OI GET OUT OF IT' and he will stop.

Think of it this way, if you are not there to control it you cannot change it. If you catch him widdling on another dogs bed he's claiming as his own and going by your photo he's an American Bulldog? Dominance is something they're good at desexed or not. Get tough on him, dont let him go on a pissing spree when you visit somewhere and keep him with you, if he wont listen tie him up or pop him in the car. My bitch marks too, 7 1/2 years old, entire, extremely dominant and will pee over ANY dogs pee male or female. She even lifts her leg if we're at a communal dog area.

Thanks for your reply. He is an American Staffy, knowing the breed etc is one of the reasons I posted this thread because I don't want it to escalate. All I need to do is my usual growl/aye and he moves on to something else. It is hard when we go to my dads as the lab is an excess marker so they will mark over each others spot. So you are advising to keep on him and tell him off when he marks, if he can't stop himself (he has poor self control which we are always working on) then put him on leash?

Weasels- I normally use a leave it cue on the walk, he is very familiar with the cue and will walk on promptly. We do need to get back into doing some training, just really need to find a good obedience school that is in my area- unfortunately none that suit our needs.

ETA- Nekhbet we are looking to add a DDB to our household in a few years time, a female, but we want to be ready beforehand. We absolutely LOVE the breed.

Edited July 27, 2011 by NewAmstaffOwner

[Nekhbet]

DDB are a fabulous breed especially with children. Pig headed, yes but the bitches and dogs are different. I have an entire 6 year old male and he's just awesome, doesnt care at all, loves kids, was a therapy dog for the disabled. I use him for aggressive dogs and he is so indifferent everyone ends up relaxing and laughing.

I thought your dog Oscar was the dog in question lol ahhh AmStaffs. Those pig headed buggers, it's like someone handed a whole breed an 18 year old complex and a Holden Commodore. You need to teach him self control, he's old enough. The trick is to stay one step ahead and teach him the alternative behaviour you do want, so if he wont listen, on lead and go to bed time or in a controlled space until he's ready to listen.

[**Super_Dogs**]

My boy marks everything. When a car pulls in he runs up and pees on their tyres (rather embarrasing). He also on several ocassions has marked the walls and furniture in the house.

The way I have controlled this is he gets in trouble when he goes somewhere he should not. This has worked for me because he is a good boy and does not like getting in trouble.

When we are walking, from a young age, I have never let him sniff and pee on the walk. If I did we would never get anywhere!!! Also, we walk on the road so there is less temptation.

One day though I was walking along and felt a splash on my leg. He could just not help himself, he was peeing while walking down the street and behind us was a trail of pee for about 20 metres .

Good luck! It is a pain - I know ;)

Edited July 27, 2011 by buddy1