I met with a client last weekend who has an adolescent male dog. He is a large breed dog with growth plate issues, so she's trying to hold off neutering him until he's between 2 and 3 years old. While she was worried that she might have issues with him getting along with other male dogs, that's not a problem at all. He plays well with other male dogs just fine. She was then concerned that he might try to mount all the female dogs at daycare. Well, the daycare accommodated him and now the only females in his play group are spayed and they correct him appropriately if he tries to mount them. So what's giving her the biggest headache at the moment? Marking! This guy marks the stairwell in her house, the patio furniture, and the tires on her car! There aren't any other animals in her house, so she's at her wit's end trying to figure out why he is now marking so frequently. This is actually a fairly common problem, so let's take a good look at marking behavior.
All dogs, both male and female, spayed/neutered or intact, may engage in marking behavior. Most people tend to think of marking as a strictly male behavior (a dog lifting it's leg), but that isn't the case. Any dog may mark; urinating to leave a scent mark is part of normal dog communication. The triggers for marking are most often new or novel smells, another dog's urine, etc. Often upright objects like posts, poles, trees, etc. are favorite places to mark. Some dogs are triggered to mark by being in a new place; I've had several clients report their dogs marking in the new homes they've moved into. Others are triggered by the presence of new objects. For example, years ago I had a client who was so excited to get all new living room furniture only to discover her male dog was marking the new stuff! She was so surprised (and dismayed!) by this as he'd never marked her old furniture. I've been in homes where the dogs mark stereo speakers, pole lamps, and coat racks! Usually, if you move to a new place or add new furniture to your home, you can simply supervise your dog's access to these areas until they get comfortable with them and no longer feel the need to mark. You can do this by spending time with your dog in each new space (or near the new objects), feeding them there, etc. When you can't watch them, return them to a space they won't mark such as their crate, pen, or confined to your kitchen. As your dog's comfort level increases, you can expand where they can go when unsupervised, but never leave them alone in an area where they've previously marked until you are certain they are past the behavior. I say this because many dogs mark because they are anxious. They are experiencing stress and are responding to the influx in hormones by marking, thus creating spaces they can comfortably claim as their own. So, while a normal intact male dog might be triggered to mark by the presence of an intact female dog on his home turf (a common problem in dog breeders' homes), anxious male dogs may be triggered to mark by other external factors.
Dog owners are frequently told to "just neuter your dog and the problem will be solved," but that's often not the case. While neutering reduces marking in approximately 80% of male dogs, it only eliminates the problem in about 40% of the cases. As mentioned previously, marking occurs in neutered dogs too, as well as female dogs. Again, marking isn't just about hormonal arousal, it's also about anxiety.
Let's get back to my client's dog. This young dog is living in a very busy household. I believe he is experiencing some anxiety, which truly isn't uncommon in adolescent dogs. He gets plenty of exercise and has a lot of social opportunities. While my client hasn't added anything new to her home in terms of furniture or upright items, she does live in a huge home. While her dog is house-trained in the conventional sense (he knows to go outdoors to eliminate), he isn't trustworthy to have free-rein of the whole house unsupervised. I've asked her to go back to restricting him to the downstairs area of her home where the family spends most of their time and where he has never marked. Outdoors, he should be supervised as well so that he can be redirected away from marking the patio furniture or her car tires. She lives near an open space, so it's quite likely that free-roaming animals like skunks, opossums, deer, foxes, squirrels, etc. are moving through the yard and he is marking in response to that. Nonetheless, if she doesn't want to supervise his outside time, she will have to learn to accept him marking outdoor objects. If she continues scrubbing them with soap and water, he will just feel compelled to go back and freshen his marks if he smells other animals in the area again. It's fine for her to interrupt the behavior if she sees him sniffing around the furniture or her car; she can call him away or redirect him to another activity (e.g. go get your ball!).
For some dogs, using an odor neutralizer in the marked area will be enough to deter them from returning, but that's not the case for my client's dog. She tried booby-trapping the stairwell where he was marking, but he just waited until the booby traps were removed and then went back and marked! Now we just don't let him anywhere near the stairwell at all. As a stop-gap measure, she can put a belly band on the dog to prevent marking; belly bands are a fabric device that goes around the dog's abdomen, covering the penis, and thus ensuring that any urine excreted by the dog is absorbed by the fabric band and their belly fur, and not by the object they were trying to mark. A belly band is fine to use when you can't supervise your dog, but leaving one on your dog all the time isn't a good solution. Better to confine them when you can't watch them, make sure they are getting enough mental and physical exercise, and address any issues in anxiety that are contributing to the marking.
If you are faced with a similar issue, here is your action plan:
1. Clean the marked area well with a product designed to actually eliminate urine odor and damage.
2. Block access to the areas your dog was marking when you can't supervise them there. When you are there with them in those areas, use those opportunities to work on behaviors that run counter to marking such as grooming, feeding, training, or playing.
3. Whenever possible, keep the objects your dog most desires for marking out of their "safe spaces." So, for example, if your dog likes to mark unfamiliar shoes in your entryway or your guests' suitcases, keep those visitors' shoes out of reach and put suitcases in closed closets so your dog won't be tempted to mark them.
4. Address and resolve any conflict that could be contributing to your dog's anxiety and leading to marking. For example, if you've brought in a new pet, brought home a new baby, or your elderly aunt just moved in with you, all of these situations could cause conflict and stress for a dog who then responds by marking. Break out the high value treats and reward your dog for getting along with the new family member. For best results, pair all good things with the presence of the new person or pet. DAP plug ins and Adaptil collars may help, and even CBD formulated for dogs may curb the transitional anxiety associated with the upheaval in your home.
5. Tether your dog to you if you can't crate or confine them. Teach them to lay on a mat or rug near you calmly rather than allowing them to explore unsupervised. Give your dog frequent opportunities to get outdoors and appropriately mark to their heart's content.
6. If marking persists despite your best efforts, talk to your veterinarian about anti-anxiety medication.
The one thing you don't want to do is punish your dog for marking. This will only increase the dog's anxiety thus leading to further, often more surreptitious, marking behavior.
As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.
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