Do you have a dog that lifts his leg, urinates inside the house and on any surface, place or object… on everything? This means that your pet wants to be present and is marking territory. While this behavior can be perfectly normal for your dog, it is also normal for to feel frustrated by this habit and want to change it
Understanding the causes can help you identify the best method to stop these constant marks inside the house. Then it's up to you to try to explain the house rules to your dog, in a way that he or she can understand.
Let's see in this new article on our site " My dog marks territory inside the house, how to avoid it?" some techniques to understand and prevent this behavior before your dog takes over every corner of your house.
The importance of marking for dogs
Human beings see urine as something unpleasant, but for a dog it is something of great importance and value in many ways, not only on a physiological level. Through the smell of urine a dog is able to send messages to other dogs. These messages range from personal territory, social order and hierarchy, to mating availability. Dogs use marks to be noticed, to show authority and ownership of objects, places and even subjects.
It also happens that dogs begin to mark in places where they did not do so before because they are in a state of stress. Analyze if your dog is going through an episode of separation anxiety where feelings of insecurity are arising. Experts indicate that marking the territory has the ability to build the confidence of our canine companions. Your dog may also be feeling threatened by a new situation or a sudden change in the environment or in the dynamics of the home.
For example a move, the arrival of a new baby, a new pet, a new partner, a visit or even a remodeling in the house. If other animals arrive, especially dogs and cats, the dog may be attracted to body odor and mark the places where it has passed: this includes shoes, carpets and pieces of clothing.
It is important to know that most dogs that are spayed at a young age do not tend to mark territory indoors. Prevention is better than cure, and it's also very he althy for your pet.
Urinating is one thing, dialing is another
We must be careful not to confuse urine marking with the act of urinating, for a dog marking the territory through this action is not the same as relieving a full bladder. By this we mean that although your dog is very well educated not to perform his needs at home, this does not mean that he sees it as wrong to mark the territory. The dog's motivation is totally different, therefore, it will be a different behavior.
When a dog marks territory, the amount of urine he deposits is less. So if you find large puddles of urine on the floor, it is because your dog has not held back and has relaxed his bladder.
It is also good to identify that marking in the house is done generally on a vertical surface such as a door, a board or a piece of furniture, in addition to any other object, no matter how strange it may seem. These objects are usually new, have different and unknown smells, although your dog could perfectly repeat them if he liked them a lot. This can become a possessive obsession with elements or spaces in the house. Everything in the house will be his possession, even you could become it too.
Another factor to take into account if your dog suddenly begins to constantly mark territory inside the house, it may be that he is suffering from a bladder infection or a urinary tract infection and your urge to "download" turns out to be very urgent and overwhelming. In this case, take your dog to a consultation with your trusted veterinarian to rule out illnesses
How to prevent my dog from marking territory indoors
On our site we always talk about prevention. Neutering at an early age helps eradicate this type of behavior in most dogs. Sterilizing it can prevent the formation of different types of habits, such as marking territory inside the house. For older dogs, this might work but it doesn't have the same effect. In this case, you yourself must break with this dynamic. Try the following supervision-based training:
- You must catch him in the act and immediately correct the behavior. Your dog will begin to feel that what he is doing is not right
- Close surveillance is necessary, we call this "the intense method of supervision". You must be constant and dedicate yourself to the mission of breaking this habit. With good commitment and luck, a couple of weeks or often less correction time will suffice.
- Ironic though it may seem, don't limit his access to water, in fact, you'll want your dog to drink more. Drinking water helps purify the urinary system and prevents the accumulation of bacteria that worsen the situation.
- During this process keep your dog in an area of the house where you can always see him. Lock doors to other parts of the house or barricade them to limit their access to other places where you've marked.
- Observe your dog's behavior and watch for pre-marking cues such as sniffing and circling. Get a can or plastic bottle and fill it halfway with small rocks, the moment he starts to lift his leg, shake the can to get his attention. This will interrupt it and break focus. Turning to see the sound object will be your moment. Firmly give the command No!
- Praise and reward him when he transforms the behavior, pees where you want and marks in the right place, even outside the house. Dogs learn quickly from positive responses to their actions. The message you want to send to your dog is that marking is not bad, but marking indoors is not the right place.
- If your dog is marking because he has separation anxiety, when you leave the house he tries to leave you an object or item that carries your scent. This might be enough to resolve her anxiety
- A dog's nose is very powerful. Thoroughly clean each place where you have marked and that there is no trace of the smell, or you will want to go back there and mark on it. Avoid ammonia-based cleaning products. Ammonia, being found naturally in the urine, will make the dog feel even more attracted, and you, on the other hand, will not know the reason for his obsession.
