A lot of dogs, especially male dogs, love to mark. But it's not uncommon for female dogs to mark, either! Marking is different than actually peeing. Usually, when a dog is marking, they are doing it on something and it's a shorter, small burst. Where an actual pee may be on something like a tree but is much more substantial. We try to limit how much our dogs mark because it can turn into an obsessive behavior. Marking can put many dogs who are overly excitable or anxious in a frantic head space. They will start self-soothing by marking EVERYTHING. Even if your dog doesn't mark obsessively, you should know that you can teach dogs what is and isn't appropriate things to mark on or that there is a time and place for marking.
If your dog is the type to mark, it is important to teach them when it is acceptable and what is appropiate to mark. Not everything that is outside is fair game when it comes to marking. For example, I do not want my dogs peeing on equipment (lawnmowers, trailers, etc), outdoor furniture, or any lawn decor that you might have or to pee on things out in public places that aren't appropriate. There's nothing worse than wanting to go spend a nice evening on the patio and it smells like pee! When you are out for a walk, you shoud not let your dog pee on other people's things. That also means I don't let my dog stop whenever they want to pee on something. That doesn't mean I don't give them the opportuinty to do so though, it just has to be on my command. For example, if I know my dog really likes to mark one particular tree on our walk, I may walk up nicely to the tree and then release them to do their business.
One thing that your dog should never do is mark inside. If we allow obsessive marking outside it is more likely for them to try that behavior inside, too. If your dog is marking inside, or just inappropiately in general, you must supervise them. That means they don't get free access to the house otherwise they are likely to continue to practice marking. You should either have them tethered to place, leashed to you, or you are giving them 100% of your attention. If your dog is still marking inappropiately, adding in an interrupter of some sort is necessary. You can use something like a squirt bottle, penny jar, or vibration collar for an interrupter. If your dog is a really bad marker inside, you can also use a belly band as well as an interrupter. That way your dog cannot mark anything (even if they try) as you are training them not to. A lot of dogs do not like being near urine so a belly band can be an extra deterrent to marking.
With good supervision and interupting or adding in a correction as soon as they try to mark on something, you would be surprised at how quickly dogs learn not to mark on certain things! For the dogs that are more obsessive about marking, you can see how much their body relaxes when out in public as they shift to a more healthy, less frantic, head space when they learn not to mark on everything. In addition, you may notice it is easier to get your dogs attention and enjoy public outings together!
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