How do I reduce outdoor marking?
It is likely impractical to expect to control and limit all marking and elimination behavior when your dog is taken for walks outdoors. When taking your dog for a walk, you will need to work on training your dog to walk on a relaxed leash by your side and to sit each time you come to a stop (see Teaching Calm – Settle and Relaxation Training and Teaching Loose Leash Walks, Backing Up, and Turning Away). With a leash, or leash and head halter, it should be possible to keep your dog on task. The leash and head halter controls the muzzle and nose so that the head can be immediately turned away from the stimulus (potential target of marking) as it begins to show pre-marking behavior such as exploring, sniffing, turning into position, beginning to lift leg). Learn to predict and preempt. Once you reach the area where it is permissible for your dog to eliminate you can allow your dog to explore and sniff, and positively reinforce marking behavior.
How do I reduce marking when my pet is “visiting”?
Dogs that mark when visiting (e.g., the homes of friends or relatives, dog shows, veterinary clinics, obedience classes) should be kept on leash, at least until they are comfortable, settled and have had the opportunity for supervised exploration of the new environment. Where practical, it might be advisable to leave these dogs at home, rather than take them to places that have odors that are just waiting to be anointed with a urine mark. If you do take your dog along, make sure to keep your dog occupied with a task that is unlikely to lead to urine marking.
Having your dog sit by your side, stay on a down command, play with a toy, or get affection and social contact from you or the people you are visiting gives the dog something constructive and acceptable to do. If your dog begins to get excited, anxious or begins to wander away to sniff and explore, it may be a prelude to marking and should be prevented or preempted with a leash (or leash and head halter).
Will my dog mark in the house after being neutered?
Marking in the house after being neutered depends on how old your puppy is when they are castrated. If your dog has marked in the house for months or years, it is less likely that neutering alone will make the problem go away. That is because after marking for a while, your dog has formed a habitual behavior.
For dogs neutered at a late age, marking may be reduced, but will still probably happen when your dog is stressed or aggravated, such as if there is a strange dog hanging around outside.
That often comes as a surprise to first-time dog owners. It is a commonly held belief that a neutered dog doesn’t mark. However, because the behavior goes beyond hormones and may even be instinctive, the behavior won’t always just stop. That is true regardless of whether or not the associated hormones are present.
You might also be interested in knowing if your puppy will bark more after neautering.
Do neutered dogs still mark?
Let’s face it, dogs are territorial animals by nature. They like to protect their territory, their family, and their belongings. Territorial marking is different from urination because it is only a small amount to make other dogs aware that this is their territory. When people notice that their dog has been marking around the house, it is not usually done out of spite, but out of insecurity.
For a dog, this insecurity may be a sense that their area is under siege by another person or animal inside the house, or even outside in some cases. Territoriality is not always a bad thing, but it is definitely bad for your home, because it involves urination around things or places that “belong” to the dog; exposure to the scent later can also trigger re-marking. Here is what you need to know in order to prevent this behavior.
If you have not already done so, having your dog spayed or neutered can reduce incidences of territorial marking. It can also extend your dog’s life, improve other aspects of their health, and reduce the number of unwanted dogs. Dogs that have been spayed or neutered can and do still engage in marking behaviors from time to time, depending on other factors. According to a report from the Humane Society, spaying or neutering your pet may help reduce likelihood that they will mark their territory, but it does not completely stop it.