Why do dogs mark territory

If you are unable to watch your dog, then they should be crate trained and safely placed into their dog crate so they cannot mark. If you do catch them in the act of marking, you should make a loud noise to startle them and then take them outside and reward the correct behavior.

If you do not catch your dog in the act and find the accident later, then it is extremely important that you do not punish your dog. You can also take measures to help deter or block your dog from the area where they are drawn to marking.

Try using baby gates or pet gates to block certain rooms, or double sided tape to keep them from certain parts of the room. If your dog does mark in the house, make sure you are using an appropriate cleaner to take the scent out.

Even though you might not be able to smell it, they will be able to and this will continue to draw them to that area. We recommend an enzymatic pet stain remover to completely remove the stain and the smell. For both male and female dogs you can find either belly bands for males or dog diapers for females.

Remember that this is not a fix for the situation but more of a band aid. If you choose to use one of these items to help with training, make sure you check them frequently for wetness. Your pet may be urine marking if: The problem is primarily urination.

Dogs and cats rarely mark with feces. The amount of urine is small and is found primarily on vertical surfaces. Leg lifting and spraying are dominant versions of urine marking. Both intact males and females are more likely to urine-mark than are spayed or neutered animals. However, even spayed or neutered animals may mark in response to other intact animals in the home.

Your pet urinates on new objects in the environment. Pet Stain Removers on Amazon. Don't punish your pet. Punishment only increases their anxiety and may cause them to hide when they need to go to the bathroom, thereby decreasing their ability to give you a cue when they need to go outside.

While it can be frustrating to come home to an accident, simply clean it up and consider what might have caused it.

Urine-marking behavior: How to prevent it. Spay or neuter first Spay or neuter your dog as soon as possible. Top 10 tips. Get Your Copy. We've covered why dogs mark territory, now here's how to prevent urine-marking behaviors before they happen in your house.

Before doing anything else, take your dog to the veterinarian to rule out any medical causes for the urine-marking behavior. If he gets a clean bill of health, use the following tips to make sure he doesn't start marking his territory.

Spay or neuter first Spay or neuter your dog as soon as possible. The longer a dog goes before neutering, the more difficult it will be to train him not to mark in the house. Spaying or neutering your dog should reduce urine-marking and may stop it altogether. But if he has been marking for a long time, a pattern may already be established. Because it has become a learned behavior, spaying or neutering alone will not solve the problem. Use techniques for housetraining an adult dog to modify your dog's marking behavior.

Punishment administered even a minute after the event is ineffective because your pet will not understand why he is being punished. If you come home and find that your dog has urinated on all kinds of things, just clean up the mess.

Do not take him over to the spots and yell and rub his nose in them. He will not associate the punishment with something he may have done hours ago, leading to confusion and possibly fear. Skip to main content.

How to Prevent It You mark your stuff by putting your name on it; your dog marks his with urine.