How to Train Your Dog to Not Mark Territory
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Introduction
If ever a behavior was misunderstood, it's a dog’s propensity to lift the leg and territory mark. For a pet parent, this is infuriating behavior as it is unhygienic, smelly, and can ruin your best furniture. This frustration often leads to punishment, with the perpetrator being shouted out or smacked. However, when you realize what’s really going through the dog’s mind, things take on a different complexion.
Your dog is not trying to assert himself, dominate, or damage your possessions. No. He’s advertising that he’s prepared to protect his patch…including you. For example, the dog who territory marks in a corridor may be protecting his owners' bedrooms, and in doggy speak saying how he’ll defend you from intruders. Or else, there is the anxious dog that pees on your sports bag because it smells of the outdoors and he wants reassurance.
Of course, none of this is particularly comforting to a pet parent with a pee problem, but when retraining it’s important to understand that protection or anxiety are at the heart of the problem.
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Defining Tasks
Breaking a territory marking habit is a complex task. It requires you to remove lingering odors that draw the dog back, prevent boredom, and build the dog’s confidence. And oh yes, did we mention neutering? Desexing is an important part of reducing the hormonal urge to mark.
Retraining is deceptively difficult, as it requires complete consistency of command, plus constant vigilance to prevent marking before it happens. The pet parent needs to stay one step ahead of the dog, by anticipating trigger points and eliminating them.
Also, if your dog used to be well house trained and has recently started territory marking, get him checked by a vet. You should never assume the problem is behavioral until you know for sure he isn't suffering from a urinary infection which catches him short.
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Getting Started
You will need:
- Cleaning equipment: This is to remove any existing urine marks, because the scent will draw the dog back.
- A collar and leash: Supervision is key and this can mean keeping the dog in sight at all times, such as on a leash attached to your wrist.
- A crate: For when the dog is alone and unsupervised.
- Balls and toys: To encourage energetic play.
Training a dog not to scent mark is a lot like potty training a puppy, so be prepared to be proactive and prevents accidents before they happen.
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The Physical Factors Method
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Is your dog intact?
If yes, then speak to your vet about neutering. Adult entire dogs have a stronger hormonal drive to territory mark. Reducing the levels of those hormones puts you back in control. Remember, some behaviors (including marking) can become a habit, so the sooner you act the less ingrained the habit.
Watch for changes in behavior
Is your dog drinking more? Health issues such as diabetes or Cushing’s disease can make a dog drink more. This also means they need to pee more often. Get a vet checkup and take along a sample of the dog’s urine. The vet can test it to see if thirst is a factor.
Urinary problems
Some dogs get a sense of urgency which makes them toilet in the house because of a medical reason. Again, drop a urine sample into the vet for screening for a urinary tract infection.
Treat health problems
Start therapy for any underlying conditions, so the dog is better able to control his bladder.
Up his exercise
With a clean bill of health, start a new exercise regime, so the dog is pleasantly tired at the end of each day. Such mental and physical stimulation should take his mind off marking.
The Eliminate Markers Method
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Understand the idea
The dog will return to the scene of the crime, drawn by the tantalizing smell of his own pee. It’s therefore crucial to thoroughly deodorize any previous marking so there is less temptation to return. (Always patch test carpets and soft furnishings for color fastness, before cleaning.)
Check for the presence of pee
Use a black light to locate all urine ‘messages’ left by your dog.
Soak up fresh 'spills'
Use disposable paper towel to blot up any urine and get rid of lingering moisture.
Clean the area effectively
Clean the area thoroughly with a solution of biological washing detergent, rinse, and blot dry Repeat until the rinse water comes away clear. Now clean again, using a solution of bicarbonate of soda. Rinse and blot dry. Now wipe color fast surfaces over with rubbing alcohol.
Now for the bad news...
Oh, and experts tell us a dog’s nose is so sensitive, to fully remove the scent, you need to clean this way daily for 2 – 3 weeks.
The Beef Up Training Method
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Understand the idea
Beefing up basic potty training reduces the opportunity for the dog to mark in the wrong place. It helps the proverbial penny to drop if the dog understands that outside is his toilet, not indoors.
Eliminate opportunities to misbehave
Never leave the dog unattended in a room. It helps to restrict the number of rooms he has access to, so you can find any ‘lapses’ and deodorize. Have him wear a collar and a longline attached to your wrist. In addition, for the times you can't be there, crate train the dog so that he cannot roam the home unsupervised.
Take him to the toilet
Watch the dog and at the first sign of sniffing, to sidle alongside furniture and mark, take him outside to toilet. Also, take him out for regular toilet breaks every hour or so, immediately after meals, and when he's just woken up. This increase the chances of catching him with a full bladder and get him out to the correct toilet spot.
Praise pees in the toilet spot
When the dog does empty his bladder in the correct place, be sure to praise him and give a treat. This helps to reinforce where the right place to relieve himself is.
Understand the difference
Peeing in the wrong place can be due to a lack of potty training or to territorial scent marking. However, the boundaries between the two are blurry, so good toilet training goes a long way to teaching the dog what is desirable and what isn't.
Training Questions and Answers
Hero
Border Collie
Three Years
Question
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My dog is thoroughly potty trained and we never have accidents at home. That said, he's been known to mark in someone else's home or at a store when it's his first time there. He's a great dog and we're looking to have him tested to receive his CGC certificate, however, accidents or marking result in an automatic Fail. Is there anything we can be doing to deter this behavior even though it's so infrequent? Does he need more reassurance in new places, or a distraction? Any help is appreciated! Thanks!
Aug. 28, 2023
Hero's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello, It sounds like he is simply marking because he is a male and those places are new territory, and at least in the case of the pet store, there is the smell of other dogs who have done the same thing, so the smell is confusing. I recommend practicing having him wear a belly band and intentionally practicing going to those locations. If while wearing the belly band he starts to lift up a leg in attempt to mark, clap loudly two times to interrupt him, then move him away from the area happily, then practice walking past that same spot he previously tried to mark, again and again. Reward him with lots of praise and treats whenever he passes that area again without marking, then let him relax again and walk around, interrupting with the clap and practice if he attempts to mark a new area. Do this on leash in both the pet store (of course) but also on leash in visitor's homes. Once he is reliable on leash in people's homes, then practice with him off leash but in your sight wearing the belly band so he can learn to refrain from marking even off leash too, without risking peeing on your friend's furniture, with you nearby to interrupt and remind and reward as needed. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
Sept. 14, 2023
Stumpy
foxie
Two Years
Question
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He keeps peeing on every thing he is fixed and have a 1 year old foxie girl you carnt leave any thing on the ground with out him peeing on it
March 24, 2023
Stumpy's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello, You will need to crate train him for potty training. Check out the Crate Training method from the article linked below. Make sure that the crate doesn't have anything absorbent in it - including a soft bed or towel. Check out www.primopads.com if you need a non-absorbent bed for him. Make sure the crate is only big enough for him to turn around, lie down and stand up, and not so big that he can potty in one end and stand in the opposite end to avoid it. Dogs have a natural desire to keep a confined space clean so it needs to be the right size to encourage that natural desire. Use a cleaner that contains enzymes to clean any previous or current accidents - only enzymes will remove the small and remaining smells encourage the dog to potty in the same location again later. The method I have linked below was written for younger puppies, since your dog is older you can adjust the times and take him potty less frequently than the method suggests. I suggest taking him potty every 3 hours when you are home. After 1.5 hours (or less if he has an accident sooner) of freedom out of the crate, return him to the crate while his bladder is filling back up again until it has been 3 hours since his last potty trip - at which time you will take him outside to go potty again. When you have to go off he should be able to hold his bladder in the crate for 5-8 hours - less at first while he is getting used to it and longer once he is accustomed to the crate. Only have him wait that long when you are not home though, take him out about every 3 hours while home. You want him to get into the habit of holding his bladder between trips and not just eliminating whenever he feels the urge, and you want to encourage that desire for cleanliness in your home - which the crate is helpful for. Less freedom now means more freedom later in life. Crate Training method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-german-shepherd-puppy-to-poop-outside Since he is marking, the crate will only be half the battle. During the 1.5 hours he is out of the crate between potty trips he will probably still try to pee to mark his scent - since the issue isn't needing to pee but wanting to "claim" things by peeing on them. To deal with that behavior, use the crate training method, but also keep him tethered to you while he is out of the crate between potty trips using a 6 or 8 foot leash. Have him wear a belly band - which is a sling/diaper for male dogs that catches urine, and when he tries to lift his leg to mark, clap your hands loudly three times. Use a cleaner than contains enzymes to remove the smell from any new or previous accidents - since lingering scent will only encourage more marking and only enzymes fully remove the smell. Look on the bottle for the word enzyme or enzymatic. Many (but not all) pet cleaners contain enzymes. The belly band will keep marking from being fun and successful for him and stop the spreading of the smell - which encourages more marking (and keep your things clean). Attaching him to yourself with the leash will keep him from sneaking off to pee uninterrupted, and clapping will make peeing unpleasant for him without it being too harsh. Reward him with treats when he potties outside so he understands that pottying outside in front of you is good, it's only inside where he shouldn't do it. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
March 28, 2023