Why do dogs pee on everything?

Have you ever rolled your eyes at your dog’s habit of urinating on every stone and tree while walking? Perhaps this annoys or embarrasses you, especially when she marks something less appropriate. Is there anything you can do to influence this behavior, which is called “tagging the territory”?

Why does the dog mark?

If a dog marks his territory with a small amount of urine, it is most likely nothing more than a way to greet his relatives who may be nearby. This is an absolutely normal instinctive way of communication of this species of animals – they have been doing this since long ago, when people began to track their behavior. In addition to the desire to communicate, there are several other reasons why they mark.

• The dog has not been spayed. Males that have not been neutered are much more likely to mark their territory than neutered dogs. According to one study published in the journal Animal Behavior, “status dogs” mark their territory more often than dogs with low status. So maybe your favorite is the king of the hill! Although this problem is more common in males, unneutered females also sometimes mark their territory, especially before or during estrus.
• The dog is overly excited. New and exciting social situations can make your pet want to mark everything in their field of vision. Reasons for over-tagging also include being around a dog in heat, or even just visiting a home or park where other animals have tagged before.
• “Someone was here.” A dog can consider his territory not only his house and yard, but also the route along which he walks, as well as other houses or parks where he often happens. If another dog has recently visited your pet’s “territory”, he may feel the need to mark that territory for self-affirmation.
• The dog has health problems. You might think that your pet is marking territory, but the cause of increased urination may be due to medical reasons. Conditions that can cause frequent urination in dogs include urinary incontinence, urinary tract infections, and drug reactions. You should go to the veterinarian to rule out these problems before trying to wean the animal from marking.

It is also worth noting that some dogs urinate frequently for reasons unrelated to tagging, including conditions such as “obedience urination” and separation anxiety. Or is it just illiterate home training. Understanding the causes of a dog’s behavior is a critical step to addressing related problems.

Can this be stopped?

Even though the dog’s habit of marking territory is a natural behavior inherited from their ancestors, in today’s world you can be annoyed or embarrassed by such a habit. How can you wean a pet from this habit, or at least reduce his desire to mark? The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine offers several recommendations.

• Determine why your dog is marking. For example, if you know that she is aiming every time she is very excited, this will help you to avoid nervous situations as much as possible. If you avoid factors that influence a dog’s desire to mark, it will be easier for you to avoid these situations.
• Root suppression. The longer you leave your puppy for spaying or neutering, the more difficult it will be for you to wean him from the habit of marking in the future. Neutering a dog, especially as a puppy, will most likely help reduce the habit of marking – and may even prevent it.
• Spay or neuter all other animals in the house. If hormonal changes occur in the body of another dog, especially a female, even a neutered male can react to this and start marking frequently.
• Get in order. Determine areas outside the home or on your walking trail where the dog will be allowed to tag. Train her to recognize these places by rewarding her when she marks them. Leash training can also reduce tagging. Keeping the animal on a shorter leash that prevents it from running from side to side, running up to every tree and post in sight, can help reduce its desire to mark.

Avoiding bad practices is just as important as keeping good ones. If you yell at your dog or otherwise punish him while he is marking, he will hide the behavior, making it even harder to stop it. You must remember that the habit of marking is a natural instinctive behavior of your pet, and although there are ways to minimize it, you should remember that most dog owners experience it. If you want your dog to tread less, just be patient with him, train him thoroughly, and he will begin to reward you with more enjoyable walks.