My 6 mo old shih tzu - Bailey - has started to lift leg and mark everything accessable. He did it a few times last month and I had already scheduled his neutering so we thought it might help him! Not really, he is now lifting more and I have to constantly watch him and correct him when I can. I have 2 cats that I think he is defining his territory at this point. They have been playing lately but more agressively and now he came up with a new one..he went into their litter box and ate the feces! I wasn't able to catch him so now I keep him away from where it is. I am sure this is all behavioral !
Puppy Marking Everything etc...
- Thread starter GOMO1313
- Start date
Cat box raids are really the norm...dogs that leave cat boxes alone are definitely in the minority!
Has Bailey had the neuter already or not? You're going to have to keep an extra close eye on him and catch him in the act with a stern "ah ah!" to let him know that marking is just not an acceptable behavior. If you have a crate, put him in it or shut him in the bathroom when you catch him marking. Only leave him in there for a few minutes (and don't let him out if he's whining). If you're consistant with that, he'll soon get the idea that lifting his leg in the house only gets him isolation.
Playing roughly with the cats might be just be a result of him getting bigger and gaining more confidence...are the cats declawed? They'll put him in his place if he gets out of hand and if they have an area that they can get to and he can't, that's even better. They'll just get up and leave when he's being a brat to them.
Has Bailey had the neuter already or not? You're going to have to keep an extra close eye on him and catch him in the act with a stern "ah ah!" to let him know that marking is just not an acceptable behavior. If you have a crate, put him in it or shut him in the bathroom when you catch him marking. Only leave him in there for a few minutes (and don't let him out if he's whining). If you're consistant with that, he'll soon get the idea that lifting his leg in the house only gets him isolation.
Playing roughly with the cats might be just be a result of him getting bigger and gaining more confidence...are the cats declawed? They'll put him in his place if he gets out of hand and if they have an area that they can get to and he can't, that's even better. They'll just get up and leave when he's being a brat to them.
Oh Gosh!! Dogs are great to eat cat dunk, it is too high in protein and not a good thing to let it get started. Put the litter box in a room the dog cannot get to or put a baby gait up if he cannot jump it. Keeping it away will break this habit, but lifting a leg when fixed is odd.? Mine do not often lift or hike a leg till after one year or more. they squat cause I call them Sissys when they go like girls. Might want to keep an eye and teach a command of NO, or whatever works to stop him, he will kill bushes, flowers, etc.
R
I really like squirt guns for interrupting puppies/dogs when they begin to leg lift in the wrong places.
It keeps the correction from being so associated with you, IMO. Get a good squirt gun or water bottle that you can dial down to a thin stream. Practice with it some. Keep it nearby. This is used to INTERRUPT the puppy from the marking, so that you can then redirect the pup and reward him. Take him directly outside each time you have to interrupt him, and praise and food reward him for urinating outdoors.
For the next while, I would make it a habit to food reward him EVERY TIME he urinates outdoors, and eliminate as much as you can his chances to mark inside when you are not looking.
Many people use Belly Bands on their male dogs until they get control of this issue.
Good luck!
It keeps the correction from being so associated with you, IMO. Get a good squirt gun or water bottle that you can dial down to a thin stream. Practice with it some. Keep it nearby. This is used to INTERRUPT the puppy from the marking, so that you can then redirect the pup and reward him. Take him directly outside each time you have to interrupt him, and praise and food reward him for urinating outdoors.
For the next while, I would make it a habit to food reward him EVERY TIME he urinates outdoors, and eliminate as much as you can his chances to mark inside when you are not looking.
Many people use Belly Bands on their male dogs until they get control of this issue.
Good luck!
My unaltered boys hike all the time (Two of the three will be neutered this month, Harry won't be neutered do to age and health issues.), and the only neutered boy who hikes is Elliot (and he only does it because he sees his dad do it.).
And I agree about those cat boxes being irresistable! My dogs will not stay out of it. Luckily in the new house we are moving in the cats will have their own room and enclosed patio the dogs won't have access to, so cat boxes will be safe. And my mom is investing in to Cat Genies! I cannot wait for those!
And I agree about those cat boxes being irresistable! My dogs will not stay out of it. Luckily in the new house we are moving in the cats will have their own room and enclosed patio the dogs won't have access to, so cat boxes will be safe. And my mom is investing in to Cat Genies! I cannot wait for those!
Wow, my dog was literally in the litter box as I was reading your post :lol-sign:
Your puppy may be marking because it does take a month or two for all the testosterone to get out of his system. In the meantime, I do like the squirt gun idea, just try not to let your puppy see the gun so that he doesn't associate the gun with the punishment - he'll learn to hike his leg whenever you don't have the gun with you.
I also try to discourage marking outside. This is tricky, and you might want to wait and learn your dog's habits VERY well before trying it, or else you'll undo potty training. My dog (spayed female) marks a LOT outside (rarely inside, and never at my house, luckily), and it's just annoying. I learned that when she sniffs a particular spot one particular way, she's going to mark it. So just before she does, I quickly walk away and drag her with me. Sometimes I'll let her mark, in which case I give her a command, "mark it," just before she does. The idea is that eventually she'll figure out that she can only mark it if I give her the command.
Your puppy may be marking because it does take a month or two for all the testosterone to get out of his system. In the meantime, I do like the squirt gun idea, just try not to let your puppy see the gun so that he doesn't associate the gun with the punishment - he'll learn to hike his leg whenever you don't have the gun with you.
I also try to discourage marking outside. This is tricky, and you might want to wait and learn your dog's habits VERY well before trying it, or else you'll undo potty training. My dog (spayed female) marks a LOT outside (rarely inside, and never at my house, luckily), and it's just annoying. I learned that when she sniffs a particular spot one particular way, she's going to mark it. So just before she does, I quickly walk away and drag her with me. Sometimes I'll let her mark, in which case I give her a command, "mark it," just before she does. The idea is that eventually she'll figure out that she can only mark it if I give her the command.
