How to Stop My Dog Marking Their Territory

Dogs usually tell their home apart from the outside world, so they don't tend to mark with urine inside the house, though they do around it, which is what they consider their territory, and that's what they're telling other dogs.

Sometimes, though, this rule doesn't hold. So we can come across dogs who lift a leg and urinate anywhere inside the house. In this SoyUnPerro article we'll explain how to prevent it.

Dogs Mark With Their Urine

Dogs have several ways of doing what we know as marking. The first that comes to mind, and the one we think of first, is marking with urine. It's typical for male dogs to lift a leg with the goal of releasing their urine in the best position on that tree, lamppost or car wheel where they want to leave their scent.

Females can also mark with urine, and even lift a leg, though it's not a behaviour every female does, or does all the time, the way it's common in males, whether neutered or not. Urine carries important information for other dogs, even though it goes unnoticed by us.

By sniffing another dog's urine, they can tell their characteristics, such as sex, age or health status. Marking can also be done by scratching the ground, which, besides leaving visible marks on suitable surfaces, transfers their scent from their paw pads. In short, marking is an entirely normal dog behaviour.

Why Does My Dog Mark With Urine at Home?

If we find our dog's urine at home, it matters to work out whether it's marking or not. Sometimes dogs urinate at home because of health problems. They pee simply because they can't hold it. Cystitis, kidney failure and plenty of other organic illnesses can lead a dog to pass more urine.

In this case it's usual to find urine on the floor, in larger amounts, and the dog will also urinate a fair amount outside. We can also find ourselves in this situation with an older dog. Cognitive dysfunction syndrome is compared to Alzheimer's in humans, and among its symptoms is urinating at home. These circumstances warrant a vet visit.

Marking, though, is distinguished by urine appearing in smaller amounts and on different surfaces, preferably vertical ones, such as a door, a plant, a piece of furniture or the sofa. The dog may urinate normally on the street and mark inside the house. That is, they're not urinating at home because they need to and can't hold it — they're doing it for a purpose.

Why Does My Dog Mark Their Territory Inside the House?

Sometimes we can identify a cause for marking at home. For example, if we bring in a new dog, ours may feel driven to leave their mark. It can also happen when other animals, or even unfamiliar people, arrive.

Neutering and Marking Territory

Generally, dogs neutered before their first year tend not to have marking problems. For this reason, and the many advantages linked to this procedure, neutering is recommended as part of responsible pet ownership. But if the dog is an adult and has been marking at home for a while, the operation alone probably won't be enough to eliminate the behaviour.

Prevention and Treatment of Marking at Home

Besides neutering, socialisation and training support balanced behaviour in the dog. Paying them attention and offering the walks, physical exercise and stimulation they need are other keys to their wellbeing. That's why, faced with any behavioural problem, it's necessary to review our dog's schedules and routines.

It also matters that we devote as much time as possible to watching them. This way, as soon as we see them lift a leg, we can distract their attention and stop them from actually releasing urine. If you can't manage it, don't scold them or rub their nose in the pee. Remember it's a natural behaviour and they're doing it for a reason. Clean it up right away without saying anything to them.

You can praise them when they mark outside the house, so they gradually understand where this behaviour is acceptable, and thereby redirect it outdoors. On another note, it's advisable to introduce changes to their life gradually. Lastly, remember that if you can't fix the problem yourself, an ethologist or canine behaviour expert can help you.

Routine for Cleaning Up Pee Inside the House

It matters that, as soon as we spot the urine, we clean it up. Enzymatic products are recommended for this. Check that their composition contains no ammonia. They're meant to eliminate the smell, which helps stop the dog relieving themselves in the same spot again. A spot keeping the smell of urine encourages plenty of dogs to mark there again.

Bibliography Morris, Desmond. 1988. Observe a su perro. Barcelona. Plaza Janés.