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Does your pet mark inside your house and was wondering how to stop a dog from marking? Lucky you, I will be discussing about that issue today.

First off, do not confuse peeing with urine marking. This is a common mistake among pet owners. If you see a puddle of urine on the floor, then that is pee. Urine marking requires small amount of urine only. Marking serves as his way to claim a territory, advertise mating availability and support his social order. hey communicate age, gender and status within their packs via the pheromones in urine. Both male and female animals can engage in marking behavior.

To us humans, dog urine is somewhat disgusting but to them it is something of great interest. It is their way of leaving a message to other dogs in the area. In general, dogs use urine marking to show their dominance or to claim something that belongs to them.

Majority of the dogs who are spayed/neutered at a young age doesn’t urine mark inside the house. The male non-castrated dogs are the ones who are more likely to mark. Although male dogs are more associated with marking, the female dogs also do this. Most of the time, she does it to advertise her availability for mating. And you will also see a female dog would urinate an area where another dog has urinated. Also, if you are living in a multi-dog household, then urine marking is common since they may regard each other as competition.

How to Stop a Dog from Marking

Neuter. Early neutering would end the marking behavior for majority of the dogs. Having him neutered at a young age would prevent the habit from forming. For older dogs, neutering may still have its effect but his marking may have become a habit already and you will have to do something in order to break it.

Oversee and Break the Habit. Catch him in the act and reprimand him. This is the fastest way for him to learn. Close supervision is ideal and you must be patient and dedicated enough to stop his marking behavior, you have to be consistent as well. Confine him to one area of the house where you can supervise him.

dedicated Get his attention. You can create a shaker by using a using empty cola can with coins inside it. Just tape the opening to prevent the coins from flying out. Watch your pet closely for signs of marking. The moment he begins to lift his leg or sniff around an area, make a noise using the shaker. This would get his attention and interrupt his deed. Once you have his attention, command him not to pee. The key here is being consistent to achieve behavior modification. Just bear in mind not to yell, rant or spank him. An insecure dog would become more insecure and your issue won’t be resolved.

achieve Praise him. Lavish him with praises when he pees on the designated spot. Dogs learn quickly with positive reinforcement.

Cleanliness. Being clean is very important. Be sure that you have cleaned thoroughly the places where he has peed before to remove the scent. This would discourage him from doing the deed again. Use 50/50 water and vinegar solution to clean the soiled areas.

Marking inside the house and other inappropriate spots can also be a sign of UTI, so you better take him to the vet first to rule out this possibility. Every dog has this issue one way or another and you must know how to stop a dog from marking. Marking inside the house can stem from the lack of house training or that you have held him too long, more than he could wait.

So, which is which for you? Is your pekingese sick or he really has marking issues? Either way, you have to do something about it in order to resolve it. Tell us your story below.