It can be puzzling to witness, or it can be a problem:  your dog urinating all around your yard or even inside your home.  A dog that urinates on anything and everything is definitely trying to communicate something.  The question is what is the dog trying to communicate?  There are many reasons a canine may mark his territory.  Understanding the reasons can help you find ways to stop the behavior.

You must first understand that your pet is not out to get you.  He’s not peeing on things because he is mad, angry, or jealous.  Dogs use urination and marking as a way to communicate, not as a way to get back at you for not allowing him on the sofa.  So, there is no reason for you to get angry with him.  Instead, you should try to identify the underlying cause.  Using observation and a process of elimination, you can figure out why your pet feels the need to mark your home.  Sometimes, the help of a veterinarian may be needed to rule out any medical concerns.

For the purposes of this article, let’s assume that there are two general reasons why a dog may mark:  behavioral causes and medical causes.  I’m sure you could come up with more, but these generalities can act as “catch alls.”  A dog may urinate as an announcement of mating desirability, as a way to claim his space, and as a way to position himself in the animal hierarchy.  Notice that the lack of housetraining is not included in these reasons.  Housetraining is a different topic entirely, and should not be confused with marking; the same goes for excited or submissive urination.

Dogs are able to find out information about other dogs through urine.  If you take your dog to a strange place, you’ll notice that he may sniff out the tree before marking it.  Pheromones in your pet’s urine can relay a ton of information to other animals, including status and mating desirability.  If a dog is portraying his status, then he is telling another dog to avoid his area.  This is subtly different from claiming his space, because status marking is a way to avoid confrontation.

When a dog uses urine to claim his space, he may be protecting it from intruders or making it more like home.  Your dog knows how much space he needs and how much space he can properly defend.  A confident dog may mark the perimeter of your entire yard, while a less confident dog may stick to the front and back doors.  If you have multiple dogs, then each may claim a certain area as his.  Unfortunately for you, the dog that claims your bed may urinate on or around it, while the dog that claims the den may resort to urinating on the furniture.  The same is true if a new person or animal moves into your home.  Your dog may begin to mark to establish familiarity and to show the new person or animal what is his space.

Your dog also likes to maintain some sense of familiarity within his space.  When you go on a trip, you may take along your favorite pillow or blanket, because of its familiarity.  For a dog, marking his territory helps establish familiarity.  This is why a dog may urinate on a stranger’s belongings or a new piece of furniture; it simply does not smell like home.

If your pooch is urinating but doesn’t seem to be “marking,” then he may be experiencing a urinary tract infection or similar problem.  If your dog seems to be in pain when urinating or is having trouble urinating, then take him to the veterinarian to rule out any medical possibilities.

It is natural for a dog to mark his area.  More than likely, he is not marking out of spite or anger.  Instead, there is an underlying behavioral issue or medical problem that leads to the urination.  A dog may mark his territory to relay his status, his mating availability, or to establish his space.  However, if your pooch seems to be in pain or isn’t necessarily “marking,” then you should see your veterinarian.  Your vet can determine whether or not the urination is cause by a medical problem.

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