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Have you ever owned a monogrammed towel or some other item with your initials on it? Or maybe you have a sign on your mailbox or your front door sporting your family name. We humans tell the world that something belongs to us by attaching a label.
Many dogs also like to advertise that a certain object or place is theirs. However, the doggie way to proclaim ownership doesn’t involve labeling — it involves scent, specifically urine.
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Urine marking is a challenge for dog parents to deal with. Unlike simple accidents, which may indicate a need for some further housebreaking or more frequent potty breaks, urine marking is territorial behavior. It can be more than a little baffling when a completely potty trained pooch is still peeing on things in the house.
Thankfully, there are things you can do to change your dog’s habits. But before you take steps to deal with your dog’s urine marking, you should check with your vet to rule out any possible medical causes for the behavior. Conditions like bladder or urinary tract infections can cause a dog to urinate frequently and need to be treated promptly.
Why Do Dogs Mark in the House?
Dogs are not spiteful or vindictive, so urine marking is never a sign that they are trying to “get back at you” for something. Instead, it’s usually brought on by something that they perceive to be a threat to their territory. Here are some of the most common reasons for urine marking:
- Not being spayed or neutered. Although it occurs much more frequently in males, some females will also mark their territory, especially if they are “unaltered.” At times, even spayed or neutered dogs will urine mark in response to an intact animal in the home.
- Unfamiliar objects in the house. New (or new to you) furniture, carpeting, or even a guest’s jacket or purse may trigger the need to mark — especially if they carry the scent of another animal.
- New people in the house. A new roommate, significant other, or baby may trigger urine marking. Putting his scent on things that belong to them is a dog’s way of reminding them that the house is his.
- Establishing dominance. If he’s in conflict with another dog, or even a cat, your dog may be having trouble establishing his place in the pack. He might begin marking his territory as a way to gain the upper paw.
- Contact with unfamiliar animals. Hanging out at the dog park, encountering other dogs on walks, or even seeing other animals through the window can cause some dogs to mark their own territory.
- Anxiety. In some cases, new objects or people in the home, furniture, luggage, or conflict with other animals or people could cause anxiety that leads to urine marking.
How to Stop Your Dog from Marking in the House
Depending on the reason for your dog’s urine marking, one or more of these approaches may be the right one for you.
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- Spay or neuter your dog. This will reduce or eliminate urine marking in many dogs. As many as 50-60% of male dogs stop urine marking, or at least do it significantly less often, after being neutered.
- Talk to your vet about how to resolve dominance issues between pets.
- Determine common urine marking areas. Dogs have a tendency to mark the same area over and over again. You can
use this Urine Finder Light by Urineoff to find the urine spots that wouldn’t be visible to the naked eye.
- Clean areas that have been marked with an enzymatic cleaner meant for removing pet stains and odors. This one
is meant specifically for carpeted floors. If your dog is marking on hard surfaces, you’ll need a product, like this one
, designed specifically for those. It also comes in a concentrated gallon size that makes up to 10 gallons of solution, so if you’ve got a huge mess on your paws, it’s up to the challenge!.
If you’re dealing with really tough stains or odors or ones that have been sitting for a while, you’ll want something a little more heavy-duty, like this one
. Using an enzymatic cleaner will completely remove the scent so even your dog can’t smell it. This is really important if you want to prevent remarking.
- Limit your dog’s ability to see animals outside. If you can’t block access to windows or doors that allow him to view other animals passing by, you may be able to discourage them from approaching your house.
- Keep your dog away from areas where he has marked before.
- Change the meaning of the place where he tends to mark. Leave treats around and feed and play with your dog in the area he marks — he’s less likely to continue marking there.
- If his marking is in response to a new person in the house, have that person make friends by feeding and playing with your dog. If the new arrival is a baby, give your dog lots of treats, toys, and attention when the baby is around.
- Establish yourself as the pack leader. One way to do this is to teach your dog basic commands such as “sit” or “lie down” and then have him obey one of these commands before he’s fed or taken for a walk.
- Move objects he has marked so that they are out of reach, and keep guests’ belongings and new purchases safely stashed away.
- Try a synthetic hormone diffuser. These have a calming effect on some dogs and can reduce the urge to mark. I love this one from Adaptil! It comes with the diffuser and a 30-day supply!
- If your dog’s marking is caused by anxiety, check out our pet anxiety resource page, and be sure talk to your vet about ways to treat it.
is meant specifically for carpeted floors. If your dog is marking on hard surfaces, you’ll need a product, like 
. Using an enzymatic cleaner will completely remove the scent so even your dog can’t smell it. This is really important if you want to prevent remarking.
What Not to Do When Your Dog Pees in the House
Never punish your dog for marking, even if you discover it after only a short time. He won’t make the connection between his actions and your disapproval, which could lead to confusion or fear. However, if you catch him in the act, it’s okay to take actions (such as loud clapping) to discourage him from continuing.
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Everything You Need to Know About Post Beach Day Skin Care for Your Dog
I have 2 unaltered male dogs. One is 13 and is the father of the 1 1/2 yr old. The younger is challenging the older for the dominant position and their marking inside is really getting old. Besides neutering, how can I help the transition of the dominant male or keep it established w the older dog? We also have 2 spayed females in the household, the mother, 4, and the sister to my male, 1 1/2. The mother dog is also a dominant female!! They all wait for the younger female to potty and then all 3 Mark it!! It’s a crazy household!! Please give some suggestions!! Thanks in advance!!
Oh my goodness! You have a lot on your hands Kelly! I assume you do not wish to neuter the males? Because that would be my #1 recommendation. Do they mark the same places? Or different ones all the time? If the same place, it could be because they smell it from before and continue to “refresh” the scent marking. An intense cleaning of those areas with a bio-enzematic cleaner could help. But my gut tells me this is a complicated behavior problem that would best be addressed by a veterinary behaviorist. Here’s a link to help you find one near you. Keep me posted. I hope this helps Kelly! You must be so frustrated!
Hi I have a male standered poodle who’s 6 months fully potty trained he isn’t aloud on couch but yesterday was different I was in kitchen he got on couch and just peed then hours later I was in bathroom and came out he had doe it again HELP
Oh my! That’s not good Verna! It’s possible he has an underlying medical issue leading him to urinate inappropriately. I would ask your vet about this. If there’s no underlying medical issue, he could be marking territory he knows you often frequent. Is he neutered? If not, neutering him can really help with inappropriate elimination. I hope this helps!
We adopted a 30 lb mixed breed short haired rescue dog last summer. He is 3-4 years old. He is an active dog and we are an older retired couple. As I look back on it, we were not a good match, but the dog needed a home, so we took him in. He was supposed to be house trained, according to the foster family ( who had another dog and a fenced yard). We have a cable run and no other pets. After several accidents in our house last summer, he understood house training on his own, not dependent on another dog to go out. He went to daycare once a week run and play. Since this pandemic, the doggie daycare is open only to medical personnel and police, firefighters, paramedics, etc. so our dog has not been to daycare in almost two months. I have back issues and play only easy games like fetch with him. He used to sit in our front bow window and watch the quiet street. About two weeks ago he suddenly started marking in that front room. I found dried drips on the floor by the couch, the chair. And the draperies. I cleaned up each as I found it, but he went to another area. He goes out many times a day so it certainly isn’t that . This seems to be marking.
Yes, it sounds like he’s marking. Is he neutered? Unneutered male dogs are more likely to mark territory. If he’s already neutered there are a few things you can do. First, be sure you’re cleaning the urine with an enzymatic cleaner. Other cleaners don’t remove the odor entirely. When they can smell it, they are more likely to go again on the same spot.
His routine change (not going to daycare) could be part of the problem, so hopefully they will be able to open soon so you can get him back on a routine. The activity and socialization is good for him.
I hope this is helpful! Keep me posted.
I have a dog called prince he is one years old. He is marking on all the furniture in the house and on the floors.
please let me know how to stop it al together
Oh gosh. You must be so frustrated! Is Prince neutered? If not, I highly recommend you have him neutered. Unneutered males are more likely to urine mark their territory. They do this to let other animals know this is their territory and also to communicate their reproductive status. Also, it’s important to clean up all the urine smell, stains with an enzymatic cleaner. Eliminating those odors may prevent your dog from peeing on the same spot. A vet checkup would be a good idea to make sure there’s not a medical issue causing him to excessively mark and finally, try taking him outside more often to encourage him to mark outdoors. I hope this is helpful! Please keep me posted.
he is not neutered.but Is their any other products we can use instead of enzymatic cleaner because he keeps doing in the same place or any other products since the places we can find enzymatic cleaner is in pet stores which are close due to the pandemic. let me know thanks
Hi Serena,
There are links to some enzymatic cleaners in this article above that you can get online. The trick with enzymatic cleaners is you have to soak the area where the urine is. Soak it (but don’t flood it), scrub it just a bit, gently, then cover it with a cloth and give the enzymes 24 to work their magic.
Another thing to try is to watch Prine when they are indoors for signs that he’s thinking about urinating. When he begin to urinate, interrupt him with a loud noise and take him outside. If they urinate outside, praise them and give them a treat.
Hi Serena, If you’re using an enzymatic cleaner, there’s a trick to making sure it completely removes the stain and odor. You first soak up as much urine as you can with a paper towel, then you have to soak the spot with the enzymatic cleaner. Dont’ flood it, just apply enough liquid to “soak” the stain spot. Then, lightly rub the cleaner into stain area. This is is what activates the enzymes to work. Then, cover with a cloth (white preferably) and let it sit for 12-24 hours. When you remove the cloth, it should be gone and dry or mostly dry. You can then vacuum the spot.
Hope this helps!
Hi Kristin. I am seriously at my wits end with my male dog! I have had Milo, male, and Mia, female, since they were puppies when we adopted them from a rescue shelter. They have the same mom. They are 9 years old now. Milo has always been anxious and has always marked, but we lived in a home with wood floors and blinds not curtains. So the few places he marked we could spot clean easily. We have moved in the last 9 months! We have brand new carpet and new curtains that hang by the backyard slider where there doggy door is. On the curtains and carpet by the slider is where he loves to mark now. It just smells! I spot clean, I carpet clean. What do I do??? Help! This boy drives me crazy. I need those curtains up too or my will be an oven. Oh and yes they are both spayed and neutered.
Marking in Oregon,
Nicole
My young pup is peeing on my clean laundry as well as my bedding, one night she even peed on the bed with me laying in it yet I wasn’t able to catch her in the act. She is neutered and doesn’t have any health issues so I honestly don’t know how to tackle this issue
Hi Lauren,
How frustrating! I’m sorry to hear you’re pup is peeing on bedding and clean clothes. Here are a few suggestions to tackle the problem.
Take her to your vet to rule out a medical problem (UTI, etc.).
Sometimes neutered dogs mark because they’re stressed too, so you might try a calming pheromone (see link below) to relax her.
Be sure to completely eliminate the odor in your bedding and clothes with an enzymatic cleaner (link below). You can use it in your laundry, which is what I do, and it works great.
Also, and this is obvious, keep a REALLY close eye on her when you think she might mark the bedding or clothes. If she signals she’s about to start the behavior, immediately take her outside, and praise/treat her when she potties outside. If you can catch her enough times before she does it, you may be able to reshape the behavior.
Helpful links:
Adaptil pheromone collar: https://amzn.to/3cV3ZaE
Adaptil room diffuser: https://amzn.to/3e2EPbw
Adaptil pheromone room spray: https://amzn.to/3e8eFUU
Enzymatic cleaner for laundry: https://amzn.to/2UImGrX
I have a neutered 2 year old havanese. He is potty trained. I can leave him on the first floor for many hours unsupervised and not have an issue. If he gets upstairs, he will mark on the corner (on the floor) or my bed or my daughters. If he gets into the basement he marks on the corner of the couch/carpet. He only has accidents in places he isn’t allowed very often. I am tired of having a gate on my stairs. He has even done it immediately after being outside. Why is he doing this?
Hi Stacy,
I’m sorry to have missed this question. This thread gets so many questions! How is your havanese doing with the marking?
You asked why he does this behavior. It could be a variety of reasons. Neutered males mark for territory, signal to the opposite sex or because they are stressed. Or, there could be an underlying medical issue.
You say he’s only marking in areas where he’s not allowed. So, he either feels the need to leave his mark behind, or those areas stress him for some reason. Or both.
After you clean the soiled area to remove the odor, try playing with him in the areas where he’s marking. This might make him feel more comfortable in that area, reducing stress and reducing his need to mark.
I’d also talk to your vet about this. If the problem persists, it might benefit you to talk to a veterinary behaviorist about how to solve, reduce or manage this annoying behavior.
I hope this helps Stacy!
I have a 5 year old female rescue dog who is fixed. We go for walks twice a day and she marks many many times on the walk. She squats or will lift a leg up on the curb to mark. We have not moved and no other pets in the house. It seems it is getting more frequent.. I am retired and do the walking with her.
Hi Jane,
Is she only marking outdoors? Or indoors too?
I have a 6 yr old neutered male Rottweiler/ American Bulldog mix. My other dog is a 2 yr old spayed female Pug. When he sees her urinate in the back yard he runs over and pees onn her back. If im outside and he knows I’m watching he will wait until shes done then run over to cover her scent with his…but if im not there he wont wait . This tells me he knows he is not to pee on her but does it anyway. How can i cure him of this ??????
Hi Ted,
He may not necessarily know you don’t want him to pee on her, he may think you just don’t want him to pee where she peed. Possibly, anyway. Can you let them out separately? I realize that may not be very convenient. Could it be that he pees on her back because he means to pee where she peed?
Very interested in your response to this as my 19month female pomchi is the same. However she will periodically Mark in the house on the spare bed if I accidentally leave door open. Brand new mattress to me so no dog there previously.
I have a 7 month old male puppy who has been neutered and we have been using an enzymatic cleaner when he does mark, but he continues to do so. I’m pretty sure its marking because it’s just small amounts in drops that spread across pillows, couch, wall trim, etc. I really have no idea what else to do! Help!
Hi Kristen,
How’s your puppy doing with the marking? I’m sorry I didn’t see your comment sooner. This thread gets so many questions!
Here are a couple of things you might try.
Clean the soiled areas super thoroughly using a cleaner specifically designed to eliminate urine odor. You may have been doing this already, but if not, make an effort to completely eliminate the odors in case he is marking in those places because he can still smell it from the last time. You’re using enzymatic cleaners which is good, but be sure to thoroughly soak the area he pees on (don’t flood it, just soak it) and let it sit for 24 hours to allow the enzymes to completely eliminate the odor/stain.
Another thing to try, make previously soiled areas unappealing or inaccessible to your dog. Put something around the area to prevent them from getting to it (like a piece of furniture or something). This can be temporary to see if he stops the behavior or he begins to mark somewhere else.
If this isn’t possible, try to change the significance of those marking areas to him. Feed, treat and play with him in the areas where he marks (after you’ve eliminated the odors).
I should also say that it would be a good idea to take him to see your vet about this specific issue to rule out a medical problem like a urinary infection or something.
I hope this helps. Keep me posted!
Kristen
We have had an increase in marking over the last 2 weeks with our 2 1/2 year old neutered male that was adopted 8 months ago. When he was adopted there was 3 adults and 4 kids in the house. About 3 months ago 2 adults and 4 kids moved out and two adults moved in. There was no change in marking behavior and his overall behavior became drastically better. Now he has started to mark in the house over the last two weeks. He peed on the bottom of a recliner and on the bottom shelf of a coffee table in the last week. Recently we brought home a rug (that was borrowed for about a year by a friend who has a dog). Our dog is best friends with their dog but I am wondering if there is any lingering smell of the dog causing him to mark? But he has also pooped in the back bedroom (not where the rug is) and marked on a bag of pool supplies outside. Now I am not sure if there is a larger issue. He is outside a lot of the day with the option to come inside whenever he wants. He has an acre to roam around outside. What do we do?! We cant take away the furniture. I was going to try to shampoo the rug. I have already been spraying where he has marked with urine remover spray. HELP please!
Oh my Lindsey! Your poor kitty has endured a LOT of changes recently.There’s probably a very good chance his new marking is a result of his environment changing so much. Cats like to control their own environment and when they can’t it causes them stress. Sometimes it presents as hiding or self harm or crying – in this case, marking and making you nuts! Two things…. talk to your vet to first rule out an underlying medical condition that could be causing the behavior. Secondly, see if you can stablize his environment. Give him an opportunity to control his surroundings. For exmaple, if he has a favorite room or part of the house, keep him there and dont’ change anything or anyone going in and out. Also, I just published a guide intended to help pet owners prepare their pets for going back to work after quarantine. The advice may work for you too. You can download it here: https://www.kristenlevine.com/back-to-work and see pages 12-18 specifically about cats! Thank you for reaching out.
I have two dogs that I bought together at the same time and are the same age. I have always found problems with them trying to dominate and mark their territory. The only thing is they are both neutered and only mark selected items like blankets and beds. We could never get them real beds from a store because they would immediately mark them so I gave them old outdoor pillows and have never found a problem. However winter is coming up and they are shaking at night so I have given them a large blanket to keep them warm and they won’t stop marking them. I have tried everything even giving them seperate areas or separating them but it only ends with them barking all night until they are brought back together. I don’t know how to let them sleep together and not mark territory.
Gosh,that’s a really frustrating problem. Have you talked to your vet about this behavior? If not, I would have them checked out to be sure there’s no medical problems causing the marking. Otherwise, you an also consult with a veterinary behaviorist as they are specially trained in understanding dog behavior and they may be able to help you unwind the problem or find ways to lessen the severity. Also, try getting some Adaptil collars and diffuers. Adaptil is a pheromone for dogs that naturally calms them. It’s definitely worth a try.
Hi! I have a 8 month old yorkie (male). He just started to mark his territory on the corners of doors mostly the one in the bathroom. He has never done this before. There isn’t anything new in my home nor any new people. I love with my sisters and parents. I don’t want to neuter him either.
Live **
Hi Jasmine. Neutering would be my first recommendation as it often will stop the marking behavior. If you don’t want to neuter him, take him to the vet to rule out any medical reason for his marking.
Also, try taking him outside more often to relieve himself. He may choose to do more of his marking outdoors. Another thing you can try is canine pheromones. Try getting some Adaptil — either the collar or the plug-ins. Adaptil naturally calms dogs and that might reduce (hopefully eliminate) the behavior.
We have a 4 yr old nuetered yorkie. He’s been super trustworthy in our house. We got a female yorkie pup who is now 7 months old. She is not spayed yet. Our male has now started to mark or pee in our house. I put a belly band on him and he even urinated in that. I’m going to have his urine checked as soon as the vet is opened but what could be causing this behaviour. The two dogs get along really well and we’ve always seen that the 4 yr old is first with everything. HELP
Hi Mari,
Can you have the female spayed soon? That could help. Your male is marking his territory (in your house – so frustrating) and getting her fixed “may” lessen his marking. Definitely have him checked out at the vet to make sure there’s no underlying medical problem causing the behavior. You might also try canine pheromones — try Adaptil. This could calm him enough to eliminate the marking. You may just have to try a few things before you find what works. I’m wishing you luck! Keep me posted.
Kristen
I have 3 dogs. Kristina 8y.o., Amaria 1 y.o., and Hank 5y.o.. All of them fixed. Amaria is coming along in training, however, since I could remember she pees and poos on my driveway. We have a huge yard and she randomly picks a day to pee n poo on my driveway! I pick it up and spray the enzymatic urine spray. I am so tired of it. So very tired of it. It only takes one moment that I’m not watching her for her to do it.
What do you recommend for me?
Hi Jack,
That does sound frustrating. For some reason, she prefers the flat surface. By any chance did she come from a shelter or kennel environment before you got her? I’m wondering if she used to have to relieve herself on a hard surface like a kennel or shelter floor. Regardless, she may just not like the feel of the grass. Try walking her on a leash in an area with short grass. Keep her on the grass until she goes potty, then praise her. Do this at least 3-5 times before allowing her to be off leash for potty time. See if that helps to transition her to the grass!
I have a 5 year old Pomeranian male. He is not neutered and likes to mark EVERYWHERE, especially on vertical surfaces like walls or sometimes even people. He wears a belly pad during the day and during the night we put him in a pen with a mat so he doesn’t have to wear his belly pad 24/7. The problem with him is that he knows where he’s supposed to poop and poops on his mat, but how can I get him to pee on the mat too? Since he’s an old dog and has made it his habit to pee everywhere, I’m aware it will be a hard journey. We are moving houses soon though which means a fresh start and he won’t have any scents there, but my concern is that since he DOESN’T have any scents there, he will only be more motivated to pee everywhere. Is it still possible to potty train him to pee on a mat or is it too late? 🙁 I don’t want him to spend his whole life wearing a belly pad especially since it is causing him to have rashes in his groin.
Hi Kaitlyn, Are you opposed to having him neutered? That would go a long way to helping the marking problem. It could eliminate it or make it less frequent. If not, I saw this funny Pop Up Firehydrant pad at a pet expo back in Feb. It has good reviews and many dogs take right to it. Check it out here: https://www.amazon.com/Pop-Up-Pee-Pad-PP1-25RD-Training/dp/B07955P1ZF
When you move to your new house, I would start by crate training him at night and for an hour at a time during the day, about 2-3 times a day. When he gets out of the crate, you immediately take him outside where it’s okay to pee, mark, whatever. You can set up the pee pad in a single room that you want him to use and reward him when he uses that pad or goes outside. It’s possible he will mark less there if there are fewer smells, but the opposite could be true too. Try some of those recommendations and let me know how it goes! Kristen
Hello,
We rescued a 12 week old neutered male puppy last week in addition to our 1 1/2 year old female whose 100% potty trained. The first day our puppy was really good about going on the grass outside, making sure to hold his pee until we got out there (I believe his foster did some potty training work with him and his siblings). After the first day though he has begun going in the house and now almost refuses to go outside unless we sit out there with him for 20-30 minutes. He’s not peeing in the same spot and we are using an enzymatic cleaner to clean up the messes. We reward him when he does go outside, but it’s still not preventing him from marking inside a few minutes later.
Any suggestions? Thanks!
Hi Jessica, First, thank you for rescuing that puppy! You mentioned it was last week, so just know, it may take a few weeks to get him going outside consistently. I have a few suggestions — take him outside a LOT! First thing in the morning, right after any feeding time and every hour on the hour. Praise him each time he goes outside — make a big deal out of it! When he’s indoors, either confine him to a crate for an hour at a time, a few times a day. As soon as you let him out of the crate, take him out to potty. Another thing to try is to keep an eye on him to watch for any “looking for a place to go” when he’s inside. This is tough because you can’t watch him constantly. Some trainers suggest you put the puppy on a 6-10 foot leash inside and they can’t go any further away from you than that until they are going outside consistently. The idea is that if they’re on a leash inside the house (with you at the other end), you will definitely know when they have to go so you can take them outside immediately. Keep using the enzymatic cleaner, but be sure you are soaking the area thoroughly and allowing it to dry completely. Keep me posted!
Hello,
My boyfriend and I have two female dogs. They’re both spayed, they sleep together. One is 9 a mix breed of Shepard, huskey And rottie (which is mostly my dog, I’ve had her before the relationship) and the other is 4 (Huskey, whom was raised around my dog since she was a brand new pup). The 9 yr old is a rescue, I’ve had her since she was 2- never peed in the house before until this week.
Lately the 9 year old has been peeing all over the house. On the pet beds, in front of the 4 yr old dog bowl on the carpet, in the kitchen. She’s never had this problem before, it’s so sudden and I have to say I am certainly shocked by it. I have a backyard in which the dogs are constantly going outside and lounging. Within this past week shes peed almost everyday. Sometimes Directly after walks and sometimes not so much, in the middle of the night, after eating, just lounging and getting up to pee, after getting treats, the list goes on and on. I can’t help but think maybe it’s because we’ve both been home so much lately because of the virus and she’s not used to us being home so much or maybe she feels jealous of the 4yr old. Everytime I pet the 4 yr old or reward her for being Good I’ll give the 9 yr old a treat too so she doesn’t feel bad and directly afterwards she will pee. If the 4yr old is laying on the bed they share (ive tried separate beds, but the end up only using one and the 9yr old just pees on both beds anyway) She will get up and pee right in front of my face. I have all the cleaning products and I always thoroughly clean the area and the 9 yr old knows exactly what she’s done is not right because she always runs and hides. I don’t even need to say or do anything she will run outside or hide under a table. I’m not sure if it’s territorial, last trauma, the weather causes this or what. I’m looking forward to your response. Thank you for reading.
Hi Liz,
Gosh, that’s a frustrating situation. The fact that you say it’s rather sudden leads me to believe it’s either a medical issue (a urinary tract infection?) or could be due to the change in routine during quarantine. I suggest you take her to the vet to rule out any medical issues and to ask him/her about this odd, sudden behavior.
She may be stressed. If that’s the case, you can try a pheromone product like Adaptil or Thunderworks. This is a pheromone that mimics the natural pheromones a mother dog produces and emits when nursing her pups. So it has a calming effect on the dog. I would get a room diffuser for each of the rooms she spends time in and maybe one spray bottle that you can spray on her favorite areas (bed, wherever she hangs out).
But definitely rule out a medical issue first. I’m interested to hear how it goes. Good luck<3!
Kristen
i have two dogs, bot neutered and spayed, the boy is 3 and the girl is 5, recently the boy has been marking on the female when ever they go to the dog park or are on a walk. its never aggressive or anything and i cant seem to find a way to stop it.
Hi Tom,
You mentioned this is rather new behavior so I have two suggestions. First, I’d take your male pup to the vet to rule out any possible medical issues. Whenever behaviors change suddenly, we should first rule out a health issue.
Secondly, he probably wants to be sure other dogs know she belongs to him! LOL. He might just need to relax a bit. You might try getting him a pheromone collar. Adaptil makes a great one and I think Thunderworks makes one. Or, try some calming chews or CBD oil or chews. I’m using ones from TheAnxiousPet.com right now and I’m seeing great results in calming my dogs.
Let me know what happens. I’m rootimg for you!
Kristen
We have three Boston terriers. 1 female and 2 males. Everyone is spayed/neutered. The last few years the boys have started to mark..anything out of place(laundry baskets) anything new and even things like doors and drapes. It’s never when we are around. They sneak off to do it. We have baby gates up to keep them where we are but always seem to find an opportunity to find a way to mark. We have ruled out any medical issues. I am also cleaning up there messes with the special enzymatic cleaners. My husband is definitely the alpha male in the home and the dogs respect that. The boys get along fine. We keep putting belly bands on them but its not the long term solution I am looking for. My boys are marking things and its driving us crazy! We are about to move into a brand new home and I cannot have them marking.They don’t seem to be overly food motivated either. What do we do?!
Hi Shell,
It sounds like you are doing everything right as a pet parent. I know the marking behavior is super frustrating. When spayed or neutered dogs mark, it’s often a result of an anxiety issue. Or territory, or both. You might experiment with some calming products like supplements, CBC oil or chews, pheromones (I like Adaptil for dogs) to see if that reduces or eliminates the behavior. If that doesn’t work, talk to your veterinarian. He or she can rule out any medical issues and possibly prescribe a mild anti-anxiety medication that may stop the behavior. In the meantime, even though you keep a close eye on them, see if you can prevent them “sneaking off”. There’s also a “pee stake” by Simple Solution. You put it in your yard and it’s supposed to attract dogs to pee on it. Maybe if you have a few of those outside, they might start targeting those?
Keep me posted. I’m rooting for you!
Kristen
I have an 18 month old female blue heeler, that has started using the potty in the house. She is fully potty trained…or was. She is not spayed as her and my stud have been made to be a pair. We moved into our home in NOV. 2019, 2 weeks after we had a baby. The family make up was, my spouse, myself, our female spayed cat, our two unaltered heelers (male and female), unaltered 4 yr female Doberman and my 8 yr old spayed rottweiler. Two weeks after we moved in, the baby came home from the NICU (Thanksgiving). In mid-December, a dear friend and her 4 year old fixed male shepherd mix moved in. In Feb, accidents started happening. They were very infrequent at first and we thought that maybe it was our fault. I was at home all the time, she was still getting regular time with me/us, she loved the baby, we still all played together, etc. We’ve gotten to the point where she is going any time she is in the house. We have a 1/2 acre fenced yard that she can play in all day, but within 20 minutes of coming in, she is peeing on the floor. The dogs were kind of designated the sun porch to be their “room” it’s about 600sq ft. They have sheets, blankets, kennels, food, water, etc. I can’t think of anything that would have changed around the time that she started having this issue. Is she marking or am I missing something? I’m so confused and just at my wits end with having pee towels all the time and soaked bath mats. She is going in the sun porch, in the living room, in the sitting room and in our master bathroom. We’ve resorted to putting her in the kennel any time she’s inside, but I just hate doing that!
Hi Catin,
Oh gosh, that sounds so frustrating! Typically, when spayed females mark, it’s because of an anxiety issue. Even though you are around her all the time and she gets attention, you’ve had a lot of changes lately. That’s definitely enough to make her feel anxious. Is there a pattern to where she marks? Sometimes the pattern can leave clues. The good news is, there are a lot of all-natural anxiety relievers on the market today. You can try supplements, CBD oil, pheromone diffusers — you just have to experiment till you find what works. You can also talk to your veterinarian about her marking behavior. He or she may prescribe a mild anti-anxiety medication that might solve the problem. Check out my pet anxiety resources on this page: https://kristenlevine.com/pet-anxiety-awareness-event/
Keep me posted!
Kristen
Any tips to stop a neutered male cat from marking?
Hi Sarah,
Yes, I have a great resource for you to read. See link below. It’s important to know that neutered cats are less likely to mark, but some still do. However, come cats mark because they are stressed about something. So, two tips for you. Try putting some Feliway room diffusers or use the room spray in the rooms he marks. Feliway is a pheromone product that mimics the natural pheromones a mother cat produces to calm her kittens. It has shown to be very effective in reducing anxiety in cats. See some helpful links below:
Feliway diffuser: https://amzn.to/2zBopba
Feliway room spray: https://amzn.to/30HcUd6
Great article about how to stop a neutered cat from spraying: https://blog.feliway.com/us/how-to-stop-a-neutered-cat-from-spraying
Hope this is helpful Sarah!
Kristen
Hi Kristen. I have a 4-5 month old, neutered male that I adopted just over 2 weeks ago. We are working on portly training and the first 7-10 days went great. He had zero accidents. But in the last 7 days, he has peed on my boyfriend’s rug, in his dog bed, and on my couch 3 times. I take him out at least every 3-4 hours and more frequently if I know he’s had a lot of water. He was seen by my vet the day after I adopted him and everything was good. Prior to adopting him, I had another dog who passed away at the beginning of May. So I’m starting to think he is marking his space vs having accidents given he had no accidents in the first 7-10 days of him being with me. So my questions are: which enzymatic cleanser should I use on the couch since it doesn’t have removable cushions? And what do you recommend I do about the marking?
Hi Christina,
Congrats on your newly adopted pup! Let’s get him shaped up on this peeing/marking issue! It’s possible that he’s marking his scent, but I have a feeling this is more of a housebreaking issue. He’s neutered which reduces marking behavior. What is his breed or breed mix? Sometimes smaller breeds/mixes are more difficult to housebreak.
I’m not sure if you’re using a crate or not, but crate training is super helpful as a housebreaking tool. Basically, until you can trust him not to pee in the house, you can’t let him out of your site. When you have to leave the house or if you are busy in the house, you should crate him for short periods of time, say 1-2 hours. Take him out before you put him in and take him out immediately when he comes out of the crate. When you don’t have him in the crate, he should be near by so you can pick up on cues that he’s looking for a place to potty. When that happens, immediately take him outside and praise him/give him a treat when he goes potty outside.
You might also take him back to the vet to determine if he has a urinary infection which could lead to more frequent urination.
As for enzymatic cleaners, there are several that are good, but I exclusively use Unique Pet products. You can find them on Amazon or in some stores. I think I link to them in this article above too. They are safe and effective but you have to read the instructions carefully and follow to the tee!
I hope this is helpful. Keep me posted.
Kristen
Thanks for all the useful information! I have a marking problem with my 2 year old neutered shitzu mix. He came as a puppy and we already had a 10 year old female (spayed) German Shepherd. The shitzu marks occasionally usually at the base of the sofa where I sit or the base of my bed. He has also marked my daughter’s pillows and mine after the housekeeper makes the bed. Super annoying! I am wondering if this behavior will continue once my shepherd is gone? She is very sick and doesn’t have long. The shitzu has always been the alpha of the two.
Hi Kelly,
Yep, you have a frustrating problem indeed!. It’s possible that he will stop marking when your shepherd is gone. (I’m sorry to hear she’s not doing well). He feels the need to mark his territory obviously. Here are a couple of things you might try.
Clean soiled areas super thoroughly using a cleaner specifically designed to eliminate urine odor (I like enzymatic cleaners for this). You may have been doing this already, but if not, make an effort to completely eliminate the odors in case he is marking in those places because he can still smell it from the last time.
Another thing to try, make previously soiled areas unappealing or inaccessible to your dog. Put something around the area to prevent them from getting to it (like a piece of furniture or something). This can be temporary to see if he stops the behavior or he begins to mark somewhere else.
If this isn’t possible, try to change the significance of those marking areas to him. Feed, treat and play with him in the areas where he marks (after you’ve eliminated the odors).
I should also say that it would be a good idea to take him to see your vet about this specific issue to rule out a medical problem or to get a referral to a veterinary behaviorist. They are specially trained in treating, managing, solving pet behavior problems.
I hope this helps Kelly! Keep me posted.
Kristen
Hi.
We adopted a 3-4 year old corgi-pom mix. In the 4 months we’ve had him, he’s had a couple of pee accidents at home and 2 specific occasions of marking. We used the enzyme cleaner and it seems to have done the trick. However, it’s when he is outside that his marking escalates. Any time we let him out to play in the back yard, he has to mark on the fence, different areas every time. When we walk him, 3-4 times a day, he marks constantly. We took him to the dog park for the first time, and more than playing with other dogs, he went around the park, marking every chance he got, and if he saw a dog peeing, he would go over and pee on top of that other dog’s pee spot.
He has marked one person so far, my friend who has 4 cats.
During our walks, I make sure to gently tug him when I notice he is about to mark, but even after doing it repeatedly for 2 months, anytime I forget, he grabs that opportunity and proceeds to mark. I want to be able to leave him with a dog boarder for when we go out for a couple of days, and I’m afraid of him marking there. Or marking when we visit another friends house who has dogs.
Help. Please.
Hi Reshma,
I’m glad the enzyme cleaner worked on the pee accidents in your home. But sorry to hear about his marking problem. Is he neutered yet? If not, having him neutered will go a long way in reducing his marking behavior, along with other health and behavior benefits.
If he is neutered, let me know and I’ll share some other advice.
Thanks for writing:)
Kristen
Hi Kristen, he is neutered.
Hi
I have a fiive year old male Maltese terrirer who is very clever. I have tried to use treats as a tool to reward him when he goes outside to pee, but now he pretends to want to go out so he can get a treat when he comes back in. My problem is he only does a small amount of pee each time so he can go out frequently and get more treats. If I don’t let him out and don’t give him a treat he then goes into another room in the house and has a full blown pee. Can you help?
Hi Carol,
Oh my! He’s a smart little guy! Try letting him out, and treat him when he pees, but then leave him outside a bit longer. If he still has to go, he may “finish his business”. Or, don’t reward him with a treat until he does a “full blown pee”, LOL.
Let me know if that helps.
Kristen
I’m not sure what to do with my unaltered 6 year old female dog. We recently (about a month ago) moved into a new house. The first week was fine, but these last 3 weeks my female dog has been peeing a very small amount at the end of my bed on the floor. She has always slept in the bed with us with our other dog. My husband and I both work during the day with the bedroom door open and she doesn’t come in here and pee during the day while we are gone. Heck she doesn’t even pee anywhere else in the house. I don’t think it would be a UTI since she is able to hold it while we are at work and that’s roughly the same amount of time we are in the bedroom asleep. Any recommendations? I’m about ready to not let her in the bedroom anymore.
Hi Mackenzie,
This is an odd situation. Whenever pets mark, it can be challenging to figure out why.
It’s possible that since you’ve moved, she feels some desire to mark her territory. Or, it could be the result of her experiencing some anxiety.
In either case, I would talk to your vet about this to rule out any medical issues.
One other thing you might try is a pheromone collar. Adaptil makes a good one. This collar has pheromones that mimic the natural ones mother dog’s produce when nursing, so it calms dogs. So, if her marking is anxiety related, this may help.
Lastly, if you get her spayed, this could reduce or eliminate the behavior.
I hope this is helpful!
Kristen
Hello, I have a 10 yr old min-pin and an 8 yr old female chihuahua, both dogs intact. My min-pin has a huge issue with anything plastic, along with couches and tables. I’ve tried spot cleaners, carpet cleaners, catching him while doing it, almost everything under the sun. I think it could be that he can see people and dogs walking by outside through a window, but I’m not sure. He’s ruined many rugs, carpet spots, shoes, tables, curtains, and boxes. Please help!!
Hi Katelyn,
I’m sorry you’re having this problem with your min-pin! There are several reasons why he may be marking but my first piece of advice would be to have him neutered. Neutered males are less likely to mark territory and there’s a greater chance of testicular cancer in intact male dog.
If you can’t or don’t want to get him fixed, I would talk to your vet about what you can do to modify his behavior.
I hope this is helpful.
Kristen
Hello, I have a 10 year old neutered Bichon Frise who has started marking everything in the last year. Some of his favorite places are a bench in our living room and the door frames of our bedrooms. We have tried belly bands and he will just lift his leg to mark and pee with it on. We have other pets in the home, all neutered/ spayed- 2 female dogs and a male cat. None of them are recent additions. Help me!
Hi Taryn,
I believe you indicate that this is a relatively new behavior for your Bichon, right? And it sounds like nothing has really changed to make him start marking, right?
I would take him to the vet to see if there’s some underlying medical issue that could be causing him to mark.
Another thought is that since he’s getting older, he could have some onset of CDS (cognitive dysfunction syndrome). It’s kind of like a doggie dementia. Or, the marking could be the result of him feeling anxious — perhaps just aging related anxiety.
If either of the above are the case, you can try feeding him Bright Minds by Purina. This is a food formulated for brain health for aging dogs. Or, if it’s anxiety, you might try a pheromone collar like the one Adaptil makes.
I know how frustrating this must be. I hope the above is helpful. Keep me posted!
Kristen
Hello. I have 2 male Havenese that are 6 years old. They are half brothers and we purchased them at about 6 weeks old. They both have been marking in the house for the past 6 years. Mostly pee, sometimes poop. How can I stop this craziness? Please help.
Oh btw, they are neutered.
Hi Jane,
Gosh,that’s a frustrating problem! They’ve been doing it for a long time, as you explain, so it may be difficult to change their behavior without talking to your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist. There could be a medical issue causing the behavior.
Also, some neutered male dogs mark due to stress. You might try getting them an Adaptil pheromone collar. It calms dogs naturally by mimicking a hormone that mother dogs produce to calm their pups.
I hope this helps. Keep me posted.
Kristen
Hi Kristin – I stumbled across your site – it seems you have a great deal of insight into the problems people are having with their fur friends. My son recently adopted a red tick beagle (1 1/2 – 2 years old… we adopted a bagle from the same rescue 2 years ago) The dogs get along great and the first week my son’s new guy didn’t have any problems. My son said every now and then he would attempt to lift his leg in the kitchen but my son caught him and immediately took him outside. He was at our house at urinated on an upholstered stool (that my daughter’s cats have used as a clawing post… so I cleaned the carpeted area immediately and threw the stool away). We have been reading up on how to help this little guy (was raised as a hunting dog from another state (as most of these rescues were) – we’re trying to get him on a schedule and have used belly bands/wraps which deterred him from urinating in the house and waited until he went outdoors. Problem… today out of nowhere he urinated in the belly band (we’ve had him 3 weeks) We took it off, and put a new one on… and he did it again a short while later. He used to lift his leg to pee… but our male dog has taught him “squatting” is much easier (grrr) so we had no clue he had gone. He is a drinker – so we know to restrict fluid 2 hours before bed…oh btw he was neutered a week before we got him and the stitches were removed by our vet last week. He is a lovey… happy, playful, etc. It’s the urinating that has us twisted. I read to leave the fur friend in the wet band as they don’t like the feel… but we need help. We can’t find any obedience classes that begin before August (due to the pandemic) – any advice would be greatly appreciated. We will schedule an appt with our vet to rule out health issues next week… but any answers in the meantime is a perk!!!!! Thx so much for listening!!!!
Hi Liz!
Gosh, I can feel your frustration! Your son’s dog may have lived his early days in a kennel or outdoor enclosure if he was a hunting dog. And he may have just become accustomed to “weeing” wherever he wanted.
I’m merely guessing here — but it sounds like this marking is his “normal” behavior.
I think the belly band is good for you — as it protects your floors and furnishings, but I don’t think leaving him in it will teach him anything. I don’t believe a dog can use logic to understand that if he doesn’t like a wet belly band, he shouldn’t pee in it! LOL.
Yes, talk to the vet first to rule out a medical issue. The next thing I would do is talk to a veterinary behaviorist. They specialize in understanding dog behavior and they can meet with you virtually (phone or teleconference) to advise you what kind of training or trainer or behavior modification you should employ.
There are only 80 vet behaviorist in the US, so go here to find one near you: https://www.dacvb.org/search/custom.asp?id=4709
I believe you can retrain him, but it may take some time and patience!
Thank you for reaching out. I hope this is helpful. Please keep me posted.
Kristen
We recently got a new puppy, our other dog is now marking in the house. How do we stop this?
Hi Chaline,
Your dog may be doing this to mark his territory or because he’s anxious due to the new pup.
I would try to rule out (or in) the anxiety element first. Get something to naturally calm him, like Adaptil — either the room diffuser or the collar (I like the collar best). Adaptil mimics the natural pheromones a mother dog produced to calm her young.
If your dog is urine marking due to anxiety, this should alleviate it. Once he gets used to the puppy you may not need a calming product.
If it’s because he’s marking territory, I recommend you talk to your vet, or even better, a veterinary behaviorist because they can tell you how to curb the behavior through training, behavior modification or in serious problem cases, through mediations.
You can find a vet behaviorist near you here: https://www.dacvb.org/search/custom.asp?id=4709
I hope this is helpful. It’s such a frustrating problem!
Kristen
Ach! So glad I Googled “dog marking in house” which lead me to this resource!
7 mos ago we adopted a neutered 13-mo old Golden Retriever from his first family. They did not have the time for him (he was NOT abused) & he spent a great deal of his days in a crate. Super sweet boy, smart as a whip, & a great personality.
He joined my husband & me, our inside cat, & our 3-yr old Black Lab.
One month after adopting him we moved house, which we have been in 6 mos now.
Over the past 6 mos, we have had on-again/off-again problems with GR pooping & pottying in the house. Pooping has been sorted but we determined the pottying seems to be marking. BUT he only seems to do so when he & my BL are roughhousing. Is it possible that the play & marking are connected? It also is not every time. There hasn’t been an accident in 5 weeks & tonight *wa-la!* marked the back of my couch & a dog bed.
All I can think to do is belly band him all the time he is out of his crate in the house whether we are in the room with him or not. We went so long between accidents that I thought we had it sorted…I just feel defeated.
Would appreciate your thoughts re: correlation between play/marking, how long until we can consider this sorted, is our plan of belly banding a good start?
*fingers crossed*
Hello, we have recently adopted a 4 year old rescue segugio Italiano. He is perfect!
However once he has eaten some of his food and had a drink, he will urinate on the corner of the door frame by his bowl.
We don’t have any other dogs and haven’t had any in the house where he has urinated. He has done it every day we have had him despite taking him outside for the toilet literally 5 minutes before this happened.
If we catch him in the act we try to stop/interrupt him by clapping and immediately take him outside but he won’t then continue urinating once outside. I think it may be a territorial issue but not sure how to really stop it. Help please?!
I have 3 male daschunds – all have been neutered. One I have had for over 5 years and the other 2 we just received from someone who was unable to care for them and we immediately had them neutered. They are constantly marking everything! Our carport and patio stink like a uncleaned kennel. What can I do to prevent this?
Frustrated doesn’t explain how we feel. Got Dog 1, a chihuahua, as a rescue 11 years ago. He was never fully house trained but it didn’t seem to be a huge problem to deal with. Got Dog 2, 25 pound rescue who is now about 6 years old. We’ve had him since he was 1. He is house-trained, BUT is now peeing/marking daily. They both are. The little one can’t hold too much but the big one lets loose. The back door is always open but they pee/mark on the baseboard, ‘fridge, furniture, and on the couch- even on the couch pillows. We just threw out a couch that was ruined beyond repair and have a new one. After two weeks, today Dog 2 peed on a pillow, which ran down on the couch. We clean, use Nature’s Miracle, I’ve used bleach solution on top of that too. Nothing is working and we are having trouble living like this. We do have a third dog, a small female chihuahua, who is fully house trained. She joined us a year ago, but the other two (boys) were doing this well before she arrived and nothing has changed since she’s been here. All are fixed. All are healthy. We cannot continue to clean up six or seven times a day. Help?