How to Stop a Dog from Marking in the House for Good
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Urine marking is a common behavior, particularly in male dogs. Dogs mark with their urine to assert ownership of objects and areas, leaving a scent message for other dogs. Female dogs mark with their urine too, especially during their heat cycle. This natural behavior is a way for dogs to communicate and establish social hierarchy.
What’s the Difference Between Peeing and Marking?
Your dog may pee inside if they haven’t been let out enough, if they have a small bladder, or for many other reasons. But the peeing will result in a full puddle of urine.
Whereas, in marking, you’ll only find a small amount of urine, and it’s often found on the same spot or object.
It’s considered natural behavior when dogs mark a certain spot, but it’s certainly not acceptable in the house. Furniture, floors, walls, and other items are ruined or damaged when your dog decides to claim them as his own.
Urine marking is not the result of faulty housebreaking. In fact, most of the time, urine marking can be curbed with behavior modification.
Why Is Your Dog Marking in Your House?
One of the most common reasons dogs start urine marking inside your home is the addition of anything or anyone new, be it a new dog or cat, a baby, a new partner, or even new furniture. This behavior can be particularly prevalent in multi-dog households where there’s competition for resources, attention, or status. By territory marking, a dog is basically saying, “This is my space. Keep out.”
Other triggers may be stress, like moving to a new home or even a change in your and your pup’s routine. Certain forms of anxiety, like separation anxiety, can also cause this behavior. Dogs urine mark as a coping mechanism, providing them with a sense of security and familiarity in response to perceived threats or changes.
If your dog urinates more frequently in your home, this may also indicate underlying health issues. Certain diseases may result in increased urination, which can be misconstrued as marking behavior.
How to Stop Dog Marking in the House
Spay or Neuter Your Dog
For both female dogs and male dogs, spaying or neutering will reduce or stop marking behavior. According to the North American Veterinary Community, as many as 50% of male dogs stop scent marking, or at least do it significantly less often, after being neutered.
Intact male dogs usually begin marking when they start to reach sexual maturity.
If you have a puppy, neutering him as soon as he’s old enough is one of the best ways to stop indoor marking from starting in the first place.
However, it may be days or even weeks for the urine marking behavior to stop after your dog is altered since hormones gradually decline rather than come to a screeching halt.
And it will likely also take some additional house training on your part to change the marking behavior if it has become a deeply ingrained habit.
If your male dog is peeing in the house weeks or months after he’s altered and after you’ve taken the steps below, there could be other behavioral or physical issues that need to be addressed.
Address Your Dog’s Anxiety
If your dog’s marking is caused by something like separation anxiety, you’ll want to address it sooner than later, especially since anxiety can escalate as your dog ages.
This is one reason why it’s important not to yell at your dog when he marks. If he’s doing it out of anxiety, yelling may make it much worse.
Some dogs experience noise anxiety, social anxiety, or separation anxiety. These fears can make a dog react with unwanted behaviors, like urine marking.
There are several OTC (over-the-counter) anxiety tools that can help alleviate your pup’s anxiety. I love this pheromone collar from Adaptil.
My dog, Chilly, had severe anxieties, especially around loud noises, and this collar was a very effective tool we used to manage it. The pheromones have a calming effect on some dogs and can reduce the urge to mark. There is also a room diffuser if you prefer that.
- The #1 vet recommended and selling solution to help calm and relax your dog at home
- Effective and drug-free solution to help reduce common signs of stress caused by anxiety
- Starter kit includes 1 diffuser head and 1 vial
There are also many food-based remedies for calming anxiety, including calming probiotics and calming foods.
Ultimately, if your dog has anxiety, you may need to enlist the help of a veterinary behaviorist to work through it. You can find a behaviorist in your area using this page on the dacvb.org site.
You can also check out my pet anxiety resource page for more information about anxiety signs and solutions.
Eliminate the Odor
As long as the odor from your dog’s urine is still there, he’ll likely continue to mark the same spot. So it’s important to clean it up correctly, with a bio-enzymatic cleaner designed to eliminate biological waste, like urine. Be sure to let these completely dry to eliminate all traces of organic matter.
An enzyme cleaner works by eating the bacteria that’s causing odor and stains. Ordinary household cleaners will do little to eliminate the mess. If you’re in doubt, take a black light to any mess you’ve cleaned without using a bio-enzymatic cleaner, and you’ll be convinced!
Kinderbean No-Stress Mess Eraser is, paws-down, the best cleaner for pet mess, in my opinion. I’ve tested a lot of cleaners, and most have come up short in one way or another.
Whichever cleaner you choose, make sure it is:
- Bio-enzymatic
- Safe for pets (both in chemical composition and odor)
- Doesn’t contain harsh dyes that could discolor surfaces
- Contains natural ingredients
- Has a durable dispenser (many have cheap spray tops that break in shipping)
Once you have your cleaner, you need to use it properly to make sure it eliminates the odor.
- Soak up as much urine as possible with a paper towel.
- Saturate the spot with the cleaner. This is important so it can make contact with the urine and eat the bacteria.
- If the spot is horizontal, lay a clean cloth over the top and allow it to set overnight or 12–24 hours. If the spot is vertical, allow the cleaner to air dry.
- Retreat if necessary.
It’s a very simple process, but it’s so important not to simply “spray and wipe away.”
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Fight Urine Marking with Treats
Most dogs won’t pee where they eat. Change the meaning of the place he has marked by leaving treats directly on the spot after cleaning it.
Consistency is key here because as soon as you’ve banished one area as a pee spot, your dog may choose a new area. It may take weeks before your dog realizes the entire house is off-limits to territory marking. But this solution is usually permanent, so it’s worth the wait.
I like to use these treats because they’re low in calories and all-natural. When you’re dog training, you’ll go through a lot of treats, so you don’t want to give them full-size bones or cookies that will pack on unhealthy pounds.
Get Plenty of Exercise, Both in Body and Mind
Breeds known for their high energy or above-normal intelligence are in special need of exercise. Getting out that pent-up physical or mental energy can help calm your dog and avoid behavioral issues, such as marking.
If you’re already walking your dog and he’s still peeing indoors, you may need to step up your game and either walk him longer or take him for a run.
If running doesn’t get you paws-itively excited, try taking your dog to the park for a game of high-intensity fetch. One of my favorite fetch toys is the ChuckIt! Ring Chaser. It allows you to throw a ring-like toy long distances without tiring out your arm. Plus, it bounces and rolls in ways that are really enticing to our energetic pooches!
- Upgrades the classic game of fetch by enhancing your throwing speed and distance with less effort. Your dog is challenged to run farther and faster.
- Reduces need to bend over to pick up muddy, slobbery balls.
- Designed to enrich the human-animal bond and help dogs stay active.
Brain stimulation is also important, so come up with creative games or tricks to teach your pet. Not only will it give your pup a purpose, it comes with the benefit of increased bonding time with you!
Exercise may seem like a very simple step, but it’s probably one of the most important!
Limit Opportunities to Mark
If your dog is a stubborn marker, you may need to take stricter measures to curb the behavior.
Some experts recommend the umbilical cord method. When your dog is inside, he’ll remain leashed to you so you can closely monitor him. As his behavior improves, you can gradually give him more freedom to explore the house.
I’ve tried this method to housebreak my dog, Tulip, and it works fantastically. I’ll caution, though, that you do need a lot of patience and consistency to see results.
When to See Your Veterinarian
In most cases, behavior modification is enough to curb your dog’s urine marking. However, in some cases, urine marking can be caused by medical issues.
Your dog may have begun marking because of a urinary tract infection, and the only way to know for sure is to visit your veterinarian.
If your dog has begun marking and there doesn’t seem to be any apparent trigger, it’s time to visit your veterinarian to rule out anything that needs treatment.
Additionally, if your dog has extreme anxiety that’s causing the urine marking, you may need to seek help from a veterinary behaviorist. They can help get your dog the relief he needs and recommend more ways and methods on how to stop a dog from marking in the house.
When Is Urine Marking Acceptable?
When you’re walking your pup, urine marking outdoors should be all right. If you’re in an area where marking would not be acceptable, perhaps like your neighbor’s beloved garden or flower bed, take note of any tell-tale signs that your dog is about to mark, like prolonged sniffing. Lead your pup away from the area by encouraging them to move along (use the voice that you know gets lots of wags) and offer treats if you have any on you.
The Tail End
If your dog is urine marking in the house, rest assured it’s not because he wasn’t house trained enough. Urine marking is a behavior, and with behavioral modification along with neutering your dog, you can stop marking for good.
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, could you post the link please, I’m very interested
Hi Carrie,
Here’s that link for how to find a veterinary behaviorist near you. Many of them do phone consults too if you can’t find one nearby.
https://www.dacvb.org/
Kristen
Carrie,
Here’s that link to the Unique Petcare Enzyme cleaner I use and recommend. Sorry for the delay!
https://amzn.to/3gyVP9T
I have 6 puppies that are a month old and they’re everywhere, they are pita dor
Forgot to post the link to find a veterinary behaviorist near you. It’s at DACVB.
I forgot to post the link! Here you go
I have a question, my puppy is 8 months and before we used to go out he used to take a long pee, now all he does is mark many places outside but doesn’t take that long pee. Is this normal ?
Thank you
Hi Jude,
It sounds like he is marking his territory. This could be due to an environmental change. If he is only making outside, it is possible there have been other animals in the area marking in the yard, too. So, naturally he goes and marks his territory in those areas. As long as he is getting all of the urine out, and he is not marking inside the home, it shouldn’t be something to be too concerned about.
Hope this helps!
Kristen
My puppy who’s almost 6 months started doing the same thing, marking all over the street, and it was the same time he started marking on my bed, he now can jump on the bed, and I’ve noticed he doesn’t mark the areas I let him come up on, like the couch. I was just thinking that maybe his behavior outside has a link of him marking the bed as well.
My 2 1/2 year old dog is starting to frequently pee in the house and we have no idea why. He knows to scratch at the door when he has to go but now he doesnt anymore. Nothing has changed in the house and now my parents wish to get rid of him. They dont know this but he helps me calm myself down when they fight. I need advice. How do we stop him if we can find the available resources or dont have time to take him to a trainer?
Hi Emily,
I am so sorry to hear this! Dogs can begin marking for many reasons. It could be anxiety related, too. If he is experiencing stress, he could turn to marking to help calm himself down. Try putting Adaptil diffusers in the rooms that he marks in. These release natural, calming pheromones into the air that communicate “happy messages” to dogs.
Additionally, is he neutered? Un-neutered males are much more likely to mark their territory. Neutering him could correct the issue.
You should also clean the areas he marks regularly with an enzyme cleaner to get all the odor out. If he can still smell it, then he can still smell his urine, he will be more likely to continue to pee there.
Also, make sure he is being let outside often enough throughout the day. As a rule, dogs under 8 lbs, take a trip outside about once per hour. For older puppies and larger breed puppies, aim for at least every two hours.
I hope this helps! Good luck.
Kristen
I have a question regarding marking in my home. I have two male dogs that live in my home with a third male dog that comes to visit often. Living in the home one of the males is 11 1/2 and is not neutered the second male is just a year old and has recently been completely neutered. The third male who comes to visit is also neutered but used to live here.
The younger male that lives in my home is marking everywhere. Although neutering completely is only about a week or so old it does not seem to have gotten better in fact it might have gotten worse. He did have a bladder infection and has been on medication for eight days so that does not seem to have made the situation better either. Do you have any suggestions on how to stop him from marking
We have a 6 and 1/2 week male Golden puppy. He is doing very well with training, as long as we take him out every hour or so. When he does go in the house, it is always on the runner in front of the door. A friend wants to bring her adult male dog to our home this evening while we have game night. Would this cause our pup to start marking where this other dog has been, or is he too young to start that? Can’t seem to find this info on internet.
Hi Lynne,
Hmm it is hard to say if having a visitor may cause him to mark. Typically, un-neutered males are more likely to mark, but it sounds like the accidents your puppy is having inside are not marking related. It seems like he just can’t hold it, and he accidentally goes in front of the door. So, I would say if he hasn’t marked before, having a new dog over shouldn’t be an issue as long as they are introduced properly.
If you are worried, I would recommend vacuuming and cleaning really well in the areas that the other dog has been after he leaves the house. That way, your puppy is less likely to smell where he has been! An enzyme floor cleaner, like this one, can really help in getting those odors out completely!
Hope this helps!
Kristen
We adopted our 8 month puppy 2minths ago. He has settled in well but has started marking on items belonging to my 11 year old daughter!.
First her school bag and now a beanbag in her room and any where he pleases. We have used the enzyme breaker to clean but now he is only allowed in any room if someone is there. I want him to have freedom but can’t stand the thought of him marking everywhere.
Hi El,
Oh no! I am sorry to hear your new puppy is marking. Has he been neutered? That is my #1 recommendation since neutered males are much less likely to mark. Continue to clean each area he goes with an enzyme cleaner, and be sure to follow the directions exactly. When he marks, take him outside so he knows that is where he is supposed to go. As he is adjusting to his new home, he is likely marking his territory. Adaptil diffusers communicate “happy messages” to dogs, and this could help him feel more calm. I would put one in all the rooms he marks in.
I hope this helps! Keep me posted.
Kristen
I need help!!!! I have a 2 yr old male Yorkie that is a rescue. He marks more than normal. And I don’t know how to stop him. He is now getting on my table and marking in the middle of the table. I CAN NOT have this behavior!!!! What do I do?? Is it to late to get him fixed to stop yye behavior??!! Is anyone can help PLEASE email me at sarahhall665@gmail.com
Thank you ❤️
Sir I had a pomeranian 5 month old when he saw a a Street dog lifting his leg and then he also began. Now he has been 10 months he is marks on the walls . I am fed up of his behaviour.
He is not not neutered.
Pleaseee help
Rajni,
If you have him neutered there is a good chance the behavior will be reduced — possibly even eliminated.
Good luck!
Kristen
I have a two year old min pin Pomeranian and he is fixed and yet he pisses on everything. It don’t matter what it is. Then of course the older and bigger dog piss where he pissed. It is getting so old. What can I do?
I have a daschund and a pug and the pug keeps jumping on my sons bed and weeing and it’s really getting annoying! What can I do he isn’t done as he is still u der one and my daughter (his dog mum) doesn’t want him doing yet? Heeellllpppp!
Hi Diane,
It’s perfectly safe to have him neutered under a year old. But if your daughter wants to wait, I understand.
Regarding the pug weeing on your son’s bed, is this the only place he goes? If so, a temporary fix would be to restrict his access to the son’s room. It’s hard to know for sure why he’s marking your son’s bed. It could be a territorial behavior as you have another dog.
Sometimes dogs mark due to a health issue or due to anxiety. I’d suggest you take him to the vet to rule out any medical issues that could be causing or contributing to the behavior. The veterinarian can also determine if anxiety may be a factor.
Good luck!
Kristen
I have a 3 year old pug that marks throughout the house. He is a rescue that have been neutered. We feed him at the spot that he many marks on and I have a good pet cleaner that is suppose to remove the scent. When we go on walks, Rocket constantly stops and marks every bush, pole, tree, etc. even when he doesn’t even have any ore urine coming out he still lifts his leg.
I do t know what to do??
Hi Sarah!
Yikes, you poor thing! No it’s definitely NOT too late to neuter him. As a matter of fact, that might stop the behavior all together or at least reduce the marking.
It takes a few weeks after a dog is neutered for you to see the difference, so I’d book the appointment today!
I would also talk to the vet about the problem so he/she can examine him and do diagnostics to rule out any medical issues that could be causing the behavior.
I hope this is helpful! Keep me posted.
Kristen
I have a 20 month old Shihtiz. He has been neuter. He still hikes & pees on my furniture or anything that is in the floor. He will pee in my kitchen & bathrooms. It’s just me in the house no other dogs hike here. I have asked the vet & he said they get it from a family member. It’s just about to drive me crazy. I am a clean nut anyway & I just don’t know what to do. I have pads down for him. What would help me please I need it. Thank you
Hi Linda,
I’m sorry to hear of your struggle with your pup marking in the house!
Some dogs urine mark due to anxiety. I would try getting him a pheromone collar like this one. You might also try limiting his access to certain areas of the house, especially those where he’s marking a lot.
Keep me posted!
Kristen
Hi I have a 6 years old shitzu mix he pees everywhere in my house I always have pads in the house but in a certain area so he can just pee there but the pads are always dry I’m going crazy because is getting out of hands I started adding pads everywhere in the house but I don’t know if it is a good idea please help me
Hi Josie!
Oh gosh, that is difficult! Is he neutered? That would be my number one recommendation since neutered males are much less likely to mark. Additionally, puppy pads can be good for training and to help with accidents, but when you use them all the time it can cause dogs to think it is okay to pee inside. So, if you notice him peeing on the pad, take him outside as soon as he is done to help redirect the behavior. Also, clean the area well after he goes so he can’t smell the pee anymore. That will help him to not go there again. This is the cleaner that I use and I love it!
Let me know if this helps!
Kristen
My dog stopped peeing in the house the very next day after surgery! I was shocked it happened so quickly he was a year old when I had him neutered! I still want to know why! He abruptly stopped? I am very happy he did but what happened to stop it?
Hi M,
That is awesome! Often times, neutering fixes the issue entirely. That is because neutered males are a lot less likely to want to mark their territory as opposed to non-neutered males! I am glad that neutering worked for you!
Kristen
Hi we have a neutured male Jack Russel. He has been great with our cat in the house but sibce we bought in a rescue cat he has started marking. Up against my drapes and on brand new carpet. Up against my washing in a basket on the doors. On the tiles by a door and those drapes as well.
What do you suggest?
My Jack Russel does the same thing and I can not break him of it. Along with curtains, furniture legs, corners of beds, Teen backpacks are his favorite! I am at my wits end and am moving to a new larger house and do not know what to do with him. I feel I may have to restrict him to one room and this makes me sad. I now diaper him in the house, which embarrasses the hell out of me, but he is quite masterful at getting it off… I know it is a dominance issue with my older border collie. Also, its always worse during and after boys and men have been over…as he shows off for them seriously bad. His in every other way is great, but this is really got my anger issues up with him.
Hi Skye,
Oh boy. Sorry to hear your Jack Russell is giving you such trouble with his marking! Is he neutered? If not, get him neutered as this will reduce or possibly eliminate the behavior.
Also, you can try getting some pheromone diffusers for the room/s he marks the most. This mimics is a natural calming hormone in dogs. If he’s more relaxed, he may mark less.
You can also take him to a veterinary behaviorist who can help resolve the problem through behavior modification or possibly medication.
Keep me posted.
Kristen
Hi Helen,
It’s not uncommon for male dogs (even neutered ones) to start marking when there are changes in their environment.
It’s possible it may subside. In the meantime I would talk to your vet about this behavior and have him examined. The vet can rule out any potential medical issue.
Also, he could be marking due to anxiety related to the changes. You can try getting him a pheromone collar — a natural way to calm dogs.
Good luck and keep me posted!
Kristen
Did you get an answer?
I have a neutered 1 1/2 year male that wants to keep urinating on my 6 month old female.
Hey Peggy!
Sorry to hear that your pup is peeing on your younger dog. Have you tried some kind of calming product? Sometimes neutered male dogs mark due to anxiety. Below are a few products that might help.
Adaptil Calming Collar (natural pheromones).
Calming Spray.
Good luck!!!
Kristen
I have 2 dogs that pee in the house, they go outside and back in and pee. One is an older yorkie the orher is a 7 year wenner. I’ve tried taking them out more often, putting away the water bowl and nothing helps, they are both rescue dogs. HELP they are fe.ales and fixed
Help! Our two Italian greyhounds (ages 9 and 10, both neutered) have a space to use the bathroom indoors – a large Rubbermaid tub with a washable puppy pad in the bottom that is changed regularly. When the younger dog uses the bathroom, the older will frequently follow him and mark on the outside of the tub while the younger is doing his business (we’ve caught him on camera!! He also does the same thing outside). This typically only happens while we are gone and they are confined to a small area of the house together. We’ve cleaned the outside of the tub with an enzyme cleaner. Do I need to keep them in separate areas when we’re gone? They’re buds so I hate to split them up but the mess is awful!
Hi Rachel,
It sounds like your older dog is trying to establish some dominance over the younger dog. So, he is marking on him. However, since they have both been neutered, it is possible this behavior has become a habit for him.
My first recommendation is to speak with a veterinary behaviorist. They are often not more expensive than a regular vet visit, and they can help determine a cause (and a solution) for the marking behavior. You can find one here.
Next, try placing treats in spots where he pees inside so he is less likely to keep going there. And, always use a enzymatic cleaner for where he marks inside.
I hope this gives you a good place to start. Good luck, and please keep me posted!
Kristen
I have an 8 year old miniature dachshund. We live with my in-laws and he always marks the corner of their bed in their bedroom. We try to keep the bedroom door closed as much as possible but sometimes he sneaks in and marks there or other spots in their spaces upstairs (we live in the basement apartment).
He will also poop in the basement if we leave him alone, even if he just went poop outside right before. I will buy the spray and get the diffuser, but do you have any other tips to discourage marking/pooping in the house?
Hi Caitie,
Unfortunately, small dogs are notoriously difficult to train, and they also experience unique issues with bladder retention. They tend to pee more often than larger dogs. I would start taking him out more often than you do now, to see if that decreases his marking.
His he neutered? I would recommend doing that as well. Neutered males are less likely to mark their territory. The pooping could be due to separation anxiety, since he only does it while he is alone. Adaptil diffusers can help him feel more comfortable when he is alone.
I hope this helps! Be sure to clean the areas he marks completely each time so he can’t smell it when he goes back.
Keep me posted!
Kristen
We live on a 5 acre farm . Out malamute just started marking inside after 2 years. The only change is we won’t let him run the whole farm anymore . He has about a acre dog run now they leads to a dog door to our house. I’ve nuetered him etc and he just won’t stop . Our older male and finale aren’t doing it thankfully .
I need help too!! My Shihtzu is potty trained when we got hi . He’s now 10mos. 2weeks ago he got neutered. We’re wondering how come now he stopped peeing in his pads 🙁
Hi Joanna,
Congrats on your puppy! I am sorry to hear that he is marking. Have you always had pads in the home? Pads can be a good thing when first starting out, but they can encourage pets to pee in the house. They think if the pads are in the home, it’s ok to go inside. So, I would recommend trying to get him to only go outside, if that’s where you want him to go! You can achieve that by taking him outside more often so he knows that is where his potty is.
First, clean the area he marks completely with a bio-enzymatic cleaner. This is key to getting the smell out of the area. If he can smell where he marked, he will keep going back.
Second, put treats where he has begun marking. If he associates that area with food, he won’t want to mark there!
Hope this helps! Potty training takes time, so don’t be discouraged! Keep me posted.
Kristen
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!
I am almost scared to get a second dog do not want to deal with possibility of tripp marking inside the house (my two year old morkie) he really is house trained but when we went to visit a friend recently he did mark inside their house and they have dogs
Hi Annette,
Maybe you could try inviting a friend to bring their dog over to see if Tripp marks in the house during or after the other dog is there.
I don’t want you to be afraid to get another dog! But its definitely good to know if you have a dog that will possibly mark his territory when his “environment changes” (aka, new dog!).
Keep me posted!
Kristen
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
Adaptil room diffuser
Adaptil pheromone room spray
Enzymatic cleaner for laundry
Hi Nicole (marking in Oregon),
I’m sorry for the delay, I somehow missed this comment on the blog.
You mention that Milo has always been anxious. Anxiety in dogs can cause them to mark territory. So, I suggest a few things.
First, I would try getting him a pheromone collar by Adaptil. Pheromones mimic the natural scent produced by a mother dog to calm her puppies. You can also get Adaptil in a room diffuser or spray form. Try those first to see if it calms him and reduces or eliminates the marking.
If that doesn’t work, I would talk to your vet about Milo’s marking to rule out any medical issues. You might also inquire about working with a veterinary behaviorist to help you modify his behavior. There are also some mild medications your vet may prescribe to calm his anxiety to stop (hopefully) the marking.
Keep me posted. I know how frustrating the problem is!
Kristen
I am in desperate need of help with male doggies making hiking leg both are neutered omg it’s awful
Hi Lynn,
I am sorry to hear your male dogs are marking! My first recommendation would be to see your vet. Your vet can rule out any medical issues, such as a UTI. Have there been any changes in their environment lately? If so, that could be causing some anxiety causing them to mark. I would suggest putting an Adaptil diffuser in the room where the marking occurs. These diffusers won’t smell for you, and they release all natural calming messages for canines. Additionally, be sure to clean the area they mark really well with an enzyme cleaner so that you get them smell out completely!
I hope this helps! Keep me posted.
Kristen
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 stabilize his environment. Give him an opportunity to control his surroundings. For example, if he has a favorite room or part of the house, keep him there and don’t change anything or anyone going in and out. 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.
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.
Keep me posted!
Kristen
I have a three old neutered Boston terrier. I put a belly band on and limit water at night. He won’t stop marking everywhere in the house. I’ve gone through the processes of dominating him and he respects that. There are no other animals and my children are part time with me. I’ve tried it all. HELP! I was told by a vet tech the only two things ate to live with it or re home him. Both not options.
Hi Brian,
Oh no! That is really frustrating. Boston Terriers are smaller breeds and need to go outside more often. It is possible he isn’t going out enough times throughout the day. For puppies that are 8-12 weeks old or dogs under 8 lbs, take a trip outside about once per hour. For older puppies and larger breed puppies, aim for at least every two hours.
Additionally, do you use an enzyme cleaner? This is key in getting the urine scent out. If he can’t smell his urine, he will be less likely to keep marking there. I love this one from Kinderbean.
Is he neutered? This is always my first recommendation since un-neutered males are more likely to mark. Neutering him can often solve the issue.
Hope this helps!
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
Feliway room spray
Great article about 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.
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
Hi Kristen… Thank you for getting back to me. Since I wrote, my son’s little guy has been to the vet – who found he had a UTI. He was on antibiotics, was much better re: pee-ing, so we became hopeful. Then he pee’d on a chair… He and my son went back to the vet’s who found his UTI hadn’t completely cleared and as such put him on another course of antibiotics. He has been much better and we are careful to look for “signs” that he needs to go outside, and he is on a defined schedule re: food, walks, and going outdoors to do his “business.” I’ve read quite a few of the messages from the other individuals struggling with the same problem, and I agree that as he was previously a hunter he never fully learned “house rules.” I will check into the collar and we have stopped using belly bands (though I breathe much better when he’s wearing one – they aren’t a permanent solution which you shared/explained). 2 things – even though he is better… I am having trust issues although my son has learned to trust him and has given him more room (gradually). I find when he is at our house if my son isn’t watching him 24/7 I find myself becoming increasingly anxious. 2nd thing is the suggestion of crating… my son bought a crate for his apartment and one for our home. I have never “crated” before and have no clue how to do it without feeling I’m punishing him for something. Can you recommend a good guide book or website that could help us with this? Additionally any information you can share re: inappropriate pee-ing would be greatly appreciated!! Finding your site, reading your response, and reading all the other messages from confused owners is extremely helpful… I can’t thank you enough!!!!
Hi Liz,
It can definitely feel challenging to trust again after a repeat offense! Since he had a UTI, that definitely explains the behavior of marking. Since he has had that cleared up, the marking should hopefully come to an end! Crating can be added to his daily routine at nighttime or when you will be gone for long periods of time. You can put toys, a dog bed, treats, etc. inside of the crate to make him feel more comfortable! Introducing that to his routine can take some time, but since he is still young he will likely adapt fairly quickly. If you interested in other resources, I highly recommend completing The Dog Nerds certified training courses. They offer insight from dog training experts to help train your dog with science based solutions! I hope this helps 🙂
Kristen
Hi Liz!
I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to hear your kind words and most importantly, that I may have helped your situation! It’s very common (as you’re read) and not easy to resolve. So, I’m delighted to hear that your son’s pup is getting help for his UTI and the weeing situation is getting better.
As for crating, it’s a great tool when used correctly. I’ll point you to some good crate training resources, but essentially, you want a crate that is just large enough for the dog to lay down comfortably, stand up and turn around comfortably. Dogs won’t soil their “den” area. The crate is their den, If it’s too big, the dog might soil one end of the crate because he has enough room to get away from it. If the crate is too small, they may be cramped or feel anxious.
Next, the crate should never be used as a punishment. When you put the dog in the crate, make it a positive experience, Give them a favorite treat when they go in. Very important — make sure to let him go outside to potty BEFORE you put him in the crate and immediately after letting him out of the crate. Never leave a dog in the crate for longer than they can hold their potty. Most adult dogs can stay in their crate at night 6-8 hours. Younger dogs haven’t developed enough bladder control yet.
You can safely crate the dog for a couple of hours during the day — maybe 1-3 hours. But be sure he is getting enough exercise during the day when not in the crate.
Here’s a good resource.
I hope this is helpful. Keep me posted. You shouldn’t have to feel anxious in your own home about the dog weeing when you least expect it. I think you and your son are on the right track!
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.
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*
Hi Emily,
Don’t feel defeated! It’s possible to solve the problem with some patience and trying various things.
First,I’d talk to your vet about the behavior to rule out a medical issue and to get some advice on behavior modification. It does sound like he’s marking territory to show your BL who’s boss, LOL.
Sometimes dogs mark due to anxiety. I’m not sure if this is your situation, but you can try to calm him with a pheromone collar like this one.
You can definitely use the belly band, but it’s not very convenient. Plus, you never know when he’s going to mark and you don’t want him to have to wear it 24/7.
Keep in mind that his life now is very different than before, so he may be adjusting to his newfound freedom. Try giving him a bit more crate time to rest, and be sure to let him go potty before he goes in, and immediately when he comes out.
Let me know if any of this advice gets you results!
Kristen
Appreciate the feedback, Kristen; thanks.
I have reached out to our vet who suggested an animal behaviorist as he (my vet) does not feel that it’s medical. We’re pending scheduling…
GR *does* have a calming collar which I have put on him when he seems agitated…I never thought that even while playing (& having what looks like fun) that he may still be a bit anxious; I’ll try him wearing that more often.
You’re right! The belly band is not overly convenient so we must sort this out for the long term. For sure.
The extra crate time makes sense too.
Thanks – we’ll see how it goes & I’ll let you know 🙂
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?!
Hi Hannah,
It does sound like he’s marking. Considering that he’s 4 and you recently adoped him (good for you!), this behavior may have been going on for a long time. Or, he could be marking because he’s in a new home.
I’d recommend talking to your vet first to rule out a medical issue. He/she may also be able to suggest some behavior modification to stop the marking the door frame.
If this is the ONLY time he marks, you might try putting a belly band on him right before he eats, then, when he goes to pee/mark, the belly band will absorb it. However, he may choose not to mark with the belly band on, but it might be worth a try until you can speak to your vet.
Also, sometimes dogs mark because they are anxious. You might try putting a pheromone collar on him. I use this one to reduce anxiety when my dog is upset.
Let me know if you have success with any of the above!
Kristen
Hi Kristen
I have a 4 year old scweenue she pees on couches I had to replace one after one year I just got a new one I’ve been keeping them off the couch put beds around the couch don’t allow them on the couch and she managed to get up there and P on the new couch I’m at my wits end with this dog and I’m not sure what to do I give her plenty of treats and attention. She does get in trouble when she peas on things with a little smack on the butt sometimes a bit of yelling on my part and I put her outside in the yard for a few hours! She is very smart and funny but I cannot deal with this behavior I have 4 dogs! The 3 including her have been together for years! My new rescue is unaltered but she was peeing g way before that! Hug help!
Hi Christy,
I’m sorry your 4 year old pup is peeing on the couch! I suggest the following:
Take her to the vet and explain the behavior she’s exhibiting. Sometimes, there’s a medical reason for this peeing on things.
Second, she may be stressed or anxious due to your other dogs. Some dogs pee on things in the house when anxious. Try putting a pheromone collar on her. This collar mimics a natural calming hormone in dogs and may help to stop her peeing.
Have you tried taking her outside more frequently to pee? Some small dogs just don’t have good bladder control. Also, try blocking the sofa so she can’t get up there or keep her confined to a part of your home until you get to the bottom of why she’s peeing inside.
Keep me posted!
Kristen
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?
Hi Steve,
If they were just recently neutered, things may get better in time. But if it’s been awhile, they might be marking due to some anxiety. If they were surrendered by another family, that could be causing them stress enough to be marking. Also, you can try reducing anxiety with an Adaptil pheromone collar for each of them.
You can also limit the marking by limiting the time they have to run free in the house. Try crating them for a few hours during the day — let them out to pee before going in the crate and immediately after.
If that doesn’t help, I would take them to the vet and explain how badly they are marking everything. The vet can rule out any possible medical conditions and may be able to recommend behavior modification or medication to reduce or stop the marking.
Let me know what happens. I know this is maddening!
Kristen
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?
Hi Elizabeth,
Wow, you must be losing your mind. You say everyone is spayed, right? It’s possible that dog 1 and dog 2 are marking for one of a few reasons — asserting dominance (happens even when fixed) or anxiety reasons or they are just so accustomed to it, they keep doing it.
This sounds like a problem I would take to a veterinary behaviorist because they specialize in treating or modifying unwanted behaviors. Plus, they are veterinarians so they look at the problem from a medical and psychological standpoint.
You can find a veterinary behaviorist near you here. You can start with your family veterinarian too as he or she may know a behaviorist they like to refer to.
As far as cleaning the messes. be sure to use an enzymatic cleaner and apply enough of it to soak the stain. Agitate the liquid into the stain and cover it with a cloth and let sit for 12-24 hours to dry.
You can also limit the behavior by limiting where the dogs are allowed to go. Can you crate them during parts of the day to reduce the time they have to mark?
I’m so sorry you’re having such trouble. Keep me posted on what happens.
Kristen
Hello- I came across your page while researching tips for potty training our 13 week old Great Pyrenees. He barks to go out to poop and won’t poop in the house but he pees in the house constantly! I will be outside with him for an hour and we will come in and he will immediately pee on the floor right in front of me. We say “no!” Loudly and he knows he did something bad because he will dash away and hide his face. Sometimes I catch him midstream and can get him outside to finish- he will pee outside a few times a day and gets lots of praise when he does but still will pee on the floor inside. I don’t know if he is doing it to “mark” (we have two fixed male cats in the home who he’s just getting acclimated to) because it’s not just little amounts but whole regular pees.
I’ve started to limit his water a bit, especially at night, as he will drink a whole bowl if it’s there and we take him outside almost every hour to two hours to encourage peeing outside.
I hope he will grow out of this phase but is there something I’m doing wrong or is there anything I can do to get him to ask to go out to pee like he does to poop?
Thanks!
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca,
I bet that puppy is adorable! Except when he pees in the house, right?
The good news is that it’s normal for a puppy to take some time to housebreak. You say he’s just 13 weeks old? That’s really young so I would not expect him to be totally housebroken yet. It’s great that he’s pooping outside!
Here are some suggestions. You may be doing some already, but it might help to try to make sure you’re doing some or all of these things:
Take him out every hour on a leash to pee. As soon as he pees outside, praise him, give him a yummy treat and take him off the leash (assuming you have a fenced yard). We want him to know how happy it makes you when he pees outside and that it means good things for him.
When he’s inside, keep him in a crate for an hour or two at a time and be sure to let him outside to pee before you put him him in the crate and immediately after you take him out of the crate. Same thing as above, when he pees outside, praise, treat and unleash.
When he’s inside and not in the crate, you need to keep him close to you so I suggest you put him on a 6 foot leash at all times. That way, if he starts to wander away to pee on the rug/carpet, you will catch him and redirect him outside.
If you take him outside and he just won’t pee. Bring him inside for just a few minutes, either crating hin or keeping him leashed,then go outside again. As soon as he pees, praise, great, unleash.
He will get it eventually, I promise! Just have patience and stick to a routine that helps him understand what you want from him. He just doesn’t get it yet. When you scold him for peeing inside, he may not understand yet….
You can do this! Keep me posted.
Kristen
Hi! I have a 1.5 year old pomeranian who has been neutered. Right after he got neutered he was doing a little better with the marking but I have since then moved and he’s back at it again (it never fully stopped). I have anti-marking spray, enzymatic cleaners, he gets to go out on the patio whenever he wants, and I have a pee pad in the house. Nothing seems to be working. He will even lift his leg on my comforter in my room and has ruined one already. I’m at a loss at this point. He seems to have anxiety so I’ve started him on CBD treats, too, and not much improvement in any of his behavior. I’m starting to resent him even though I really love him, and I don’t know what else to do 🙁 please help!
Hi Katie,
I get it. It’s so frustrating! I suggest you take him to see your vet and talk about this problem. You might even need a veterinary behaviorist because they specialize in getting to the bottom of unwanted behaviors of all kinds — including marking.
They can help with behavior modification or medication.
In the meantime, I would keep him in his crate for a few hours a day to simply reduce his access to where he marks. You can also keep him on a leash in the house so he can’t stray away from you to mark, without you knowing what he’s about to do.
That isn’t convenient of course, but until you have an understanding of why he’s doing it, you can limit the marking simply by limiting his freedom. Just be sure he’s getting walks and exercise.
One more thing, try this Adaptil pheromone collar. It reduces anxiety in dogs and might help. I have found it to be effective on my own dog who gets very anxious during thunderstorms. It’s worth a try!
Kristen
Hi!!! I am super excited to find this. My sweet 5 year old Cairin Terrier, Biggie is nutered. His marking has been a challenge for a long time. It is starting to ruin floors, comforters and my parents don’t want him in their house. We always take him on vacations with us, but due to his marking we can’t anymore. I spray essential oils on his most common areas. He doesn’t seem to suffer from anxiety that I can tell. He loves my kids and playing with them. He goes outside constantly and will come back in and mark. My husband has had it. We never can catch him in the act as he is pretty sneaky about it, but with 3 kids it’s a busy household. Please help me – my husband is so mad and I am scared his next option is to get rid of him. I cannot let that happen.
Hi Amanda,
I’m so sorry you’re having trouble with Biggie marking. You said he’s neutered and he’s not anxious. Have there been any changes at home? New pets, have you moved? Sometimes the marking behavior is due to changes in their environment.
My advice is two-fold. First, make an appointment to talk to your vet about this behavior. He or she will be able to rule out any possible medical problem and they may recommend specific behavior modification or even medication. Maybe not ideal, but this is a desperate situation!
Also, try these Pop Up Pee Pads. See if he will “mark” on the fire hydrant instead of floors and comforters. I’ve heard they have worked for some male dogs who mark.
Keep me posted and good luck!
Kristen
Hello! I have a 4 year old yorkie-poodle mix and although she is fixed she has always displayed territorial behaviour. I recently took her to my new boyfriend’s house and she tried marking within the first minute of being there! I felt so bad and embarrassed so we spent the rest of the evening playing in the backyard because I was too afraid to take her in and have that happen again! He said another dog has not lived there in 3 years and he cleaned the carpets before he moved in, but the family before him did have a dog. What steps can I take the next time I bring her to prevent this from happening? I don’t know what to do!!
Hi Danie,
I’m sorry to hear about your yorkie-poodle’s marking behavior! Some dogs urine mark whenever they go to new places or at home, when you bring new objects into the home. It could also be the result of her feeling anxious in a new place.
I would either not bring her over next time, or, if you do, keep her on a leash so you can monitor her behavior.
If the behavior is anxiety related, you might try a pheromone collar — a natural way to calm dogs. I like this one by Adaptil.
Finally, I’d take her to see the vet so he or she can rule out any medical issues.
Good luck!
Kristen
We have 7 year old Pomeranian. He marked all the time in side and out side. On the wall in the house we designate an area on the wall. Every morning we hang an unused pee pad using scotch tape. He pee on it after picking his leg. Scotch tape was not working. Now I came up something more permanent to hold the pad on the wall. I am working on making a die for reproduction.
Hi Dean,
What a smart idea! I found this Pop Up Pee pad that might be helpful too.
If you get your product to market, let me know and I’ll feature it.
Kristen
I need help 😭 I have a 7 month old male French bulldog who (aside from his marking) is completely house trained. I’m getting so frustrated because the only place he marks is on our beds! On mine and my husbands bed and on my 2.5 year old daughters bed and I’ve had enough of it! My husband doesn’t want to neuter him because he wants to stud him when he’s a little older but I just don’t know what else to do to get him to stop. I never notice him do it until it’s bedtime or nap time and we get on the bed and feel it wet. I am so so over this!
Hi Catherine!
I’m so sorry about your marking Frenchie! Yes, neutering will potentially end this behavior, or at least improve the behavior.
But if hubby isn’t having it, try these Pop Up Pee Pads. They have worked for some people who have marking male dogs. Try putting it on the floor by the bed first and if he still marks the bed, put it on the bed.
Let me know if this works!
Kristen
I have two male Golden Doodles. One is 17 months and the other is 8 months. The 8 month old pees on the 17 month old while he is pooping. I caught him trying to pee on his face tonight! They play and rough house a lot. I know this is evidence of dominance. The 8 month old is not neutered because he is being used as a stud when he is older. The 17 month is neutered. What can I do to stop this?
Hi Leigh,
Gosh, I’m sorry to hear that the little guy is “marking” your other little guy. Frustrating for sure. Normally, I’d say neutering would be a great measure to take to reduce or eliminate the behavior. But if you can’t neuter him, you can focus on modifying the behavior by noting if there’s a pattern of “when” the 8 month old is most likely to mark the 17 month old. Once you see a pattern, you can separate them to avoid those instances. But if there’s no rhyme or reason to the behavior I suggest the following. Take him for a vet visit to rule out any potential medical issues that could lead to this behavior. Talk to your vet about calming supplements that might reduce the behavior. He or she may also suggest you talk to a veterinary behaviorist — a vet that specializes in treating or modifying unwanted animal behaviors.
Let me know if this is helpful.
Kristen
Hi Kristen,
I have a nearly 2 year old, rescue beagle, Otis. The marking is driving me insane! He’s walked frequently, despite the NC heat/humidity, no check that, I carry him across the pavement to avoid burning his paws, but will still pass by a corner or dining chair, and lift his leg with a quick, pew pew. I clean it, but it’s like that beagle nose, knows where it is. Are there any sprays that can be used as a deterrent? Thanks!
Hi Terri,
I’m sorry Otis is marking in the house! I assume he’s neutered? If not, get him neutered because that will help and may eliminate the behavior.
If that’s already been done, is it possible he’s anxious about something? Some dogs urine mark due to anxiety — changes at home, new visitors, new pets, etc.
A good enzymatic cleaner when used properly (follow directions to a tee) will eliminate the odor. But that won’t guarantee Otis won’t do it again. I like this one by Unique Pet Care.
You might also try a pheromone collar to calm him naturally, in the event his marking is anxiety linked.
You should also talk to your vet as he or she can examine Otis and do some diagnostics to rule out any medical issues that could cause this behavior.
Keep me posted!
Kristen
Hi Kristen,
I am 23 weeks pregnant and our second rescue dog is marking the end of our bed on my side. He’s about 2.5 years old and is neutered. We have had him for a year and this only started about a week ago and he’s done it twice now. I am wondering if it’s not a coincidence since I’m pregnant and he can sense it. I would not classify him as an anxious dog. He is allowed in our room and has marked when we are not in the room. It’s so stinky though and I really don’t want him doing this when baby arrives. Do you have any advice? Thank you!
Hi Annie,
Congrats on your baby on the way! And sorry to hear your pup is suddenly marking the bed. Not good.
You mentioned that it only started a week ago (at the time of your writing), so I’d suggest you take him to the vet to see if there’s a medical issue causing the behavior like a UTI, etc.
He may be able to sense the baby on the way — who knows. Even though you say he’s not an anxious dog, he probably senses that things are changing around him as you prepare for the new baby. Dogs are so intuitive that way! If that’s the case, I believe that a calming product could possible help him and reduce or eliminate the behavior. It can’t help to try!
I like the pheromone collars and diffusers because they are a natural way to calm dogs. If he’s only marking in the bedroom, try the room diffuser. Here’s the one I use.
I hope this helps!
Kristen
Hello,
I have an 18 mos unaltered male golden retriever who has recently been marking a lot at the dog park on objects and bushes and occasionally on people. He doesn’t do this in the house ever and occasionally he will on walks. I try to distract him with praise during the walk to deter this behavior but not sure how to deter him at the dog park. Would an Ecollars be an appropriate way of training him to stop this behavior at the park? No medical issues and no plans to neuter him at this time.
Thank you,
Tasha.
Hi Tasha,
I’m glad to hear your dog is not doing the marking behavior in the house. You are lucky!
As you probably know, what he’s doing outside at the park, on objects, etc, is perfectly natural/normal for an unneutered male. I fear that any attempt to change his behavior (marking outside) could possibly lead to him doing it indoors — which would be so much worse!
An E-collar traditionally is like a “lampshade” that goes over your dog’s head to prevent him from lickign at a wound or a surgical site, etc. When you say E-collar, if you mean an electronic collar for behavior training, I would caution you against that because as I said above, I worry that if he’s punished for marking outdoors, he may start doing it indoors.
If it’s really bothersome to you, you can direct him to areas where you prefer he marks (choose a few locations where it’s okay to mark) and praise and treat him when he does. Then, discourage him from marking in other places by keeping him on a leash and diverting him to an “okay place” when he tries to mark a “not okay place”.
I hope this is helpful!
Kristen
Hi,
I recently got a 14 month old, male, German shepherd mix from a rescue, the rescue said he was neutered. The foster said he was house trained but he’s had a few accidents which I assume were normal due to the new environment. Recently we moved to a house with a finished basement, the previous family had dogs that would poop and pee down there every once and a while, and now he is constantly marking down there, even right in front of me. We have played with him down there but he spends most of his time upstairs (we don’t trust him down there anymore), or in his crate when no one is home and he’s never marked or had an accident upstairs. He is a very anxious dog and we’re just starting an anxiety medication for him. How do we get him to stop peeing down there even when we’re watching him and he just went outside??
Hi Makayla,
Congrats on adopting a dog! You are a rescue angel!
You may find that the anxiety meds he just started on may reduce the marking behavior in the basement. However, it may not. It’s tough to expect a dog not to mark where he smells other dogs who have relieved themselves.
Your best bet may be to do a very extensive cleaning of the previously soiled areas in the basement to remove the odors. Enzyme cleaners do this best.
Also, keeping him out of the basement is likely your best bet. Or, limit his time down there after you’ve cleaned it and reward him for not marking.
You can also talk to a veterinary behaviorist who specializes in working with unwanted behaviors. You can find one near you at DACVB.
I hope this is helpful!
Kristen
Hi! I have a 10 year old male shitzu who is not neutered. We had company this past Thanksgiving which a female dog was in the house and ever since then my dog has been peeing in the same spots!! One place is my linen dining room chairs. I can never catch him doing it so it’s hard to discipline him. Do you have any suggestions of what I can do to keep this from happening over and over. There are days that go by where he doesn’t do it at all. He is let out frequently .. I’m at my wits end with this!!! PLEASE help😩
Hi Shawna!
I’m so sorry to hear of your problem! It’s a common one, I’m afraid.
From what you wrote, it sounds like that female dog visitor peed in various places in your home. Is that right? Or perhaps your dog just smells where she was hanging out?
I would suggest you do a comprehensive cleaning of all the areas she “visited” and all the places your dog is marking using an enzyme cleaner to completely remove the odor. If you follow directions carefully on the bottle, that should remove the odor and theoretically, your dog will stop marking those spots.
This is my favorite enzyme cleaner.
You say your dog is not neutered. I can tell you that neutering him would be the best way to reduce or eliminate the behavior if cleaning doesn’t do the trick. There are various health benefits to neutering a dog too. But if you prefer not to, and the above doesn’t help, I’d seek out a veterinary behaviorist as they specialize in treating or modifying unwanted behaviors like this. You can find one near you at DACVB.
I hope this helps!
Kristen
My live in boyfriend has a Pomerian not neutered. I have two dogs and a cat. My animals are in and out. His only goes out to go to the bathroom. My problem is he marks everything and everywhere. Im talking shoes, clothes, garbage can, anything and everything. Help!!!
Vicky,
Oh no! That sounds like a nightmare! I don’t suppose your boyfriend would neuter his Pomeranian? That would be my advice as the best way to reduce or possibly eliminate the behavior.
Otherwise, it sounds like he needs to have very limited access to the areas where he’s causing the most problems. You can also try redirecting the behavior outside. Encourage him to mark things outside and praise him for it.
He’s clearly trying to “make a name for himself”, LOL amongst all your other pets. He’s the new kid on the block and he’s just doing what unneutered male dogs do, unfortunately.
You could also take him to the vet to see if there’s some medical issue causing the problem. He also could be marking due to feeling anxious in this environment. If that’s the case, you can try putting a pheromone collar on him to naturally calm him.
This will be a trial and error kind of fix. You have to try a few different things to see what gets results.
Keep me posted Vicky!
Kristen
Hi! I have a 9 year old lab/springer mix and he only seems to mark at my boyfriends house when we leave. He has been here on and off for 2 years so it’s not new surroundings to him anymore! My boyfriend does have two boys (4&5) who have peed in places – whether it be accidents or just boys being boys…. but he will lift his leg on the couch! Not every time we leave but too often to ignore. I also have 2 other male dogs but they are always together and I don’t have this problem in the other house hold they spend their time in. It’s about 50/50. Any suggestions on how to fix it would be great!
Hi Katie,
That’s a frustrating problem for sure!
If it’s possible to deep clean the areas where your dog marks (assuming it’s a few key places), I’d say to use a good enzymatic cleaner and follow instructions to a tee. That will eliminate the odors.
Or, try keeping him on a leash so he can’t get to the couch or his other favorite places to mark. You can try to redirect the behavior too. Before you leave, put him on a leash and direct him to a location outside where it’s okay to mark.
And lastly, if he’s not already neutered, get him fixed. This will definitely help the behavior, but no guarantees to completely eliminate it.
Let me know if this is helpful!
Kristen
I have an 20 month old healthy neutered rottweiler. He has been potty trained, but started peeing in the house this week. He has a dog door, my 5 year old female dog that is the dominant one to play with and nothing has changed in the house. I am have been working from home since March. What is going on???
Hi Kristen,
That is a frustrating issue. It sounds like there could be an underlying medical cause since this behavior is sudden and he is already trained. Dogs can also begin marking when there is a sudden change in the home. Although it is September, when you began working from home that was a big adjustment for him!
I would start by talking to your vet. Your vet can determine if there is a health issue causing the marking. The next thing to do is clean the area he pees in really well with an enzyme cleaner. This will help get rid of the odor so he is less likely to pee there again. If you catch him peeing inside, you can redirect the behavior by putting him outside.
I hope this helps! Let me know.
Kristen
I have an 11 month old male American akita and we have just got a Female Akita puppy as he was wrecking the house any time we went out whether it was to work or just a 5 minute walk to the shop we would get back and he would have destroyed something, getting the female has calmed this down as he is not alone when we leave anymore but he has stopped weeing outside, he used to be so good at going to the toilet and he would not see or poo in the house unless we were at work and not in to let him out (which is understandable) we have had the female for 4 weeks and he stopped weeing outside about 2 weeks ago, the female uses outside as a toilet or her puppy pad at night so she isn’t weeing or pooing directly in the house, we took our male to the vets for a heath check last week and they said that he is healthy and that nothing is wrong with him and just told us to do the puppy training process again, he goes for two walks a day, an hour after his breakfast in the morning and the same in the evening, he drinks plenty of water throughout the day too. He will only have little weeks when we are walking him just to mark where another dog has peed but it is not enough to empty his bladder, he will then wait for us to go to bed and he will wee the minute he sees us in bed, he goes downstairs and does a huge wee in the kitchen, we have tried everything we can think of, including putting him on the lead in the back garden and trying to massage his bladder but he is being so stubborn, would you know what to do with this to help him out as it can’t be comfortable for him and we can’t keep letting he pee in the house? TIA
Hi Dannielle,
Oh no! That sounds like such a frustrating issue. Are they neutered/spayed? Your male may be trying to show his dominance towards the female by marking in the house. Getting him neutered is my number one recommendation as neutered males are less likely to mark and it could solve your problem. Another thing I recommend is to clean each area he marks very well with an enzyme cleaner because if he can still smell his urine, he is more likely to keep going inside. I love this one as it gets the odors out really well!
I hope this helps! Keep me posted.
Kristen
I have a 7.5 year old dog that has been marking in the house for about a year now. I know this started due to a foster we took in that was not fixed who started marking. That foster however has been gone since November 2019 and he is still marking. We do have another foster but they get along. There are no dominance issues. He marks mainly on the baseboards in my kitchen and foyer and the doors to my laundry room. He also marks on their kennel in the laundry room, but has no problem sitting in the kennel during the day. This room is also where we feed them. We keep a close eye on him during the day, but as soon as he is left alone he will mark and no one sees it. He does this outside as well, but it doesn’t matter if we are watching. I can’t catch him in the act so I am having the hardest time training him to stop. Suggestions?
Kisha,
Ugh! That sure is frustrating. My guess is that he still smells the urine from before when he first began marking. Is he neutered? That could help to solve the problem. You need to really clean the areas where he marks with a cleaner that will take out all of the scent. That way, he can’t smell it anymore and will be less likely to mark there in the future. If you do catch him in the act, be sure to take him outside after to try to redirect the behavior. But, I know that is hard to catch! Try this cleaner, and be sure to follow the instructions to get the best clean.
Hope this helps! Stick with it, I know it’s hard. Keep me posted!
Kristen
We have 1 girl pug mix (10 yo) and 2 pug boys (5 & 4 yo). All spayed & neutered and have had all since they were puppies. The 4 yo pug boy will not stop marking – inside or outside. We’ve started crating him again when not home to reestablish training, but even when he empties his bladder outside, he’ll come right inside and lift his leg and mark or pee all over again on something. I don’t want to crate him when I’m home too but cannot watch him every second of the day.
Help!
Hi Joanne,
I’m sorry you’re struggling with your pug boy! Does he tend to mark the same area/s each time? If so, try moving his food dish to that area. Dogs will rarely mark where they feed.
If he randomly marks around the house, I recommend you see your vet to rule out a medical issue. Alternatively, he could be experiencing anxiety about something — that’s another reason for neutered male marking. Has anything changed in the home?
Another thing you can do is consult a veterinary behaviorist to help identify the cause and develop a behavior modification plan, possibly including a calming medication or supplement.
Keep me posted on progess.
Kristen
My 8 year old dog has started marking since my daughter was born. She’s almost 3 and he’s starting to do it more and more when he never had an issue before. She’s not the nicest to him and he’s definitely scared and nervous because of her. I want to find out what I can use as a deterrent.
PLEASE people get your pets spayed & neutered. This is number one & contributes to the overpopulation of dogs in the USA. Neutering your male dogs will definitely help with marking & aggression towards any other dogs. Not only that testicular cancer, female cancers & pyometra in unspayed older females is not something you want to put your pet through if you truly care about them! Pyometra is painful & can be fatal.
Try putting Uncle Ian’s Dog/Cat Repellent into a nylon stocking & hang it from the area where they are marking. Be sure to clean the area with bleach or an enzymatic cleaner first to remove the scent of their urine.
I run a senior dog sanctuary so have had many dogs come to us from shelters who are not potty trained. They all want to mark when they first get here. I have a ton of experience in this area. I leave wee wee pads in one area & train them to go in that spot to pee. You can also place a wooden fire log on the wee wee pad so it entices them to pee there.
Good luck!
Thanks for weighing in with your experience Shelley! And thank you for the work you do for senior dogs!!!!
Kristen
Don’t know if you can advise me. I have a now 3 year old little Pomeranian. He wasn’t the best potty trained at our old house but since moving to our new house a year and a half ago he marks everywhere. We won’t pee normally outside but will spray up every plant pot, chair etc and he also does it in the house. I can’t work out a pattern and he will often suprise me doing it in new locations. I am at my wits end with it. We are in a 3 storey house and I have almost 2 year old twins which he has had to adapt with. I never took him to training as after I fell pregnant it took a back seat but he is relatively well behaved apart from the peeing. The only other thing is his barking and he doesn’t like to be left alone either. Someone suggested starting from scratch with puppy training but is this going to address the marking issue
Hi Emma,
That is frustrating! Is he neutered? That would be my number one recommendation as that usually corrects the issue. Every time he goes in the house, put him outside so he knows that is where he is supposed to pee. Additionally, be sure to clean the area extremely well with an enzyme cleaner to help get the scent out of the area completely. Puppy training could definitely help! If he completes training he will be more likely to listen to your commands. Good luck! I know this issue is so difficult to manage. Here is a good cleaner that I recommend you use.
Keep me posted!
Kristen
Hi. Thanks for the suggestion. He is neutered so i am guessing that i am not getting all the smells out since its always the same spots. We’ll try the solution you suggested and let you know.
Kisha
I cannot get an answer from the internet. I have a shih tzu long hair Chihuahua mix 3 years old this past June who has been neutered since April of 18. Which would make him 10 months old at the time of being neutered. Who loves to Mark the furniture in the house. And he likes to poop on the bed at certain times .he has been pee pad train since the day we brought him home and he was 7 weeks old at that time, he’s very smart he knows to use the pee pad but here lately the last 11 months has gotten worse, he’s a very smart young man he knows what he’s doing is wrong. How do I stop him.. please help
Hi Steven,
Gosh that is so frustrating. Has he had any recent changes in his routine? I ask because changes in his routine can cause stress leading to marking. Also, pee pads are great for training, but if you keep them in the house after they are potty trained, he will begin to think that is it okay to pee and poop in the house. So, he might not understand why he can pee on the pad, but not on the couch.
My number one recommendation would be to check with your vet. There could be an underlying medical condition that is the cause, like a UTI. Also, be sure to clean the areas he marks really, really well. If he can smell the urine from the last time he went, he will be more likely to mark there again. I like this cleaner.
I hope this helps! Keep me posted.
Kristen
A lot has changed here since November of last year my fiance’s daughter moved in we have another little puppy that will be a year old this month, and now a 7 mt old cat.. he does not get along with either one he tolerates them but growls at them when they get within his space he likes to poop on my fiance’s daughter’s bed. When you catch him and you call his name out he looks down or looks away.
Hi Steven,
Yes it sounds like he could be marking due to all of these changes in his routine. It could even be anxiety related since so much has changed. With new animals in the house, he could also be trying to mark his territory. I would definitely consider talking to your vet about this to see if they have any solutions for him. Additionally, he could benefit from seeing a certified animal behaviorist, as they can help determine the root cause of his marking and work with him to fix it.
Also, be sure to clean the areas he marks really well with an enzyme cleaner, like this one, each time he marks. That is to ensure that he cannot smell it after he goes. If he can still smell it, he will be more likely to mark there again.
I hope this helps! Keep me posted!
Kristen
I’m not sure what to do with my dog. She is a 4 year old house trained dog and she has never marked in my home before but the last 6 months she has been marking a certain corner and she only does this when she is left alone. She is well aware of her punishment which is going out onto the balcony. I came home after leaving alone for 20 minutes and she marked in the same spot even thought I just had my carpets cleaned. Right when I came home she was waiting by the balcony door I take her out for a potty break before I leave but she will still mark this spot. I cannot leave her outside because she barks the entire time and I have received complaints.
Hi Michelle,
That is such a difficult issue. Do you clean the area with enzyme cleaner every time she goes? This is important to ensure you are getting the smell out of the carpet entirely.
My number one recommendation is to check with your vet since they can check for an underlying medical condition like a UTI. In the last 6 months has her routine changed? If you began working from home and then left to go back to the office again, that could cause her some anxiety. Also, has she been spayed? Spayed dogs are less likely to mark.
I know this is such a difficult issue. It may take some trial and error, but it’s not hopeless! I hope this helps.
Kristen
I have a German Shepherd mix (10yr-female) and her daughter, a black lab/German Shepherd mix (8yr). The brother often comes to visit every weekend. About 5 years ago, they all belonged to me and we never had any accidents. Since he began living away, though, he started having house accidents. This never happened in my house, but I was told it happened in his new home. Just now, it happened for the first time right in front of us in our home. We immediately corrected it and had him sit in the corner while we sprayed the area down and cleaned. He gets plenty of attention when he’s over here, so I don’t believe he’s feeling insecure, but he has not been fixed. I’ve offered the option, but my husband won’t have it. The two female dogs are fixed. Is there anything else you might suggest now that we’ve caught it early? He is a very well-behaved, obedient and calm dog. Thank you!
Hi Allisa,
That’s such a tough issue! The new marking behavior is likely due to the change in his environment. Dogs are territorial, so moving homes can cause stress. When he is in your home, he is trying to mark his territory. This is especially common in un-neutered males. If neutering is not an option, I would recommend putting Adaptil diffusers in his new home and in your home. The diffusers communicate all natural “happy messages” to the dog and can help him feel calmer in his new environment. When he marks, put him outside so he knows that is where he should be going to the bathroom. Then, clean the area completely with an enzyme cleaner, like this one, so that the scent is completely out of the area. If he can still smell the urine, he will be more likely to mark there again in the future.
I hope this helps! Good luck.
Kristen
Hello!
I hope that you can help me. I have a 6 YO male Bullmastiff (who is not neutered).
When he was a puppy we potty trained him but as soon as my nephew was born he started peeing in the house, mostly on his toys. After getting use to my nephew (who is now 3 Y.O) he stopped peeing on his toys. Now from time to time he pees on the living room couch and a curtain next to the couch. It’s impossible to catch him doing it as well. He does it quickly then runs upstairs or avoids that area all together because he knows that he has done something wrong.
In terms of his personality. He’s a very gentle dog who was very fearful when we first got him as a puppy. He was the last puppy in his litter and was born smaller than the other pups so he didn’t get a lot of his mother’s milk according to his mother’s owner. When he was younger he use to hide when someone rang the doorbell but he has come a long way now and is one of the first to run downstairs when someone comes. However, he still has a bit of timidity and is afraid of vehicles so he doesn’t like going for walks near main roads. I don’t know whether his personality has something to do with it.
Aw, I am so sorry to hear this!
This could be anxiety related. Since your nephew was born, he has had a change in his routine which can cause stress. And, it sounds like he has a timid nature in general. Putting Adaptil diffusers in the rooms he marks in could be a good way to help calm him down. These release natural, calming messages for canines into the air which can make him feel more comfortable in his environment.
Is neutering him an option? That is always my number one recommendation with un-neutered marking males. They are less likely to mark their territory once they have been neutered.
Keep me posted! I hope this helps!
Kristen
Hi there! I have 3 dogs, a 14 year old Bischon names Jack, an 8 year old Shih-Tzu named Dudlee and a 2 year old Labradoodle named Harvey. Jack, the oldest, will occasionally go potty inside but not very often. Harvey is very well trained and only goes if it’s an accident. Dudlee is naughty and marks in about 5-6 different places in my kitchen and dining room and there’s a few in the bedrooms. He has little-man syndrome and believes he’s the boss. He’s been fixed since he was about a year old. Harvey was fixed at around 4 months and Jack is not. We just finished having all of our floors refinished and new tile in the kitchen and thought the behavior would stop. Unfortunately he has gone right back to the same spots. He’s in good health but he has an attitude. We put down paper towels with Vicks on it, we’ve put food in those spots. I have used enzymatic spray and always clean it up as soon as I find it. Now that we have redone all of our floors, we don’t want them to get trashed all over again. What else can I do? My husband is less than pleased but we love our “monster-babies” big time. Any suggestions? Thank You
Oh no! I am sorry to hear that Dudlee is marking!
Is getting Jack fixed an option? I ask because it sounds like Dudlee is marking his territory around the house and since Jack is not fixed, he likely wants to prove to him that he is the “alpha male”. That is my first recommendation.
Do you notice he is marking only when you’re not at home? It could also be due to some separation anxiety. I would try to put Adaptil diffusers in each room he marks in. These release natural, calming messages for canines into the air which can make him feel more comfortable in his environment.
Finally, I would recommend taking him to the vet just to make sure he doesn’t have any underlying medical conditions. Things like UTI’s can cause him to mark more.
I hope this helps! Please keep me posted.
Kristen
Hello! I have an 8 year old, fixed, male pug who marks everything. Whenever he gets a chance, he marks. The walls, the legs of chairs, the doors, his toys, even his own bed! When he’s outside, again he marks on everything, not just on grass or trees. He’s potty trained but marks when he thinks no one is watching. He knows he’s not suppose to mark. I have tried everything. Sprays, belly wrap, taking him out every few hours. Nothing is working. Vet confirms there is nothing wrong with him, he’s very healthy. What can I do? I’m at my wits’ end!
Hi Tina,
Sorry for my delay in responding!
Hmm, that is such a frustrating situation! When did this start? Have you moved recently, had a change in routine, etc.? Any change in his life could cause stress which in turn could cause him to start marking.
Additionally, if he is experiencing anxiety, it could cause him to want to mark his territory more often. My first suggestion is to take him to a veterinary behaviorist. They are often not more expensive than a regular vet visit, and they might be able to better determine why he is marking and provide you with solutions to fix it.
Next, I would put Adaptil diffusers in every room he marks in. These release natural, calming messages for canines into the air which can make him feel more comfortable in his environment.
Additionally, clean the areas he marks in completely and really well with an Enzyme cleaner. These cleaners are experts at getting urine smell out! Even if you can’t smell it, he maybe still can. If he can still smell his urine, he is more likely to go there again! I use this and really like it.
I hope this helps! Let me know how it goes. Good luck!
Kristen
Hi, I have a 9 year d Shih Tsu who is very well behaved with a little bit of anxiety. We recently purchased travel trailer and bring her and our two jack Russell’s camping with us. She doesn’t seem nervous or afraid in the environment. We never leave them alone. But she consistently urinates on the bed ONLY in the camper, very small amounts after she’s urinated outside just before bed. She seems to do it the first night and the it stops. I clean the bedding with enzyme sprays. This is so upsetting and we need to figure out how to stop this behavior and can’t figure out the reason for it. She has recently been to the vet and is healthy and this behavior does not occur at home. If we crate her at night she screams and we can’t have that all night at a campground. We enjoy our trips with them but Are at the point of selling the camper. Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.
Hi Kathleen,
I am sorry to hear that your dog is marking in your camper! That is such a frustrating issue. Were there previous owners of the camper that had a dog? It’s possible she is smelling a scent she doesn’t like and marking her territory. It’s also possible that she feels anxious in her new environment outside of the home and marks because she isn’t super familiar with the camper yet. I would recommend putting an Adaptil diffuser or bringing Adaptil spray with you and using it in the room she marks in. This is an all natural pheromone for dogs that releases “happy messages” into the air to help keep her calm.
I hope this helps! Please keep me posted.
Kristen
My situation is a little tricky. My mother-in-law moved in with us about 3 years ago and brought her 8-year old male dachshund (not neutered). I think when she lived alone with him, and even though he is house trained, she would often just let him potty inside (especially in the middle of the night). Bad habits, I know. So now that she’s living with us she seems to be more attentive to his needs, but, he likes to mark in spots. Mostly in her bedroom. He has terrible separation anxiety. If she leaves to run errands he has made it a habit to come straight back to her bedroom and pee. (Even if she let him out prior to leaving). She bought a new recliner last year and we all witnessed him go right up and hike his leg on it. My husband and I are in the process of upgrading and installing hardwood floors throughout the house. I cannot have him peeing on those floors and possibly ruining them. She (mother-in-law) gets highly offended and upset anytime we mention the dogs bad habits. So, I’m not sure if its the anxiety (when she leaves) that is triggering his behavior, or, if he is just being ‘spiteful’ (like if you leave me alone I will show you and pee on your bedskirt). He always goes to the door and barks when he’s got to go. Also, he associates a treat EVERY time he goes out and so he uses that to his advantage and will bark to go out even when he doesn’t have to pee/poop. He’s very smart for sure. … maybe too smart. But, sadly, I’m at my wits end with him!!
Hi Lisa,
Ugh! This is a frustrating situation! Is neutering him an option? I would highly recommend it. That can sometimes solve the problem all together! I would say it is safe to assume the separation anxiety is tied to the marking, but he could just keep doing it in this new house because he was allowed to do it in the old house without punishment. So, you will have to train him to not mark in your house which will be difficult! But, it’s not impossible! Have you used an enzyme cleaner each time he marks? It’s important to use one and follow the instructions exactly! This type of cleaner removes the smell completely, and if he can’t smell his urine, he is less likely to mark that spot again.
For his anxiety, I like two products. Adaptil diffusers can help release natural calming pheromones into the air to help keep him feeling calm. Just plug them in the rooms he marks in! Additionally, CBD oil or hemp oil treats can help him to feel calm. I would suggest giving him one before she leaves the house that way he is feeling less anxious before she leaves. I love The Anxious Pet hemp treats for my dogs, and they love them too! You can get them here.
I hope this helps! Keep me posted.
Kristen
My dog is 6 years old, potty trained and despite what you say…. spiteful. When he is left alone he pees on the side of a loveseat in my livingroom. It’s usually not a lot of pee just enough so that it’s seen when we get home. How do I know he’s being spiteful? Because I know my dog. When we are going to leave him for any extended period, I make sure to walk him and let him get it all out. Because when his bladder is actually full, he pees in a whole different room. He holds that pee as long as he can but when he can’t hold it any longer he may have an accident. I can’t catch him in the act to correct his behavior, and it’s been years since we have crated him. I want him to feel free roaming the house while we’re away, but I’m sick of him doing his business on our sofa. The only saving grace is that it doesn’t stink like the pee he lets off outside.
Aw, David I am so sorry your dog is marking!
This is a frustrating issue, and even more so when we feel our dog is doing it out of spite! This behavior is not uncommon in dogs who have separation anxiety. It is possible he is experiencing some separation anxiety when you leave the house causing him to mark. But, there are solutions!
Is he neutered? Neutered males are much less likely to mark their territory. It’s never too late to get that done and it can help to correct the behavior!
I would suggest putting Adaptil diffusers in the room he marks in. These release natural, calming pheromones into the air that allow for him to feel calmer while he his alone. I have used them with great success in the past! Things like DOGTV can also help to keep him company while he is alone. I leave it on for my dogs when I know I’ll be out for an extended period of time to keep them company. You can check it out here and use my code PETLIVING to get 30 days for free.
Additionally, clean the areas he marks in completely and really well with an Enzyme cleaner. These cleaners are experts at getting urine smell out! Even if you can’t smell it, he maybe still can. If he can still smell his urine, he is more likely to go there again! I use this and really like it.
I hope this helps! Keep me posted.
Kristen
Hi,
My 2 yr old male pitbull, who’s neutered, recently started marking territory in the house. We have a 1 year old male pitbull puppy. We’ve had him since he was 8 weeks old. He will be neutered next month. Will my 2 year old stop marking once the puppy is neutered?
V/r,
A friend
Hi,
It sounds like your older dog is marking his territory. Once your puppy gets neutered, keep a close eye on your 2 year old. If he continues to mark, I would take him to the vet to make sure there is no underlying medical conditions, like a UTI, that’s causing him to mark.
In the meantime, clean the areas he marks really well with an enzyme cleaner. Enzyme cleaners, when used properly, are really effective in getting out odors completely.
You can also try putting adaptil, natural calming diffusers, around the house in the rooms where he marks. Those can help him to feel more calm and comfortable in his environment, making him less likely to mark.
I hope this helps!
Kristen
I have read through all of these comments. Still want to get some side advice. This is driving me nuts. I have two Siberian huskies and a cane corso mastiff. My first Siberian my baby girl is 7. Moe moe is my second Siberian who is a male five years old. I took in my nephew Primo ( four years old) from my friend because they couldn’t give him the attention he deserved anymore after they had their child. both my Siberians are spade/neutered but my nephew still has his family jewels. There was no problem up until a month ago where my Siberian male moe, (who doesn’t have his jewels) started peeing infront of his crate and infront of Primo’s bowls. Ive had Primo (cross) for 9 months until the problem started. Now I am cleaning up Moes piss three times a day because of what I think is territory issues. It boggles my mind. They are not fed next to each other. Moe loves his crate. I never lock it. My dogs love each other and play with each other completely fine, let alone all sleep on my bed with me at night. I am so confused why all of a sudden he is starting to mark his pee around his crate. It is driving me crazy. It isn’t a let outside issue. I work from home. I keep my backdoor open for them to come and go as they please unless at night. I have tried vinegar, I have tried switching his crate to the living room from the previous location in the dining room. I am lost for answers. These sprays online do not work. what else is recommend for this help? He gets just as much attention as the other two. Thanks.
Hi Nick,
Gosh, that is frustrating! At first, yes this does sound like a territorial issue. It sounds like your older dog is wanting to show the new addition that this is “his house” so to speak. I would get your new dog neutered, as this might help. Although your marking dog is neutered, he can tell Primo is not. That could help ease the territorial tensions.
I would also suggest you talk to your vet or a veterinary behaviorist. Veterinary Behaviorists are trained in pet behavior and can help with his marking behavior. They are often not more expensive than a regular vet visit!
From the information you have given me, I would agree this sounds behavioral, but checking with your vet to ensure he doesn’t have an underlying medical condition, like a UTI, will also help to nail down the cause.
Is the spray you are using an Enzyme cleaner? Enzyme cleaners are really good at getting all of the smell out. If your marking dog is still smelling his urine in that spot, he is much more likely to mark there again. It’s important to follow the directions on the package exactly to ensure you’re getting the smell out. And, it could take a few treatments until it’s completely gone.
Hope this helps! Keep me posted.
Kristen
I have a 1 1/2 year old pup who has been potty trained for awhile now.
About 5 months a go he started peeing in the bedrooms and our bathrooms even after we deep cleaned them. So we confined him to the living room. Well all of a sudden he is peeing on our furniture (couch and TV stand). I have taken him to the vet not health issues.
Hi Jasmine,
I am sorry to hear your dog started marking! What breed his he? Some breeds (specifically small breeds) are notoriously difficult to housebreak. Since they have smaller bladders, they need to go outside more frequently. When you notice he is marking, take him right outside so he knows that is where he needs to go to the potty.
My number one recommendation is to get him neutered if he is not already. Un-neutered males are much more likely to mark their territory. Additionally, it is really important to clean the area he marks completely so that he can’t smell his urine anymore. If he can still smell it, he is more likely to keep going in that spot. I really like this cleaner: and be sure to read and follow the directions carefully!
Let me know if this helps!
Kristen
Our rescue group took in a mom and dad and we asked the guy why they were outside dogs and he said because Miss P did not get her name accidentally….she peed in the house all the time. He found them as puppies and did not know about spay/neuter and they had litter after litter and finally we found them while doing an outreach to lower income neighborhoods. They were living outside. Her partner was just adopted and he is doing great no peeing in the house but Miss P is peeing in the home of the foster mom. Both were altered a few months ago. She has been to the vet and there is nothing wrong and she is dog friendly to other dogs.
Hi Sandy,
I am sorry to hear that Miss P is still marking! Unfortunately, since she has never been housebroken before, it will be more of a challenge to get her to go outside. She likely does not understand that it is wrong to go inside the house!
Each time she pees inside, clean the area she marks completely with an enzyme cleaner (following the instructions exactly), so that she can’t smell where she peed before. The Umbilical Cord Method sounds like it could be a good option for her, too! This involves keeping your dog tied to you on a leash so that you can supervise her at all times. After a few days, you can gradually start to give her more freedom. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but experts swear by it!
Additionally, ensuring she has a predictable schedule is a must. Feeding her at the same time each day can help her (and you) to predict when she has to go potty. Then, you can both anticipate potty time and ensure she is outside for it.
I hope this helps! Keep at it. Miss P will be going pee outside before you know it 🙂
Kristen
Hi. I have a 5 year old neutered male rat terrier who only marks when we take him to friends or relatives homes. He’s a rescue whom we believe was mistreated by his former owners because he’s afraid of everything (it took 6 months for him to stop submissive urination every time I approached him) and he has severe separation anxiety. What can I do to stop this behavior?
Hi Connie,
Aw, I am so sorry to hear that he was mistreated before. Thank you so much for rescuing and taking good care of him!
This does sound like an anxiety marking issue to me, given the information provided. I would highly suggest he see a veterinary behaviorist. They are experts in vet behavior, and can help train him to feel more comfortable around people and in new environments. They can also help the separation anxiety. You can find one near you here.
In the meantime, I would call your vet to see if he could benefit from an anxiety medication since his anxiety is severe. If you aren’t as open to that, Zylkene could be worth a try! It is an anti-anxiety supplement made from dehydrated milk. It’s not a medication, so it won’t alter his personality at all! You can give this to him by sprinkling it over his food or put it on a treat before you go to someone’s house with him, or before you leave him at home alone. This can help him to feel more calm.
I hope this helps!
Kristen
So I have a 8mth dog and a 14mth dog both now fixed as of yesterday 🤦🏽♀️ However the 8 mth has all of a sudden started marking all over the house bc the other one has went into heat before fixing and now that they are both fixed as of yesterday he decided to get on the couch(where the female was last night)after going outside and using the bathroom twice this morning and pee just a little. He is still marking now more than he was before being fixed yesterday!! How long will this happen? Will this stop now that they are both fixed? I’m running out of options
Hi KJ,
Accidents aren’t uncommon after being fixed. He is still healing since he just got fixed yesterday! It is possible he is just having an accident, and not intentionally marking. I would keep a very close eye on his behavior over the next couple of weeks, and if the marking continues, take him to a veterinary behaviorist. They are trained in pet behavior and can help to determine why he is marking. You can find one here.
It’s also important to keep in mind that he is very young! At 8 months, he is still being housebroken. Puppies take a while to housebreak, and some breeds are more difficult to break than others. So, be patient with him! He is still learning 🙂
I hope this helps!
Kristen
I have a male and female dog. My female is in heat. We let them take turn lounging around in the living room and suddenly my male is marking in the house. Is this normal?
Hi Mia,
This is definitely not uncommon. Your male is trying to establish his dominance in the house and he can tell she is in heat.
My number one recommendation is to get them both fixed. Neutered males are the most common marking type. They are constantly wanting to mark their territory. Un-spayed females will occasionally mark as well.
Secondly, clean the areas he marks in completely with bio-enzymatic cleaner. This is a must! If he can still smell his urine, he will continue to pee there. Then, you can also put treats in the areas he marks in. This will make him less likely to go back to that area to pee.
I hope this helps! Keep me posted!
Kristen
This is happening to me too our female dog(Zoey) we got a few years ago went into heat the day before she was gonna get spayed and ever since the heat our male dog(Charlie) has not stopped marking even though both Zoey and Charlie are fixed.
I have a 1 year old chihuahua/jack russell terrier mix. He is a male and has a serious urinating problem. He does it all over the house, more specifically where my female (his mom) has been. She lounges on the rim of our couch and my male has peed more than 10 times on our couch. He’s getting neutered in 3-4 months, but to me it seems like a really long time. Is there any way we can reduce his marking a little bit before he’s neutered?
Hi Lani,
Gosh, that is a frustrating issue. It sounds like he is marking his territory to establish some sort of dominance to the other dog in your home. Once he gets neutered, that should really help. But, you are right – 3-4 months is a long time to wait!
In the meantime, ensure that he is going outside often enough throughout the day. Depending on his age and size, he may need to go out more often to relieve himself. Additionally, clean each area he marks right away with an enzyme cleaner. I really love the Unique Pet Care cleaner. If you follow the directions exactly, it should take the odor completely out. If he can’t smell his own urine, he is less likely to go there again. But, remember it could take a few treatments to get the odor out entirely. Dogs have a great sense of smell! You can buy it here.
I hope this helps! Good luck, and his neuter will be here before you know it. Keep me posted!
Kristen
Hi, my dog is 2 years old. Most of the time she would go on the puppy pad. But lately she has been peeing on the carpet. When she sleeps with us at night in bed, sometimes she pees on the puppy pad noo problem, but lately she won’t go on the puppy pad, but will go on the carpet. So we tried having her sleep in her crate at night, but every time we let her out of the crate, she pees everywhere. On the couch, on the random hardwood floor, the carpet in the bedroom. Even though she has a fresh puppy pad. I’ve tried nature’s miracle enzymatic carpet cleaner, but she still goes on the carpet. Our apartment is very small, she knows where the puppy pad is. There were times whenever she had to go she would go straight to the puppy pad to go. But it’s been almost a week where she hasn’t peed on the puppy pad at all. Which is unusual. Usually she will at least go on the pad sometimes and then accidents. Lately it’s just been consistently the carpet…she has been spayed since she was 6 months old. She is half Bichon Frise and Half Yorkie, only 16lbs. My boyfriend and I just don’t know what to do anymore. We love when she can sleep in bed with us and our other mini golden doodle who is potty trained for outside and never has accidents. We would appreciate any advice!
While this is all useful information, the one thing that’s missing is the reality. While some dogs can be trained out of marking, in many cases once it’s been established, it becomes a learned behavior, and all the cleaners and training on earth won’t stop it. At that point you will need to rely on dog wraps and isolating your dog when they can’t be supervised, because the marking behavior isn’t something you’re going to be able to stop
Hi Mark,
That is a good point. There are dogs who have learned to mark, making it very difficult to break the habit. But, it is not impossible! I dive much deeper into that point with my new e-book.
It is true that a learned marker is notoriously challenging to break. But, often times spaying or neutering them completely solves the problem. Or, seeing a Veterinary Behaviorist that specializes in pet behavior that can help break the habit!
Kristen
I have a 2 year old male English mastiff. He has been potty trained since 13 weeks old. All of a sudden he has started urinating on the corner of my bed. He has now done this 5 times in 6 days. I am very baffled as to why he just started doing this and always in the same spot. Any help would greatly be appreciated. Thank you.
Hi Steven,
Is he neutered? Unneutered males are more likely to start marking their territory. I would definitely recommend getting that done if you have not already.
Make sure to clean the side of the bed he marks on completely with bio-enzymatic cleaner each time he goes. This is key in getting the scent out. If he can still smell his urine, he will continue to mark there. I really like this cleaner.
Additionally, leave treats by the side of the bed that he pees on. This will make him less likely to continue to go there.
I hope this helps! You can download my “Pee guide” to get even more urine marking tips.
Keep me posted!
Kristen
Thank you for the reply. Roscoe is not neutered. I have a good friend that breeds mastiffs and wants Roscoe to sire some pups. I’ve been cleaning with a dog urine cleaner from wal mart. I’ll give the one you recommended a try. Also I just found out, 2 houses down from me has a dog in season. Thank you for your help and I’ll let you know how things work out.
I adopted a maybe 2-3 yr old Yorkie. I found him on the street and went through the Necessary area to officially adopt him. He wasn’t neutered, he is now but he pees everywhere! I have an older yorkie that he loves and gets along great. I use pee pads and I take them out. I’ve tried the waist bands, taking him out every 2 hours, rewards, nothing seems to help. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Hi Lisa,
Gosh that is frustrating! Unfortunately, small dog breeds are notoriously difficult to housebreak. I just wrote a Urine Marking guide that I think you could benefit from! I have a whole section for small dog breeds. You can download it here.
I would recommend trying to take him out every hour. I know that is a lot, but, it could really help him to learn to relieve himself outside. Pee pads are great for puppies, but after a while your dog will begin to think that because there are pee pads, it is okay to go pee in the house! I would not recommend using them for a long term solution if you don’t want him to learn to go inside.
I hope this helps! The e-book will go a lot more in depth on how to train “Tiny Tinklers” 🙂
Good luck!
Kristen
Hello! I have a 4 year old male dog and an almost year old female dog. Both are fixed. Recently my female dog has been coming in the house smelling like urine and my male dog has started to try and hump her normally I would just try to distract him but he’s started to growl when I move towards him. He has also started to act out towards other dogs. The female is a new addition to the family. We had an older female who was the dominant but she passed away. we got the puppy as a companion for him because he had stopped eating when our older dog passed. He’s started eating but now he’s the dominant and I think that’s making him sexually active towards our female. I’m assuming he’s marking her (or she’s rolling in his urine) and trying to dominate her but I can’t afford to have him get aggressive and bite someone or someone’s pet. Does anyone have advice?? Thank you!
Hi Maya,
Oh gosh this is a tough situation! I am so sorry to hear about your older dog passing.
It does sound to me like he is trying to establish some dominance over the younger dog. Even though they are both fixed, that is not uncommon for the male dog to want to establish some dominance. Since aggression is involved, I think this is a behavioral issue. I would highly recommend seeing a Veterinary Behaviorist or a Fear Free certified Veterinarian. Neither of these options are going to cost you more than a regular vet visit, and they are more specialized in animal behavior.
You can find a Fear Free vet here and a Veterinary Behaviorist here.
I hope this helps! Keep me posted.
Kristen
Hi Kristen!
We have a 5 year old dog who has been neutered that will go outside and pee on our brand new house. Just lifts up his leg and does his business. We have tried to go outside with him and he won’t go until we get tired of being outside and then will go pee on the house. Is there a safe product that will help? Or any other suggestions? He doesn’t mark his territory in the house so that’s not an issue. Thank you!
Hi Brittany,
Oh no! I am sorry to hear your dog is marking on your new house. It sounds like he is trying to mark his territory. If the previous occupants of the home had a dog, he probably smells that dog and is peeing in the area he smells that dog.
My first recommendation is to take him out on a leash when he needs to potty outside and walk him to the area that you want him to go.
This will give you more control over where he pees and he won’t be able to walk over to the house. Give him a treat each time he pees where you want him to pee. After a couple of weeks, try to let him out without the leash and see where he goes. He should go where you leash trained him to go.
If he is still going on the house, try putting a little kibble or some treats right by where he typically pees on the house. Dogs don’t like to pee where their food is at. This can help to deter him to go elsewhere. This product is what I use at home and typically recommend and it is safe on water-safe surfaces (so, outside should be fine). However, I have not personally used it outside.
I hope this helps! Please keep me posted.
Kristen
Well, I have two puppies 8 months old ( yorkie and westie) that mark inside at every corner and by the table’s legs and kitchen island . I can’t remove the objects obviously and I am cleaning constantly with the product you listed but it doesn’t do any good for prevention . As soon they get one year old they will be neutered. I believe they compete for dominance and more I clean more they mark ! It’s very frustrating!
I have a three-year-old male neutered German shorthaired pointer. He marks everywhere inside the house. I’ve tried tether training him to break the habit, belly bands, going back to basic potty training. Nothing seems to work. He was even on an anti anxiety medication for a short period of time to see if that helped. The vet tested him for medical problems and he is healthy. He also likes to mark on our outside furniture and near the pool. We have taught him where to go on the grass, but he still continues to mark.
I have a 10 year old dog who refuses to go pee outside, he can be outside all day and the minute he’s let in he’ll pee on the wall or something and I’ve tried the treat training and nothing seems to work we also have 2 cats and I’m sure that’s why he feels the need to marl all the time so how would I get him to stop. I don’t have the means to get him neutered right now either
Macias, My dog would do the same-pee and poo. We adopted him a year ago and figure he is about 8 and was neutered just before we got him. I am not sure if he was an apartment dog with no yard-we have had success with routine walks around the neighborhood. He has an opportunity to explore new smells and pee on everything. “Accidents” have reduced about 90% and he will occasionally pee in the yard now. Good Luck!!
I have a 1-year-old female golden retriever. We got a male puppy retriever in early May. We thought he was having trouble with training, but I’m starting to think now that it is more about marking. They love each other and get along very well. He does have some resource guarding issues around mealtime with his food, and I understand this might also be contributing to the marking. I don’t really want to neuter him so young, but the constant messes in the house are driving me nuts. Any suggestions?
I know your comment is from last year, but you MUST have dogs neutered young (typically 3 months), definitely before before puberty otherwise you will most likely not get the marking to stop. Yes, the food dish thing is territorial, hence his need to mark. You could try belly band (sold on Amazon, Ebay, etc.) fir your dog to wear around the house. Dog pads are so expensive so we use Always pads.
I just recently adopted a five year old Maltese who was that a puppy mill and bread for five years. He goes to the bathroom outside with no problem of course he doesn’t know the meaning of play or obey any commands. But I’m having a problem with him marking his territory in our house it only started, whenOur grand doggy she is a three year old morkie came over to visit first day OK second day he started urinating in three different places is this going to be an ongoing problem with the other dog coming over or can I prevent this somehow please help.
Your Maltese is definitely trying to tell your grand doggy who’s boss by marking his territory! One thing you can do is to use an enzymatic cleaner like this one, wherever your dog “marks” his territory. Enzyme cleaners eat the bacteria that causes the odor, which discourages your pet from returning to the scene of the crime and repeating the offense.
Another thing to do is to pay close attention to your dog when he has other canine visitors, especially as he’s getting used to his new relatives. If he starts to wander off and sniff things, that may be a good indicator that he’s about to start marking. Try and have him at your side, playing with his favorite toy or getting love and cuddles from other family members. This will keep him occupied with good things as he gets acclimated and accustomed to other pets that enter the home.
Kristen
My four year old pitti is marking anywhere he can
New furniture new boxes old furniture… has been raised with an older shepherd
We have put cardboard in the windows so he can’t see other dogs.. it’s ridiculous and frustrating. I want new furniture but am hesitant to do so… he gets lots of owe breaks and his health is good help!
Marcia,
I’m so sorry to hear this. Urine marking is definitely a frustrating problem. The problem could be caused by a host of issues, from anxiety to unfamiliar objects in the house to not being neutered. Understanding why your dog is urine marking can go a long way to stopping the problem. To help identify if his urine marking is a sign of pet anxiety, check out my post here. If your pup is in good health, you may want to talk with a Veterinary Behaviorist to resolve his behavior issue. In the meantime, cleaning with an enzyme cleaner can help curb your pup’s desire to mark in the same spot. I really like this one.
Angry Orange can be very harmful to pets. It works but the fragrance can irritate their nostrils and really cause respiratory problems. Be very careful to rinse and air out completely, anything sprayed with Angry Orange before you let your pet come in contact with it.
Thanks for pointing that out. I have noticed the smell being strong too. What’s good for us isn’t always good for our pets!
I have a 13 year old male chihuahua he has been neutered for for 6 years and has recently started peeing on my table leg. It’s always in the same spot no matter what I use to clean it. In desperate need of a solution.
I’m sorry to hear that! Urine marking can be caused by a variety of things. Since your dog is already neutered, his marking could be a sign of anxiety or an attempt to establish dominance. It could also be a sign of an underlying medical problem. But if your pup has a clean bill of health from his vet, try cleaning the table leg with an enzymatic cleaner like this one. Instead of masking odors, it permanently eliminates them, discouraging your pet from visiting the same spot.
My male dog is peeing on our female dog who is dominate but currently whelping. Prior to this he pulls on her leg in rough play. We correct but whelping makes it a more pressing manner. He is otherwise a great dog with good temperament. However, this is frustrating, although not to her.
Thanks for your question. This is especially concerning considering the circumstances. Although your male dog generally has a good temperament, it’s clear he’s having trouble adjusting to the new situation. First, I’d make sure that mom and her new pups are safe and undisturbed. It’s probably best to minimize his interactions with her as much as possible in the early days. If you have further concerns, I suggest speaking with your veterinarian or a certified veterinary behaviorist.
We have a 5 year old make Chihuahua, we never catch him in the act, but he pee’s on everything!!! We tried belly bands, but he freaks out when we out them on. I feel like he is trying to establish dominance, but how do we stop the behavior if we can’t catch him?
You’ve got a double whammy on your hands – a small dog that marks! I would definitely try putting his food dish wherever he pees. Dogs typically won’t pee in the same spot they eat on. It may require moving his dish around frequently, even to different rooms in the house. You want to establish that the whole house is off limits to peeing.
Also, is he doing this primarily while you’re not at home? He may be experiencing some separation anxiety. If that’s the case, give this a read.
Lastly, be sure to give him plenty of exercise. Sometimes this alone is enough to make dogs stop marking.
Dominance Theory from the PPG : It is the position of the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) that dominance theory is an obsolete and aversive method of interacting with animals that has at its foundation incorrect and misinterpreted data which can result in damage to the animal-human relationship and cause behavioral problems in the animal.
Tadz, thank you for your comment! As it relates to the use of Dominance Theory in animal training, I agree with the position of the Pet Professional Guild (PPG).
In regards to a dog’s desire to establish dominance among other dogs or pets in the home, research shows that they are highly sensitive to hierarchical social relationships — more so even than wolves! Researchers in the Netherlands carefully observed the interactions of a group of dogs and rated the level of social hierarchy that the canines experienced on a scale from 1 (completely despotic) through 4 (egalitarian). The dogs came in around 2 — a fairly steep social hierarchy, similar to what is found in macaques (a notably contentious animal).
So due to their innate sensitivity to social hierarchy, if a dog is in conflict with another pet in the home it can result in unwanted behaviors in an attempt to establish their own dominance, such as urine marking.
Kristen
I have two males one hound one pit the hound markes the house an the pit remarks it when we are awake we control the situation but when we go to sleep we put the pit up an he sleeps with my daughter but the hound will go around at night an mark by the couch an entertainment center kitchen an by the door any suggestions on what to do we have all hard wood floors we clean it up very good thanks .
For starters, I would get a strong handheld blacklight. There’s one that actually comes with one of the orange cleaners above if you buy the right package on Amazon (it will show the flashlight on the product photo if it’s the right one).
I had all hard surfaces for my floors too, but some floors will still absorb the urine. When you use that flashlight, you can see all the high places they peed, like corners of couches, tables, chair legs, etc. We even have a folding closet door ours likes to pee on. Chances are that the place up high he actually marked are still there.
You will also see any spots on the floor you might’ve missed that happened to dry before you caught it. As you see when they go outside, even if they have a little dribble left, they will still mark, so those are harder to catch. The problem we had was in unsealed tile grout. You might actually be getting pee between the cracks of any wood or vinyl flooring if it’s had the chance to seep in all night.
Once you’ve thoroughly cleaned everything, I would see about closing the bedroom door to the girl’s room and then practicing crating with both dogs so you can have the other guy sleep there at night and they can sleep there together (if they cuddle) when you’re away. If they keep to themselves I might get two crates. Crates are expensive, especially for larger dogs, so if you can’t buy new I would look for a used one. There are plenty of people that did not properly crate their dog and end up wanting to get rid of their crates.
There are articles and videos for incentivizing your dog to crate and the gist of it is to make the crate inviting and comfortable. So whomever is their “favorite”, I would take a t shirt they’ve worn all day and lay it in there. Then practice putting treats in there so they realize it’s safe to go in. Then let leave the crate open here and there (and take away all dog beds/block access to comfy furniture so they begin going to the crate to get comfortable. Let them hang out in there with the door open when you’re home until you’ve seen them either go to it regularly or even hang out in there for a while.
I felt very hesitant and guilty about crating, but with the peeing during the night, we finally had to do something. It’s also another way to establish yourself as the pack leader. We learned that dogs are den animals, so having a safe space that’s theirs is actually relaxing. The key we found was getting a create with a cover that velcros shut on all sides. So when you go put one to “bed” for the night or go away for a few hours, he won’t see you walking away and feel upset or abandoned.
Even when we’ve gotten up in the middle of the night we expected ours to whine and bark but they must just feel safe enough to relax, because we don’t hear a peep unless we’re coming back from being away for a while. We put the cover on no matter what time of day it is like someone might do over a bird cage. The crate cover is black and not see through, so something like a sheet probably won’t work.
The reason I’m also suggesting to close the door to the kid’s room is to prevent the other dog from hearing the “free” dog waltz in and get a drink right in front of them where he can hear/smell he’s out walking free while he is restricted. In that scenario it’s like putting one dog on a leash and not the other.
A regular potty training tip is one you might’ve done with your daughter, where you didn’t let her drink past a certain time of night. We were letting them drink whenever they wanted and it would just provide my male dog continuous “fuel” when he was done marking one area. We put up our water onto a dedicated space out of reach about three or four hours before we went to bed, and then let them out *right* before bed.
We found even letting them out thirty minutes before putting them to “bed” for the night would cause problems. Like little kids, they might feel the sudden urge right before bed, even if they’ve just gone. Having this routine will also contribute to them feeling comfortable.
And I will warn you about crating that it is super important to *ease* them into crating. I’ve heard of owners seeing this as newfound freedom to be out for a while knowing how long their dog can hold it and expecting to have it do the same. You’ll have to practice coming home shorter periods of time, even with the crate cover on. I don’t want to scare you, but these owners that suddenly crate their dogs while they go away to work all day or hang out for even a few hours without practicing crating can be very dangerous.
With big dogs especially, I’ve heard of them seriously injuring themselves trying to break out of the crate or trying to chew it open. This is clearly a case where they don’t feel safe or are bored and need something to chew to keep them occupied.
I know that was all plenty of information, but just know it’s very important to check out some specific videos or articles for more background and tips on it. I hope you have success with it all, but know that even some progress is still progress! Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t get everything right on your first attempt. Good luck with your pups and breaking this very frustrating habit!
You never want to fully put a cover over the crate. The lack of fresh air is stifling. I once got inside the crate to clean it (we have a bigger one) & did not realize how stifling it was. I felt horrible for covering the crate. Lack of fresh air also can makes it a fearful environment for your dog.
I do agree with crating at night. Get a comfortable bed with cover that can be unzipped to be washed once a month or so. Our dog loves his crate & finds security in it.
I work from home with my three older dogs (spayed pit 6 yo, spayed aussie mix 7 yo, spayed husky mix 11 yo) and they are potty trained. Our friends recently adopted a 1 yo bully mix who is spayed. She is potty trained at her house where she is the only dog. But at our house, she pees. Consistently right outside our bedroom door if we’re dogsitting her. Every single time. We try to catch her but she does it early in the morning when she (and everyone else) has access to the dog door and she knows how to use it as she has one at home. A few days ago my husky mix threw up in my office (she’s fine) and now the bully has peed there. As soon as I turn my back, she takes advantage. She stays over here during the day twice a week to hang out and play with my dogs. We adore her and everyone gets along. But I cannot deal with her constantly marking in my house. What do I do? I’m at my wit’s end. I have trained, fostered, and loved dozens of dogs and never encountered this persistent behavior.
Hello Brianna,
How frustrating! Since she is only marking at your house, it doesn’t sound like there’s a medical reason for her peeing. Anxiety is another common reason for dog marking or peeing. Is she showing any signs of anxiety when she’s around the other dogs?
Another thing that’s super important is cleaning her favorite pee spots thoroughly. If your dog smells even a hint of pee with that super-sensitive nose, they’ll continue to view that location as their bathroom. Enzyme cleaners are the way to go, since they actually break down the waste instead of just masking the scent.
A tactic you might try after cleaning the spot with an enzyme cleaner is to put her food bowl there. Dogs normally do not pee where they eat, so that may discourage her also.
For more tips, you can get my free ebook on stopping your dog’s urine marking.
Hope this helps!
Kristen
We’ve got a 4 year old toilet trained/crate trained dog. He’s started seeing in his crate and night. Not a huge amount, possibly marking. The crate door is open these days and he has the run of a small utility room. We also have an 18mo toddler so wondering if he’s marking because he’s now more mobile and on the move. Washing bedding daily, also on anxiety tabs from the vets, any thoughts? Thank you
Hello,
I’m considering adopting a dog who is at a rescue housed in a vet’s office. The first time I went to visit him, I spent time with him outside. He relieved himself in the yard immediately after leaving his crate. Yesterday, after my application was approved, I went to visit him again. This time he was indoors and wearing a belly band, which completely surprised me. They had told me he was housetrained. He has been marking in the vet’s office, however. The vet’s office smells heavily of dog urine. In fact, I’ve never been in an office that smells so strongly of animals. So part of me thinks it could be the environment. But I also don’t want a dog who marks in the house. Should I just not adopt this dog? Is there such a thing as a little dog who doesn’t mark? Any advice would be appreciated.
Hello Maggie,
That’s so great that you’re looking to adopt a rescue dog! That being said, it’s impossible to know what a rescue dog’s life was like before you found them or how they were trained (or not trained).
There are many different reasons for marking. If the dog isn’t fixed, that can contribute to it. A belly band can also confuse dogs, as it makes them think it is okay to urinate inside the house and doesn’t actually address their behavior. Being in a vet’s office could also lead him to mark to claim his territory with all those other dogs around. He also could be anxious in that environment, which can lead to marking.
Unfortunately, it’s very hard to say how he will behave when he is away from that environment and in your home. If you decide to bring him home, it is important to start training him immediately not to mark. Using the tips in the blog post above – like lowering his anxiety and giving him a lot of exercise – can definitely help.
Hope this helps!
Kristen
Hello I have 2 male malitpoo 1 and 2 year old both are neutered they will be outside and pee once I let them be free in the house I start finding pee on corner of my sofa and my kids toys idk what to do I try putting band on them and the younger one pee in it so now I have them both in crates what can I do .? I don’t want them crates I feel bad
Hello Jelissa,
Pee problems can be so frustrating! If you keep finding pee in the same places, thoroughly cleaning it with an enzymatic cleaner should be the first step. These cleaners break down the waste and eliminate it completely. Otherwise, your dog’s sensitive nose can detect traces of urine that we can’t. And if they smell urine, they will think that spot is their potty! Once you’re positive the area is completely pee-free, it’s time to move on to the behavior.
There are a lot of different reasons why dogs mark or pee in the house. This post on why dogs pee in the house can point you in the right direction. I saw you mentioned using belly bands. Sadly, while they are a tempting solution, those can sometimes make pee problems worse in the long run. This post about dog belly bands will give you more details.
I hope this helps – I wish you and your pups all the best!
Kristen
Thank you for the helpful tips! We’ve been struggling with our dog’s marking behavior, and I appreciate the practical steps you provided. Looking forward to trying the crate training method and exploring those scent neutralizers. Fingers crossed it works!