Why is my 3-year-old dog marking on hanging items indoors?

You are correct that this type of behavior is difficult to correct. The best way to correct it is to not allow it to happen. Easier said than done. The best way I have found to allow that is to either use a Belly Band (www.bellybands.net), keep the dog on a leash attached to you in the house or keep the dog in a crate when you are gone. The goal is that it he does not get the satisfaction of urinating on something (either because the belly band prevents it, because you are on the other end of the leash preventing it, or because he is in a crate), that the behavior is less likely to continue. However, it will be a work in progress and since it has been going on for over 3 years, it will not resolve quickly. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas. Thanks for using PetCoach.

The first thing I would do is neuter him. An unneutered male can’t help but want to mark his territory. Unfortunately, he is 4 years old so this may have become a learned behavior meaning he may continue to do it after he is neuter. There is no guarantee he will stop. If I were you I would neuter him and while he is at the vet I would steam clean and deodorize every where he likes to mark. This is the best chance to help him stop this behavior. I hope this helps!

Hello, sorry to hear about Buddy. It sounds like he is indeed marking his territory when you're not home. I think the crate is a great idea, but if you need some time to get him used to this, a small room such as a bathroom or bedroom would also limit the areas where he marks in the house. Additionally, taking him out to go to the bathroom before you leave will also decrease the amount of urine he has to mark with. A dog urinating on objects, usually vertical, is a normal, instinctive social behavior. Dogs mark their territory by urinating on certain objects within their territory. The dog returns to these spots on occasion to renew this olfactory mark. Usually the amount of urine produced is a smaller amount than when the dog relieves himself. Marking often occurs in areas where other dogs have urine marked or left there odor. Although more commonly seen in intact males, neutered males and females also mark. What is inappropriate marking? Inappropriate marking is when an otherwise healthy, housetrained dog marks objects in an area that is not acceptable to the owner, such as inside a home. Why is my dog inappropriately marking? Causes of inappropriate urine marking can be hormonal or social. Social factors include situations that cause anxiety or territorial stimuli, such as other animals entering their “territory,” or the introduction of something new, such as grocery bags, people, or furniture. Dogs with other anxieties, such as separation anxiety or noise phobia, can also mark. What can I do to prevent inappropriate marking? • If your dog is intact, neuter your dog. One study found that 40% of male dogs castrated for marking drastically decreased their marking, regardless of age of castration. • Neuter all animals in household. Hormonal changes in other animals, like female dogs in heat, may trigger marking. • It is important to rule out underlying medical problems that may cause inappropriate urine marking. The stress of medical problems can be a contributing factor to marking. • Clean up residual odors of the urine with enzymatic cleaners. • Block or eliminate provoking stimuli, such as cover windows where your dog can see other dogs walking by, block access to room where dog may hear other dogs walking by. • Have a conversation with your veterinarian about separation anxiety or other anxieties to determine if this is the cause of inappropriate urine marking. Treat these underlying causes. • Do not place new objects on floor until your dog has gotten used to having them in the house. • During training, when your dog cannot be supervised, he should be confined to a smaller area so that he does not practice inappropriate urine marking when the owner is not home. He may subsequently learn that it is acceptable to mark when the owner is away. • Establish conspicuous objects outside the house where marking is acceptable, and reward for acceptable marking. • Change the emotional state of your dog around target areas to pleasurable areas of play or eating • In dogs with extreme anxiety, anti-anxiety medications may be beneficial. • Establish leadership from the owner and routine in the dog’s life by implementing non-confrontational leadership exercises.

You didn't mention if Kyzer is neutered or not, but it sounds like he may be marking the furniture. Marking is a very common and normal behavior for intact male dogs. You have a few options. Neutering an intact male dog can solve the problem, but it is best to do ASAP. You could also consider a belly band (https://www.bellybands.net/ ) which will stop him from actually urinating on the furniture. Another option to kennel train him when he isn't supervised in the house in order to stop the behavior or keep him on a leash in the house, so you can constantly keep an eye on him and make him stop if he starts to lift his leg. You will also need to clean the furniture with an enzymatic cleaner to remove the smell. Finally, I would recommend having your veterinarian check a urine sample on him to make sure there isn't a medical reason for him urinating in the house. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Inappropriate urination occurs when a dog regresses to urinating inside the house. This behavior is more common in male dogs that have not been neutered, although it can occur in non-neutered dogs and cats. The first thing to rule out is inappropriate urination that occurs when there is an underlying health problem which is causing a dog to urinate inside the house. It may have lost control of the muscles in its bladder or sphincter, or there may be an infection (UTI) or other condition as drinking too much (seen in many medical conditions) that is making it difficult for the dog to hold it in long enough to get outside. When a medical caused has been ruled out we can think about the second type of inappropriate urination which is behavioral (such as marking). I recommend to take Bakar to the vet with a "fresh" urine sample to first check or rule out medical causes. Hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I would recommend getting a crate for Sirius and crate training him. This means keeping him in the crate all day and taking him out to go to the bathroom. If he goes to the bathroom then leaving him out of the crate when you can keep 100% watch on him. If you end up having to turn your back for 1 second I would put him back in the crate. He needs to learn he cannot mark around the house. I would also recommend bringing him to the vet to rule out any medical issues if there is any, for example, a urinary tract infection. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I see that Zeus is not neutered - unless he is a show or breeding dogs, this is the first thing I would suggest doing. It's extremely common for intact male dogs to have issues with urine marking in the house once they reach social maturity, usually around 12-18 months of age - so it sounds like Zeus is right on time for this behavior. I would also recommend supervising him constantly when he is in the house so that you can interrupt him if you see him starting to lift his leg, and confining him to a crate or dog-proofed room when you aren't home to help prevent accidents. A belly band (essentially a diaper for male dogs) can also be helpful in the short term while you are working on the problem.