Will my dog stop marking his territory after being neutered

• potty training
• crate training
• marking

AKC is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to akc.org. If you purchase a product through this article, we may receive a portion of the sale.

Marking is not the same as a dog relieving itself – it is leaving small amounts of urine on items (trees, bushes, couch) to leave a“calling card” and to say “this is mine.” It seems natural for dogs, but is very annoying to humans. This often starts happening in adolescence as dogs mature. Female dogs can urine mark, although it is seen as a problem most commonly in male dogs. Urine marking is different than having accidents in the house. Typically, when a dog is marking it is a small amount of urine in several places. These places may be random, or they could be in a favorite spot. Dogs can mark for many reasons; the two most common are to show ownership on what they consider their territory and anxiety.

Below are some steps you can take to help get a stop a dog from marking.

Health Check

First, it is recommended that you bring your dog to your veterinarian to make sure there is nothing medically wrong.  Urinary tract infections and other medical conditions can mimic urine marking.

In Partnership with

*Dog friendly rental filter applied to results

Getting Altered

If your dog is not spayed or neutered and you are not planning breeding or showing in conformation, this is something to consider.  Altering or “fixing” pet dogs that are marking helps to eliminate the issue in 50 to 60 percent of dogs.

New Stuff

Dogs like to place their territorial stamp on new items, especially if they come from a place where there might have been another dog.  Try to remember to place new items off the floor and out of reach of your dog.

Outside Visitors

You may want to investigate the outside of your home.  Sometimes there may be other dogs in the area that come near your house and cause your dog to feel the need to mark in the home.

Close Supervision

To prevent your dog from marking in the house, make sure that they are not left unsupervised.  If you are unable to watch your dog, then they should be crate trained and safely placed into their dog crate so they cannot mark.  If you do catch them in the act of marking, you should make a loud noise to startle them and then take them outside and reward the correct behavior.  If you do not catch your dog in the act and find the accident later, then it is extremely important that you do not punish your dog. Your dog can’t connect what he marked an hour ago to your punishment, so it does not deter the marking and can make your dog afraid and confused.

Block Access

You can also take measures to help deter or block your dog from the area where they are drawn to marking. Try using baby gates or pet gates to block certain rooms, or double sided tape to keep them from certain parts of the room.

Deep Clean Up

If your dog does mark in the house, make sure you are using an appropriate cleaner to take the scent out.  Even though you might not be able to smell it, they will be able to and this will continue to draw them to that area.  We recommend an enzymatic pet stain remover to completely remove the stain and the smell.

Belly Bands

For both male and female dogs you can find either belly bands (for males) or dog diapers (for females). Remember that this is not a fix for the situation but more of a band aid.  If you choose to use one of these items to help with training, make sure you check them frequently for wetness.

https://www.akc.org/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php

Tips for Responsible Dog Owners

This e-book is a great resource for anyone who's considering dog ownership or already owns a dog. Download for tips on how to be the best dog owner you can be.

*Turn off pop-up blocker to download

• Urine marking is a natural, instinctive behavior in dogs, but it becomes inappropriate when dogs urinate in the house to identify their territory.
• Urine marking is most common with sexually intact male dogs, but intact female dogs and neutered dogs may also mark.
• Underlying medical reasons for inappropriate urination, such as urinary tract infections, should be ruled out before a diagnosis of marking behavior is made.
• Neutering can often resolve the problem.
• Behavior modification, environmental treatment, and elimination of anxiety triggers can help to eliminate the behavior.

What Is Canine Urine Marking?
Canine urine marking is a natural, instinctive behavior in dogs, but it is not appropriate inside the house. Dogs, especially sexually intact male dogs, urinate on objects to mark their territory or to leave a message for other dogs. Urine marking behavior usually begins when the dog reaches sexual maturity.

What Causes Canine Urine Marking?
An intact male dog is most likely to mark when there is a female dog in heat nearby. Intact female dogs are also prone to marking when they are in heat. However, any dog may mark if another dog has urinated anywhere in the house. By urinating on the previous site of urination, the dog essentially “remarks” that location as its own territory. Unless the scent of the urine is completely removed, the dog is likely to keep urinating there.

In multi-dog households, dogs, especially of the same sex, may compete for dominance, which can result in urine marking. This same behavior can occur in a confident dog that feels dominant to the owner.

Any anxiety-producing situation can trigger urine marking as well. Workmen in the house, the arrival of a new baby, or visiting relatives can all produce anxiety in a dog. Even the addition of a new TV or a new computer may threaten a dog so that it feels compelled to mark the packing boxes. Rest assured, your dog is not trying to get back at you. It’s just doing what comes naturally.

How Is Canine Urine Marking Diagnosed?
Your veterinarian will start by discussing when, where, and how often the behavior occurs. A workup should be conducted to rule out medical disorders that may be causing the problem. If there are no medical causes, your veterinarian will need to determine if incomplete house training or other behavioral conditions are causing the problem.

How Can It Be Treated?
In most cases, overcoming urine marking requires multiple steps:

Neutering. If the dog is sexually intact, neutering is the first step. In many cases, male dogs that are neutered stop urine marking within weeks to months of the procedure. Female dogs that are spayed almost always stop the behavior. However, behavior modification is often needed as well.

Scent elimination. It is important to remove the scent of previous urine marks with a good enzymatic cleaner. Camouflaging the odor with another scent is not effective. An enzymatic cleaner can help neutralize the scent to prevent recurrences of the behavior. Many dogs won’t urinate where they eat, so you can also try feeding your dog in the location it used to mark.

Positive reinforcement. Never punish a dog for urine marking. Punishment can create more anxiety, which may only exacerbate the problem. Instead, you need to supervise your pet closely. If you see the dog starting to eliminate inside, interrupt him or her with a firm “No,” and bring the pet outside. When the dog urinates outside, reward him or her with praise and treats. Make sure to bring your dog outside frequently, always providing rewards for appropriate urination outdoors.

Confinement. During retraining, it helps to limit your dog’s access to frequently marked areas. You may need to confine your dog to a room or small area by shutting doors or by using baby gates or a crate. As your dog’s behavior improves, you can gradually increase his or her freedom in the house. Be careful to frequently exercise your dog outside, so your dog does not become agitated with long periods of confinement.

Minimize anxieties. If you can identify the factors that are causing your dog anxiety, remove them or minimize their importance. With a new baby, for example, you can desensitize your dog by gradually increasing the amount of time your dog is exposed to the new baby. At the same time, use counterconditioning tactics, such as praising, petting, and rewarding your pet for calm behaviors around the baby, so it has positive associations with the child.

You may also consult your veterinarian about a D.A.P. Dog Appeasing Pheromone diffuser. By mimicking the pheromones produced by a mother dog to give her puppies a sense of calm and well-being, this product can help ease anxieties in dogs.

Establish dominance. Some dogs need to be gently reminded that you are the boss and that they need to work for rewards. Ask your dog to sit or lay down, then provide a reward such as a treat or a walk and TLC!

Medications. As a last resort, you can consult your veterinarian for medications. In most cases, dogs are given a type of antidepressant. These drugs often take 4 to 6 weeks to make a difference. However, behavior modification is always the first choice and should continue, even with medications.

How long after neutering Will a dog stop marking?

How can I stop my male dog from marking in the house?

Do dogs get less territorial After neuter?

How do you get a dog to stop marking after neutering?