Why does my female dog pee on other dogs poop

Dogs marking their territory is jokingly referred to as pee mail, but canine urine marking is serious business for dogs. It’s a protocol that pre-dates electronic gadgetry by hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Dogs don't need wifi, but "pee mail" is a highly complex and frequently misunderstood method of canine communication.

Why do dogs mark their territory?

Dogs use urine to mark territory—to leave a message, so to speak. Then other dogs come along and check the message and may leave a message of their own by marking over or adjacent to the original spot. There's a lot of interesting information in these messages, and by checking "pee mail," a dog can determine the gender of the dogs who came before him and whether they are spayed or neutered. He can also tell if there's a female in heat or coming into heat, as well as determine the health, stress level, and social status of the dogs who have previously marked the spot.

Until recently little research has been done on scent marking, and much of what we thought we knew was based on empirical or anecdotal information and general observations. For example, many owners thought only male dogs marked and marking was all about status-related behavior. However, according to a 2011 study by scientists Anneke Lisberg and Charles Snowdon, both male and female dogs mark—but they do it in slightly different ways, and possibly for slightly different reasons. Dr. Lisberg observed and recorded dogs sniffing and urinating at the entrance to a popular park—documenting who urinated when and where, and which dogs participated in bum sniffing (scientifically known as anogenital investigation). In brief, here's what she found:

• Males and females were equally likely to urinate immediately upon entering the park, but males often urinated more frequently than females.

• Intact males with high social order are most likely to over-mark (pee over another dog's scent).

• Females spend a lot of time investigating the urine of unfamiliar male and female dogs; while males are primarily interested in what other male dogs peed on.

Surprisingly, she notes that females never over-marked, but rather "adjacent marked" or urinated nearby, as opposed to on top of the urine mark left by another dog.

Scent marking can happen anywhere a dog deems fit - it's not uncommon for dogs to mark indoors, outdoors, or both. Though, many owners aren’t very happy when their dogs pee in the house. Rest assured there are many reasons, and solutions, to why your house may be on the list.

Causes of Scent Marking

While we have discussed why dogs mark their territory and how it correlates to communication – there are plenty of other reasons you may have seen your dog partake in the behavior.

Dogs don't "mark" out of spite. They don't think, "My mom left me home today, so I think I'll pee on the furniture AN D her new purse!" Dogs urine mark both indoors and outdoors for two primary reasons: to define and redefine territory or secondary to anxiety issues, according to Alice Moon-Fanelli, Ph.D., certified applied animal behaviorist at Animal Behavior Consultations. Territorial marking and anxiety, however, are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

Anxiety related issues can include:

• Separation anxiety

• A new pet in the household

• Conflicts with other pets or people in the household

• A new baby, boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, relative, etc., living in the house

• The departure of a baby, friend, relative, etc., from the house

• An unfamiliar dog urinating in your dog's yard

• New objects, such as luggage or furniture, in the house that have unfamiliar smells or another animal's scent

Dogs who urine mark may do so in a variety of situations, such as while on walks in the neighborhood or at dog parks. Some dogs, although not all, mark both in their own home and outdoors. It can also vary by the dog’s gender. For instance, some male dogs mark only when in the presence of female dogs—especially if they're in heat—as a way of impressing a female. Some females mark as a form of competition. Some male dogs mark only when interacting with other male dogs—usually rival males. Many dogs never mark in their own home but will mark while at unfamiliar places, such as the veterinary clinic or while visiting a friend or family member's home.

Urine Marking is Not House-Soiling

House soiling or submissive/excitement urination and urine marking are completely different behaviors. If your dog is having potty accidents in the house, there are a few reasons why this might be happening:

• He's not house trained (despite your best intentions).

• He has a medical issue, such as incontinence (some medications can cause frequent urination).

If you're not sure what's going on, consider these pointers:

• House-soiling generally includes a good deal of urine.

• House-soiling may occur in corners or areas you're less likely to notice.

• Submissive or excitement urination generally occurs during greetings, physical contact, scolding or punishment.

• Urine marking generally involves small amounts of urine.

• Urine marking usually involves dogs hiking their leg on vertical surfaces, such as walls or furniture.

• Marking normally occurs in prominent locations.

What can you do?

Urine marking is a normal form of communication among dogs, and they can gather a lot of information by sniffing another dog's pee. Therefore, it's important you not correct or scold your dog. He's not a hooligan or first-class criminal. Research indicates it develops after sexual maturity, with 70 percent of urine marking dogs starting by 1 1/2 years of age, and 90 percent before 2 years old. While outdoor marking is usually not a problem for owners—indoor marking can be a deal breaker for the human-canine relationship. To discourage additional heinous crimes against your personal property, experts recommend a proactive approach with the following strategies:

• Spay or neuter

• Clean up all signs of marking so your dog is not further stimulated to leave pee mail. Use products designed to eliminate urine odor. Do not use ammonia, as this can attract him back to the same spot to mark again!

• Supervise your dog like a hawk when he's indoors. While typically tedious for most owners, supervision is critical—otherwise the problem is likely to continue.

• Address the underlying anxiety or territorial insecurity that requires repeated marking from the dog's perspective. The reasons "why" can be complicated; consider the services of a certified animal behaviorist.

• Consider using a synthetic hormone diffuser (DAP™ Dog Appeasement Pheromone), which can have a calming effect on dogs.

• Consider medications, such as anti-depressants and selective reuptake inhibitors. Medication alone will not be effective, especially if the underlying causes have not been addressed.

Equally important, a veterinary check up may be necessary, as some medical conditions, such as cystitis, kidney dysfunction, endocrine abnormalities, incontinence, house-soiling, and geriatric onset can inadvertently be mistaken for marking.

Consider also keeping a log of your dog's marking behavior. Yes, it sounds eccentric but observing dogs in their natural habitat—also known as ethological studies—is the ole-fashioned way that many experts still study animals. It may provide valuable insight should you decide to seek professional help. If nothing else, you may learn a thing or two about your dog's behaviors. Equally important, it will assure that you and your four-legged friend have the best chance at a happy and mutually respectful human-canine relationship.

Few things can disrupt the harmonious bond you have with your dog like urinary issues. When your house-trained adult dog uses your house as his personal toilet, you may think he's doing it out of spite and that he needs to be scolded for his wrongdoing. But the truth is that inappropriate urination in dogs is often beyond their control and usually has an underlying cause that has nothing to do with bad behavior.

Why Your Dog Might Be Going in the House

A number of reasons could account for why your dog is peeing inside the house. It could be something as simple as he's drinking too much water and needs to go more often than he's able to go outside. It's possible that he simply hasn't been adequately house-trained. It's a tricky lesson to emphasize to your pet that he must do his business outside — and only outside! House training may be more difficult when you allow your dog to sometimes relieve himself in a designated area indoors, on a puppy training pad, for example. It's easy for dogs to become confused about what's appropriate.

It's also possible that your pup is marking his territory indoors. This usually happens with non-neutered male dogs, and sometimes the behavior stops once the dog is neutered. Neutered males and spayed females may engage in this behavior from time to time, especially if they feel threatened by the arrival of another pet.

It's not uncommon for urinary issues in dogs to signal a deeper psychological issue, such as anxiety. In addition to the above, the following possibilities could be reasons why your dog might be urinating inside the house:

• Over-Excitement: Although losing bladder control because of excitement is more common with puppies and is something that most dogs outgrow, some dogs retain this tendency well into adulthood.
• Submission: Some urinate as a sign of submission to other dogs or animals, and even sometimes to humans.
• Anxiety or Fear: Going indoors might be a response to any number of fearful stimuli or anxieties. If your dog is going in the house while home alone, this could be a sign of separation anxiety. There could be something in your dog's environment, such as a loud noise, that is making your dog fearful of going outside.
• Change in Environment: If you recently moved and your dog's environment has changed, he might not necessarily associate the new place with being off-limits to relieving himself. In this case, it might require some extra potty training to help him understand that your new place is still considered indoors, and he must do his business outdoors.

Health-Related Urinary Issues in Dogs

Of course, if a properly house-trained and well-adjusted adult dog suddenly begins urinating indoors, there's a good chance that the urinating is a symptom of an underlying health issue. Some conditions may cause a dog to involuntarily lose control of the muscles in his bladder, while other conditions, such as certain infections and diseases, may increase the frequency and urgency of urination. Here is a list of potential medical causes of urinary issues in dogs:

• Diabetes
• Pain when squatting or lifting the leg to urinate
• An infected bladder or urinary tract
• Bladder stones
• Kidney or liver disease
• Tumors
• Cushing's or Addison's disease
• Adrenal gland issues
• Intestinal parasites
• Cognitive problems caused by brain disease or dementia
• Age-related illnesses and conditions

What You Should Do

If your dog starts going in the house, the first thing you should do is have him examined by a veterinarian to rule out any potentially serious underlying health concerns. If it turns out that your dog is suffering from a health condition, chances are that once the condition is treated he'll stop relieving himself inappropriately.

However, if the problem is age-related or chronic and the urination isn't likely to subside, talk to your vet about compassionate solutions that will make it easier to care for your dog and make him comfortable. You may need to take him on more frequent walks or let him outside more often, or confine him to a small area lined with training pads when you can't be there to let him out. Dog diapers might help cut down on accidents.

As for behavior-related urinary issues, again, talk to your vet. For more serious issues like separation anxiety, she may refer you to a dog behaviorist who can help treat the underlying anxiety that's causing your dog to urinate indoors. It might also be a good idea to consult a dog trainer about reinforcing house training and helping your dog understand where he's supposed to go. You should use an enzymatic cleaning solution on spots where accidents occurred to completely remove all traces of urine and odor so that they won't attract your pup to keep returning to that spot.

Never punish your dog for urinating inside the house because dogs do not always associate bad behavior with the punishment, and it could actually make the problem worse for him. This is especially true if you leave him home and find the puddle rather than catch him in the act. Contrary to common myth, you should never rub your dog's nose in his mess because, again, he is not likely to associate the punishment with the behavior. Instead, focus on rewarding him when he goes outside with treats and lots of praise and love. You can even reward him when he signals that he needs to go outside by sitting by the door or ringing a bell by the door if you so choose.

It can be difficult to have patience when your sweet pup has ruined the rug or you're tired of mopping up puddles, but it helps to see your dog's urinary issues not as a sign of defiance but rather as a cry for help. Whether the issue is behavioral or medical in nature, getting to the bottom of why your dog is having accidents will go a long way toward putting a stop to them once and for all.