How Does Marking Work?

Updated On: Friday, October 23, 2020 11:12:53 AM America/Los_Angeles

Ever wonder why your dog habitually pees at the same fire hydrant? Or has formed the unfortunate habit of peeing on a certain wall of your home? It turns out that there are several reasons that your pup has taken to marking and here we provide some explanations for this behavior. Meanwhile, DoggieLawn offers an easy solution that can help your dog curb bad potty habits by providing fresh grass inside the home.  

First, there are some biological considerations. Reproductively intact dogs are more likely to mark than their spayed and neutered companions. Males are also more likely to mark but females can urinate more frequently before and during when they are in heat. Dogs must also be at least three months old before they start marking. If you have a growing puppy or an unspayed or unneutered dog, you might think of subscribing to an indoor dog potty to help with the increased frequency of urination.

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There also behavioral reasons that your dog may be marking. Simply put, marking is a natural canine response to new environments and situations. Most of us are probably aware that marking is a common habit when dogs are taken on walks. What triggers this behavior is likely encountering the scent of an unfamiliar dog, to which your dog is responding by marking a surface in order to assert their territory. You might therefore notice that marking is more common on your usual route rather than new places; this is because your dog is more intent on marking their territory in familiar areas that they might think of as theirs. Because marking is a behavior sparked by new environments and situations, anxiety can also be a factor in increased urination or marking. If your friend brings over their new furry friend, your dog may become anxious and mark their territory with even more urine than usual. 

One solution for making clean up easier in situations such as this, is to have a real grass potty that your dog will naturally take to. Training your dog on DoggieLawn early on can help manage bad potty training habits such as marking. Subscribe to our unique indoor potty for dogs today!