Marking AFTER neutering

[nicoles94]

Tybalt has started to mark in the house. He has never done this before. He was neutered a couple weeks ago. Before this, he was compeletly housetrained. But now he will walk up to something and lift his leg and just lightly urinate on things around the room. One of the main reasons (other than the health issues) to get him neutered was to curb any marking instinct.

We've gone back to crating the poor thing almost round the clock, he had gotten used to only having to sleep in his crate at night. But even that isn't working because he will come in from spending potty time outside just to lift his legs in quick fashion on things around the house. I'm at my wits end.

[Karlin]

Neutering curbs this in the majority of dogs but not all. Regardless there is almost always a training element -- most male dogs, including neutered dogs, will mark in some situations.

You manage it as you do a housetraining issue. He is still pretty young to be allowed total freedom to wander around -- most dogs wouldn't be really reliable til around age 1. Dogs also regress at times when under 1 with housetraining. That's why a lot of people start to get problems in the 6-12 month period -- they stop watching before the dog really is housetrained. It is a very common issue!

Also he is going right into adolescence now, and neutering won't curtail that period -- marking is a common behaviour in boys generally at this time. You may just have one who continues with marking and thus it will be a bit more of a training issue than for most. But marking is a part of owning boys -- mine both mark outside regularly, and Leo will sometimes (rarely) try to mark inside at other homes, if it smells of dogs. But they definitely do not do this at anywhere near the frequency and volume of intact dogs I get in as rescues.

[*Pauline*]

I managed to train Dylan not to mark in the house and he still has his bits. Catching him in the act was the key I told him off but not too severe, he only did it about 4 or 5 times as I remember and always in the kitchen so easier for me to clear up. A good empty bladder helps but if they wanna mark, they will always find a few more drops! Also, the hormones decrease over time after a neuter, so give it a while. I say keep him crated (for limited periods) if you can't watch him or in the kitchen, he can't be happy being crated all day.

[nicoles94]

Neutering curbs this in the majority of dogs but not all. Regardless there is almost always a training element -- most male dogs, including neutered dogs, will mark in some situations.

You manage it as you do a housetraining issue. He is still pretty young to be allowed total freedom to wander around -- most dogs wouldn't be really reliable til around age 1.

He is going right into adolesence now, and neutering won't curtail that period -- marking is a common behaviour in boys generally at this time. You may just have one who continues with marking and thus it will be a bit more of a training issue than for most. But marking is a part of owning boys -- mine both mark outside regularly, and Leo will sometimes (rarely) try to mark inside at other homes, if it smells of dogs. But they definitely do not do this at anywhere near the frequency and volume of intact dogs I get in as rescues.

We don't let him wander through the house, he stays fenced in the kitchen/great room with me during the day (I am a stay at home mom). He always lets himself out his doggy door to do his business. Right now, I've tried to compensate him being in the crate by moving it closer to the areas in the room we usually are at so he at least feels closer to us.

He is six months old right now, how long does adolesence last in dogs? I haven't noticed any other rebellious signs of adolesence in him, if anything he has become even more lazy and subdued

[nicoles94]

I managed to train Dylan not to mark in the house and he still has his bits. Catching him in the act was the key I told him off but not too severe, he only did it about 4 or 5 times as I remember and always in the kitchen so easier for me to clear up. A good empty bladder helps but if they wanna mark, they will always find a few more drops! Also, the hormones decrease over time after a neuter, so give it a while. I say keep him crated if you can't watch him or in the kitchen, he can't be happy being crated all day.

*crosses fingers that his hormones taper off sooner then later*

I should buy stock in Natures Miracle enzyme pet stain remover.

[*Pauline*]

Being able to use a doggy door doesn't always house train fully as they don't learn to hold it. That's a side issue though but I think you should go outside with him and make sure he actually goes. I'd restrict to the kitchen for now.

[*Pauline*]

I should buy stock in Natures Miracle enzyme pet stain remover.

Definitely. I used Simple Solutions but I saw visiting dogs sniff where I had to use it so I don't believe it takes all the sent away. You can also scrub with biological clothes washing liquid or powder.

[*Pauline*]

One important thing is that this is largely a habit, break it quick before it's too late!

[Karlin]

I missed that you were crating him around the clock -- this is cruel . Please do not do this. A crate isn;t even the equal of a zoo cage. It is smaller than the space puppy mill dogs are bred in. Please commit to training him not to mark -- what he is doing is NORMAL behaviour for a dog and training him to do otherwise is an OWNER issue, not something he can learn magically just by having bits chopped off. He is way too young to have been completely housetrained -- you need several months of no accidents to be able to state a dog is housetrained. In addition he is just going into the point where he *starts* leg lifting. A much kinder way of managing marking males is simply to buy a belly band while you are training him! You need to keep this clean and cannot make him wear it constantly, long term -- they can get infections left with them on constantly -- but breeders regularly use these with their intact males in the house if there are visiting dogs or females in heat for example that might cause periods of marking. I use them with rescue intact males -- I have yet to have had an intact male who did not try to mark in the house. Usually leas than a week's training -- which means watching constantly so that you can give a loud noise (I use the same noise I would for training bite inhibition) just as he starts lifiting so he never actually marks -- stops the behaviour.

If you are uncertain how to manage this in a dog, please get some good training books -- eg anything by Ian Dunbar, Shirlee Kalstone's book on housetraining. And if that doesn't make things any clearer, then hire an APDT or CCPDT trainer to come in and get the direct advice that help resolve this problem.

You absolutely cannot keep a dog crated round the clock. You could be reported for cruelty to the SPCA for something like this. If you feel you cannot manage a dog -- and they do require many, many hours of training and hours of 100% supervision up til age 1, because dogs DO have accidents from time to time even after being housetrained -- then maybe consider rehoming. You will face greater challenges with a dog over its lifetime than the normal behaviour of marking a bit while still a puppy, and need to consider whether you are able for those challenges -- you cannot resolve problems by locking your dog up, especially a young energetic dog needing lots of exercise and stimulation. Frustration alone from being crated round the clock would easily increase marking too, and other unwanted behaviours will develop, as males will mark to calm themselves and relieve anxiety you are causing by penning him like this!. But do understand this is not *Tybalt's* issue to resolve -- it is YOUR issue to resolve by giving him the focused training and time he needs. Dogs are time consuming.

Dogs are only starting adolescence at 6 months. He will likely become more difficult over the next 6 months -- which is also normal dog behaviour and again an owner management and training issue. Please, please go out and buy Dr Ian Dunbar's Before and After You Get your Puppy so that you know what to expect and how to manage a maturing puppy. It will be well worth the money to have a better understanding and reasonable expectations.

[cosmic81]

Sorry to hear your frustration.
Have you try a xpen? You can put him there when u are away.
My nemo is 10 mo. We put him in the playpen when we goes to work.

this is the one i have.
http://www.amazon.com/North-States-S...1852484&sr=8-1