Hoping for some insight

[Platzz]

WendiS - I did this when rasing my male dogs about that "cocky teenangel" time. When on a formal walk(at heal, training mode) I picked his spots to relieve himself. If he went to a tree, I'd pull him off and send him to an approved tree.

I think it''s natural and permissable for a dog to do some marking. Not only is it territorial, some belive it helps a dog find it's way home? In the nieghborhood I can understand that a bit. So let him mark...again YOU decide when & were.

This will re-enforce your alpha-NESS.

Don't laugh when he gives you the look the 1st time you do it.

[WendiS]

I was always under the impression that marking was another way of saying "this is mine, and this is mine, and this over here, it's mine" I'm hoping to avoid that obnoxious territorialness (is that a word??) in as much as possible. But, if I'm going overboard or my expectations are a little too high...or maybe I'm just fighting something that is a whole lot stronger than I am, and the male dog need to mark everything in sight just might be, I'll try the marking the bush I approve of approach.
Just in case I've given you the impression I'm a urinary drill sergant, I do, of course, let him pee as he sees fit, it's just the marking I've been against...well that and deficating in unacceptable places... I was just thinking of him hunkering down on the beach where people might walk and I stopped him...wow, I am a bodily function drill sergeant
Oh well, I suppose we'll muddle through this adolescent thing and in another three to five years it'll all be fond memory
Thanks for the advice
Wendi

[Judi W]

Your analysis is entirely correct. Marking is a way of staking out territory. You will probably find that those dogs who are issuing challenges at other dogs during their walks have been allowed to expand their territory beyond their own property be marking the 'hood. That does not mean that all dogs that mark become punks, but almost every punk has been allowed to mark at will.

[Platzz]

WendiS - You sound like a very responcible owner. I reallyu don't tink this is going to be a probvlem for you. A dog that stays on lead and does not roam IMHO is not going to be an issue for the owner if he occassionaly marks.

I do base this on my own dogs living in a dog loving neigborhood. For every neighbor(and thier aren't many) that don't have a dog thier are 3 that have more than one. So any thing that get's marked gets marked over. I watch 6 differant dogs walk by the vacant lot(on lead) and try to out high-pee the prior visitor. It rrreally was quite silly to watch.

My point about you allowing him to mark or picking his tree is a re-enforcement of your Alpa-NESS. In your pup's mind "yes I king of the world....when my mommy says it's O.K." I've done it, it works. Right now he needs to always remember your're "She who must be obayed".