Is the need really *that* strong?

[Rangers Mom]

Ranger is 3 and half. Has finally come through his teenage time with flying colors and is wonderful. As part of his 're-education', it was suggested to us as both a coutesy and a dominance issue to NOT allow Ranger to lift his leg on every bush, tree, fire hydrant, etc. So, he earns a correction every time he does this and this has significantly reduced the behavior (we're a work in progress).

About a week ago, we were out for a trot through the neighborhood and Ranger was maintaining a perfect 'heel' position when I noticed him lagging behind and there was an odd feel to his gait by the feel of his leash. I almost fell over laughing when I noticed that Ranger has somhow managed to learn how to trot on 3 legs while lifting the 4th to leave a calling card. I guess necessity is the mother of invention...

So. I ask you: Is the need to mark territory (or display dominance) really that strong? Does anyone else have a 'creative'/coordinated dog?

[spidey]

he earns a correction every time he does this

Um...what exactly do you mean? I hope you are giving him a cue for when he's allowed to mark and when he's not? If you're just correcting him for urinating, what do you suppose he thinks he's being corrected for? Just correcting is not training, you need to teach him what you DO want him to do before you start correcting him for what you do NOT want him to do. After three years of being allowed to urinate wherever he wants outside, just starting to correct him for something that's always been allowed is very unfair, and is not really the best way to approach this, IMHO.

[poohbearsmom]

Absolutely agree with Spidey on this one. Make sure he knows WHERE it's appropriate, and where it's not appropriate...

Yikes! ... poor guy probbly got to feeling like he had to sneak a pee in when you're around!

[SonnyRott]

Yes, I agree. When we are walking NO marking allowed. I don't even slow down to give him the idea that he can leave a "calling card". But I make sure that before we start our walk, he empties his bladder.

Once in the woods however, or at the woodline of the parks we go to, he is free to mark all he wants.

Nothing irritates me more than to have neighborhood dogs marking all over my landscape, fence, trees and plants along the sidewalk in front of my house!

[Rangers Mom]

Good point. We have always told him 'go tinkle' for when/where he's supposed to urinate and 'good boy' when he's done, and now he gets a leash correction and 'no mark' when he's marking. He has a 'designated' area to relieve himself. Before, when he was marking, we just stopped and allowed it.

He gets the opportunity to empty out before we start on walks through the neighborhood. I don't think he was 'sneaking to pee'. I think he was sneaking to mark.

[spidey]

Okay, but rather than just starting to correct him without any actual training, why not start with something like distraction (when you see him start thinking about marking, say "no mark", call him in a happy, excited voice and run a few steps, then reward him for coming with you). I really do not think that just correcting him is the reasonable approach here, you haven't even given him the chance to learn how to avoid the correction by teaching him what you DO want, you're just correcting him, he will learn faster and better if you show him what you want (i.e. walking forward, not marking). I also don't think marking is really that big a deal - I don't allow my dog to mark inappropriately, and I don't allow him to mark every vertical thing he comes to, but marking is not all about dominance and territoriality, it's also one of the ways dogs communicate with each other. Reading and writing "pee mail" is important to a dog. I would start by allowing LESS marking, not NO marking, I don't think expecting a dog NEVER to mark is reasonable, and I definitely do not think that the approach you're taking is the reasonable, fair one.

[Rangers Mom]

Makes sense. I hear what you are saying and think my method needs revision. I agree with the pee-mail aspect that you mentioned. On the other hand, marking from begets marking, right? So...what determines when/where is appropriate to mark? How can you tell pee-mail from plain old marking for the sake of marking?

[spidey]

There are usually "hot spots" (the ones your dog will want to sniff and spend time at much more than any other), I let my dog spend extra time at these places, and just hustle him past most other things.