Canine Scent Marking: Who's Peeing Where - and Why?
Apart from having a piddle, is there another reason when your dog lifts his leg?
Although jokingly referred to as a pee mail, canine urine marking is serious business for dogs. Just as we check our e-mails several times a day, so dogs have a similar modus operandi?
Dogs don't need wifi, but "pee mail" is a very necessary and highly complex, frequently misunderstood (by humans) method of canine communication.
You've probably experienced some sort of scent marking behavior with your own dog. But do you know why he sniffs other dogs' urine? Or what tidbits of information he's finding out from a dog blog when he sniffs where other dogs have peed?
Dogs have to use pee to mark territory - to leave a message. How else can they do it? Other dogs come along and check the message and in turn, leave a message of their own by marking over or adjacent to the original spot. There's probably a lot of interesting information in these messages, and by checking "pee mails," 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 randy bitch on heat or coming into heat, as well as to determine the health, stress level, and social status of the dogs who have previously marked the spot. Stopping them from smelling pee mails is cruel and restraining. It may seem awful to you but to a dog is it vital for their mental stimulus and daily health. Forget jogging behind your owner, the pee mail is the thing that makes the walk worthwhile.
Male dogs with all their tackle intact are high on the social order and seen as alpha males. These boys are most likely to over-mark (pee over another dog's scent). Its the human equivalent of Porsche man with the Rolex who cuts up everybody in traffic signifying that HE is the top bozo.
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.
Strangely, females never over-marked, but rather "adjacent marked" or urinated nearby, as opposed to on top of the urine mark left by another dog. If a female dog considers itself to be a dominant one in the household, she will over mark.
I find this interesting because my fifteen-year-old, spayed, female Cocker Spaniel literally waits for the male dogs to urinate and then goes over and urinates on top of it. Most days she stands right behind the boys and can hardly wait for them to finish their business so she can mark on top of it. If they don't move fast enough, she's likely to body bomb them out of the way, then do her piddle.
What does all this mean? I'm not sure. But I'm thankful that most of the marking goes on outside although, there will always be one or two boys who will mark indoors. It's not uncommon for dogs to mark indoors, outdoors, or both. Causing owners intense irritation.
There's still a lot we don't understand about canine marking. For instance, what is the distinction between over-marking and adjacent marking? Do they have different functions? Why do some dogs mark while others do not? What does it tell us about the dogs, their personalities, temperaments, and social status? It is possible that marking may be a strategy dogs use to avoid conflict. What does this say about dogs who are forced to greet other dogs on a leash without the ability to urine mark?That's a mean and unkind owner's way of stopping them from saying "Hi! how's it going?"
If a dog lifts its leg indoors, clean it up with disinfectant immediately and spray something strong and sweet smelling to hopefully deter them from doing it again in the same spot. Not as easy as you think, since many dogs will search out their smell and do it again months later.
This 'n that ..........
With the exceptionally high temperatures and sweltering days, here is a good tip to hyderate your dog in readiness for a long walk. Before you leave the house, give them a bowl of water with 1/4 piece of beef or stock cube crumbled in. Dog will glug it down and they wont be gasping for water after the walk. And no, its too small a piece to worry about the salt intake.
Look at this wonderful sculpture that I have acquired to adorn my garden. I've nick named it "Doris Lay".
My friend, Tracy Ann Neill, mobile beauty therapist, relexologist, manicurist and pedicurist is marketing them from South Africa where she has a friend who diligently makes any kind of creature that you wish. If you want to know more about them, her contact details are 07958062283/ neilltracy@hotmail.com.
Certainly makes a change from garden gnomes!
Wimbledon is in full swing but without any doubt, these are definitely some of the best ball boys on the tennis circuit.
The sun is shining, no clouds scudding across the blue sky, the temperture is scorchio for the next few days, so get out there and make the most of the good weather. What's not to enjoy?
Dawn ("-")
