Questions about marking

[packblt]

My Bandit has always been a marker. He always needed to mark where Tyson went which was always the same spot in our potty area so that was fine. He even marks where Lola goes. Anything new that comes into the backyard is immediately marked, new patio furniture, potted plants, decorative accents etc. He doesn't mark in the house but every now and then for some reason he gets so wrapped up in the smell of something, he forgets and marks it. After my daughter's friend slept over he was on my daughter's bed and marked the pillow the friend used. He has marked a chair in the family room that the same friend sat in, she has two Westies at home and I guess the scent of them was so strong he "forgot" where he was. He has even marked me twice while in the house!! When the grandkids were over and we kept the dogs in the kitchen and the kids in the dining room when I went to the kitchen sink he marked me. Every year when I plant my annual flowers I have to be diligent about watching him and following him and telling him "no" if he stops to sniff them (also I have learned to keep extra plants on hand to fill in with because my family does not watch him so carefully and I now use taller flower pots, )

So now we are planning go add a new male dog or puppy and I'm wondering if Bandit is going to go on a wild marking spree. Will he try to mark a new dog or puppy? He hasn't been in his crate in weeks but will he mark it if we use it for the new boy? Will he mark all the toys and dog beds?

Has anyone had a problem with marking when added a male dog to their home?

Any guidance on this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[LILYLARUE]

Is he neutered? That's always the first question in marking situations. LOL My female will mark her own bed when a new foster comes in. Guess she figures the pup wont sleep in her bed, but she dont seem to mind. LOL My last foster, Fozzy, learned to mark outside from the eldest, Buster, who will even mark when he's empty! Fozzy and Buster have a "marking war" going when both are out. Sooooo annoying! Just when I think they are done, one of the sniffs out a spot both missed.......then the battle begins again on which one can mark last! It drives me insane! Buster was two when I rescued him, so he was neutered once I brought him home. So I think it was just habit that he marked all the time. I don't think Fozzy, 9 mos. when rescued, would be a marker, but he wanted to be like his big brother.......in the beginning, he would just walk behind Buster watching, learning, and then about 3 months later started lifting and marking.

Fozzy now marks Lily! She squats, he comes up behind and pees right on her backside. EVERY SINGLE MORNING! He also marks everyone of her pee spots. Grrrrr. Now Smiley isn't a marker. He could care less where he pees and who was there before him. Pooping is a whole 'nother story for that boy. He MUST POOP on something! He backs up into bushes, plants whatever.......he must be poop shy. LOL Very hard to clean up after him, especially when he poops ON TOP of branches! LOL I call it "decorating the tree".

If you know someone will be coming over to which he will feel the need to mark, put a belly band on him. If he marks, it will sit inside the band (panty liner inside) it may thwart his marking inside. He won't like to have a wet, stinky belly! I know a dog that will mark anything that enters his home. Grocery/shopping bags, backpacks, purses, shoes, anything new. He was neutered at 4, so may be a coorelation to neuter age, don't know but seems logical. They mark to "own" it so no other dog will want it. Dogs will mark over top other's marks just to "erase" the others "ownership" of such item, like trees at a park. Some dogs even mark water bowls!

Even some females mark. Lily will mark at home, but never in public. But when she's got 3 or more boys around, she's gotta "own" something that's just hers! LOL She also marks her bed after I wash it. I often wondered, since I have 6 beds the same, if she marks the one that's always been hers, or just marks one that she will claim until the next washing.

I am so glad that people don't do this!!! Could you imagine how our days would be spent? LMAO

 

[Stub]

You may want to get the new puppy his own crate. I knew a lady with an Airedale that was three and hadn't even had her crate set up in the house in two years. Yet when they got a new puppy and started using HER crate for the puppy, the dog went absolutely mad, for a couple months. She peed and pooped in the house almost every day, and was so worked up that she even had diarrhea on several occasions. They were at their wits end, thinking the puppy had brought in an illness or parasites, but all tests were negative. Finally someone advised her to try getting the puppy a new crate and giving the original dog her own back. It worked like a charm and she stopped all her bad behaviors. If Bandit already marks his stuff, he might not let the new boy use HIS crate.

Gus is an intact male who marks every single thing outside. But luckily for me he has never marked anything in the house. (and believe me, I'd know! Intact Gus pee is almost as bad as cat pee for stink!) That might be because I spend time with other dogs every day and have always come home reeking of various dogs, so he grew up used to it. Even when friends bring their dogs over or I board one for a week, Gus does not mark in the house. You might be surprised, if Bandit takes to the new boy well you may have no problems. Good luck!!!

 

[Bastiansgrlz]

My best friend has an unneutered Shih Tzu that visits my house often. And his urine is strong. He even did it when I added Sebastian to our home. On Sebastian's crate no less. But to prevent marking with him, it's Nature's Miracle Urine Destroyer and his mom will spank him (Not that I necessarily agree) with that tactic but it works for her.

I think its certainly more common in unaltered animals to mark than compared to those that have been altered.

 

[packblt]

Thanks for all the great info!!! Bandit was neutered at 6 months and I'm pretty sure he was always a "marker". I always thought it odd that he would mark me, .

I'm happy to say that we have had a puppy since Sunday evening and the only thing Bandit has marked was his jolly ball and it was outside. I'm hoping it stays this way!