Urine marking is a primal instinct for dogs, but causes great frustration for their pet parents. The most likely candidates to urine mark are intact (unneutered males and unspayed females), and the behavior nearly always starts before the dog reaches 2 years of age. However, before attempting to correct urine marking, let us rule out any sort of medical issues such as incontinence or urinary infections.
One purpose of urine marking is a mating ritual in which dogs of both sexes will mark to show their availability. Other triggers may include the pup’s quest for territorial dominance over other dogs or animals whether inside or outside the home, or stress and anxiety in the dog’s life.
Perhaps the easiest solution for urine marking is to have intact dogs spayed or neutered. Doing so is shown to eliminate the behavior in more than half of dogs who are altered. If you plan to breed your dog, there are special garments available that will prevent her from soiling your home with urine marking. You can also try to dissuade your pup from marking certain areas by making them as undesirable as possible—double-sided tape, the prickly backside of a carpet runner or placing an object over the spot are all possibilities. If stress or anxiety seems to be the culprit, determine the root of the problem and try to keep your dog isolated from it as much as possible. We can also work with you and your pup to initiate behavior modification or drug therapy for anxiety, if needed.