Sometimes a pet, completely unexpectedly for the owner, begins to leave marks throughout the house. Moreover, “program failure” occurs not only in males - females also behave this way. Most often, the pet’s actions are not associated with any diseases - this is how they demonstrate leadership, relieve anxiety, or attract a partner. The owner must understand what is happening in order to choose the right training method.
Specifics of marking territory
Before weaning your dog from leaving odorous surprises in the apartment, you need to find out how the mark differs from regular emptying of the bladder.
Label assignment
A mark is the leaving of specific marks on objects or walls of a room. The most favorite places for pranksters are darkened corners of the room, entrance doors, the owner’s bed or sofa.
Before doing a dirty trick, the animal carefully sniffs the selected surface. The dog does this consciously, for a specific purpose: to mark his presence in a specific territory and designate the thing as his property.
It is necessary to distinguish between marks and relief
Small puppies under the age of six months are not able to leave marks. If a puddle appears in the house, it means that the baby has simply peed himself - it is difficult for him to endure for a long time due to the weakness of the bladder muscles.
Relieving yourself indoors is also associated with a long period of abstinence. An adult animal may not be able to stand it and do a wet job if the intervals between walks are too long.
Involuntary emptying of the bladder cannot be considered leprosy. Incontinence occurs in four-legged animals that have experienced severe stress or suffer from cystitis, pyometra, polydipsia, suffer from renal failure, or experience severe pain due to injury.
It is easy to distinguish a mark from incontinence: the former appear more often on vertical surfaces and are not so abundant, while the latter are puddles left on the floor.
What not to do?
When training your dog to mark in your apartment, you should avoid the following actions:
- An animal cannot be punished after a certain time after it left a mark. It is necessary to educate as soon as the dog begins to relieve itself in the wrong place. Pets live in the present moment, and if they are punished after some time, they simply will not understand why they are being punished. Often the smell of chlorine can provoke a dog’s desire to “cover” it with his own, which subsequently leads to the appearance of new marks.
- When raising an animal, you cannot beat or frighten it, but you need to explain as strictly as possible that this is not possible.
- You should not use chlorine-containing substances when cleaning the apartment if the dog leaves marks - bleach only increases the smell.
- The dog should always know why he is being scolded, for example, for defecating in the corners. Otherwise, she may harbor a grudge against the owner and begin to take revenge, leaving new marks.
Possible reasons
How to react and what to do when a dog marks in an apartment depends on the reason for the action. An attentive owner should trace what caused this behavior and choose an appropriate response.
Experiences, stress, resentment, revenge
Often odorous signs become a manifestation of serious emotional experiences. For example, in this way a male or female demonstrates resentment or feelings. A young and wayward pet that has just been punished can leave marks.
When stressed or frightened, the dog begins to pee on its territory to ward off the stranger. Vengeful individuals do the same, thereby showing superiority over others.
In the end, the dog may wet itself simply from the joy of meeting its owner. This is typical for puppies, and this behavior can be corrected by education.
The desire to gain leadership
Trying to show who is boss in the house, the dog begins to relieve itself on all surrounding objects: furniture, walls, even the clothes of household members. All cases of inappropriate manifestations must be strictly suppressed, showing authority. The dog must understand that there is only one leader in the house - and this is a person.
Sexual hunting
The most common reason for the misdeeds of a four-legged friend is the manifestation of sexual instinct. Both females and males can leave odorous signs for members of the opposite sex. In this way they attract the bride or groom, showing their readiness for mating.
Competition for territory – with people or other pets
In their natural habitat, four-legged animals instinctively mark the territory they inhabit. This helps scare off the stranger and save your dinner - and sometimes your life.
Pets remember their natural instincts when a new animal or person appears in the house or apartment. Some representatives react equally poorly to a kitten or a baby, considering them invaders.
Illness or old age
There are chronic diseases that force a once obedient friend to pee in the corner of the room. Uncontrolled urination is caused by a number of pathologies: cystitis, kidney failure, various types of diabetes.
Old age weakens the bladder muscles. This leads to the development of incontinence. You won’t be able to cope with the problem on your own; you need the help of a veterinarian and treatment under his supervision.
Reluctance to walk outside
Sometimes inappropriate behavior demonstrates the dog's obvious desire to stay at home. Reluctance to go for a walk can be triggered by fright during one of the walks, bad weather or severe mental disorders.
Preventive measures
First you need to understand the reasons for this behavior. This may be due to both physiological and psychological problems. The following preventive measures should be applied:
- use a prohibiting signal - clap and the word “no”;
- exclude the influence of certain social factors on the animal;
- limit access to objects on which the animal leaves marks;
- keep the dog away from doors and windows;
- place dog bowls and treats near the marking areas;
- The places that the dog previously marked must be made inaccessible and unattractive by treating them with special means.
Pet behavior correction
Correcting the behavior of a pet that leaves marks in the apartment will take more than one day. First of all, you need to find out the reason for this behavior. You should not put off solving the problem; at the very first signs you should begin weaning.
How to stop a male dog from marking at home
Screaming, spanking and trying to poke your pet's nose are unreasonable and useless actions. They will not bring the expected result, but will only negatively affect the person’s trust.
Is castration the solution?
The sexual instinct is one of the strongest instincts in animals older than 10 months. It affects the behavior of all individuals of reproductive age. Castration of the pet will help relieve owners from all related problems. Veterinarians and experienced breeders consider this method the most effective.
After the removal of the reproductive organs, a bitch or dog loses attraction to the opposite sex, and therefore the need to attract a male or female by marking territory or running off for walks.
Castration is resorted to only if the owner does not plan to produce offspring. Surgical intervention is not used when breeding the breed.
In such a situation, a mate is found for the pet. After a successful mating, the adult male becomes much calmer. You can also control the behavior of a mature male dog with herbal sedatives - these will be recommended by a veterinarian.
Strict training
Early socialization of a puppy is the key to its good behavior throughout its life. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that your pet adheres to norms of behavior from a very early age.
Things are more complicated with an adult male. If he demonstrates inappropriate behavior, then its reason lies in improper upbringing or psychological trauma.
Experienced dog handlers will help you cope with problems; they can correct the dog’s behavior in just a few sessions and give recommendations to its owner.
Another specialist you can contact is an animal psychologist. Using behavioral tests, he will find out the emotional cause of the misconduct and help you cope with it.
Authority is in man
Of course, you shouldn’t shout at an errant pet. But it is necessary to express your negative attitude towards the action. The dog must see the person’s displeasure - if the pet approaches the owner, the latter must ignore him and turn away.
It wouldn’t hurt to shame the naughty guy with the phrases “Ugh, that smells bad!”, “Naughty one, what have you done!” Then order him to return to his place, making clear his dissatisfaction with his action.
However, this method only works on smart and conscientious four-legged animals. They clearly recognize the authority of the owner and try not to upset him.
If the damage to things is the male’s intention to compete with the owner, then you need to act more harshly. The primacy of man must be manifested in everything. People eat first, sleep upstairs (on sofas and beds), have the right to command and take food from the dog.
If a teenager or adult dog does not want to recognize the owner as a leader, it is necessary to contact a dog handler before the animal’s behavior completely deteriorates.
Increased walking
Increasing the number and duration of walks is another way to wean your dog from marking at home. Veterinarians advise walking your pet at least twice a day, preferably at the same time.
Evening walks should be especially active. They are the longest in time.
On average, a walk should last at least 1 hour and be accompanied by active jogging and games. It is useful to train a young animal to follow commands while walking.
Sufficient physical activity will help you release the energy accumulated during the day. In this case, after a walk, the dog simply does not want to do any harm. If the prankster has not walked up after two exercises a day, then you can add an additional walk at lunchtime.
Rearranging the house
It will be useful to temporarily limit the prankster’s access to those corners of the room that he has chosen. These places can be fenced off using screens or furniture.
At night or during the absence of the owner, the small pet is placed in large boxes, and for large representatives special pens are made or purchased.
Moving the bed, drinking bowl or bowls to where the dog is used to relieving himself also helps. Your four-legged friend will definitely not defecate where he eats or sleeps.
When to contact a veterinarian
Owners of elderly animals and pets with chronic diseases should visit a veterinarian at least twice a year. This will help maintain the dog's health in good condition.
Traces of blood or mucus in the pet’s urine should alert the owner. They are a signal of the development of diseases of the internal organs. Only a veterinarian can diagnose the pathology and prescribe treatment after examining the patient.
Also, diseases of the genitourinary system are accompanied by the following symptoms:
- frequent urination;
- lethargy, drowsiness, reluctance to eat even your favorite treats;
- abdominal pain;
- pain when urinating;
- discharge from the genitals.
If you have any suspicion, it is better to contact a veterinarian, get tested and get competent advice. Some diseases are very dangerous and it is better to treat them in the early stages.
Working methods for training a dog to stop marking indoors
Many dog breeders are faced with the problem that their pet marks its territory. And this applies not only to males; female dogs also often behave this way. There are several reasons for this behavior, and all of them, mostly, are in no way related to any disease or desire to mischief. Today we’ll talk about how to wean a dog from marking.
This behavior of our four-legged friends is inherent in nature at the level of instincts. These animals do this to show leadership, protect their territory, attract a partner, relieve anxiety, and protect themselves from fear.
If a bitch marks at home
Females are less likely than males to show a desire to leave their mark on furniture or walls. However, during the period of estrus, they demonstrate strange, in human eyes, behavior, including relieving themselves within the walls of their home.
Smelly signs can also indicate a desire to protect the nest with puppies. This is how mom scares off strangers and shows the boundaries of her territory. Typically, this behavior ends after the puppies grow up and begin to move around the entire apartment.
Otherwise, the methods of dealing with marks are similar: obstinate females who strive for leadership or are prone to revenge are carefully trained, and those who become ill are treated under the supervision of a veterinarian. If obtaining offspring is not the goal of having a bitch, then sterilization is carried out.
Aids
Hand-made hygiene products and special solutions that can once and for all discourage the desire to do dirty tricks in the room help to cope with the pranks of your pet.
Cleaning the house
The places chosen by the pet in the apartment or house are thoroughly washed with water with the addition of detergent and chlorine. The latter is used with extreme caution - too much concentration will harm not only the dog’s sense of smell, but will also cause vapor poisoning in humans.
Chlorine is used in a highly diluted form, and after treatment the four-legged animal is not allowed near the washed area for some time. A good alternative to bleach is vinegar. You shouldn’t be overzealous with it either, although it helps remove unpleasant odors forever.
How to get rid of the smell
Pets' sense of smell is very sensitive. This should be used to discourage a bitch or dog from wanting to mark in the apartment. There are substances that a prankster definitely won’t like. The most common of them:
- citrus essential oils;
- tobacco;
- ground red pepper.
These liquid or granular substances are left where the naughty woman defecates. First, this area of the apartment or house is thoroughly washed, and only then tobacco or pepper is scattered. The oil is dripped onto a cloth or piece of paper and left in a treasured corner.
