JMSGunner
Bucks County, PA
MH
Posts:785
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| 12/29/2010 6:14 AM |
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So, I know marking comes with the territory of owning an intact male but I am not happy about this!
Gunner is now 8 1/2 months and has started to "mark" at other peoples' houses. The first time he did it was at my brother-in-laws and they have a unneutered female GSP/Portugese Pointer mix. So I kind of get that one... But last night we were at my boy's parent's house and Gunner lifted his leg and marked the recliner!
I know it's not because he has to go potty. He's home 6-8 hours out of his crate at home all the time. He knows not to potty inside.
Gunner doesn't "mark" at home or outside/on walks for the most part.
Is there any way to curb this behavior? I'd hate to neuter him just because. I'd like to keep him intact until he is atleast 16-18 months old and then decide if we want to neuter and I am not keen to the idea of keeping him on a leash at other peoples' houses unless absolutely necessary - he is a good boy and doesn't cause any trouble typically.
I am annoyed at this new behavior! Grr! |
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Jackie & Gunner
Impressive Gewehr von Catskill 4/19/2010
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Gunnar
MH
Posts:288
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| 12/29/2010 6:38 AM |
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I have the same problem with my big guy marking my little guys stuff. Like the crate mostly. Not sure how or if it can be stopped short of leasing and crating. The worst thing is I had the big guy loose and the little guy crated and he got him while he was in his crate  Poor lil guy needed a bath. |
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JMSGunner
Bucks County, PA
MH
Posts:785
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| 12/29/2010 6:50 AM |
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LOL. Gunner hasn't peed on anybody yet... hahaha  |
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Jackie & Gunner
Impressive Gewehr von Catskill 4/19/2010
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everbell
Kanata, ON
MH
Posts:3162
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| 12/29/2010 7:10 AM |
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| Welcome to the puppy stupids ... I'm not sure how to stop this, I just know that Bo went through this and stopped at some point (how quickly we forget!!!). I would just start over with housebreaking like you did when he was a wee thing (including sending them out ever 30 minutes) until the behaviour stops. (BTW -- we had Bo neutered when he was 15 mo so you can get through it without neutering.) |
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Joce and Rich
Bogart and Shiraz (GSPs)
Roxane (RIP: 1995-2009) and Tiger Lily (Cats)
The Everbell Adventures |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7834
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| 12/29/2010 9:03 AM |
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Your pup needs to be taught that it is inappropriate to mark in houses period. Ringo tried this about the same age. I kept him on a leash and watched him like a hawk and any time he would go to mark I would tell him no and give him a jerk on the leash. It didn't Take him long to figure it out. Expect that anytime you go to a new place and especially if they have or have had dogs, he will try to mark the territory. Be prepared and watchful and look for the signs, sniffing, doing the walking back and forth by a spot, also if another dog might have already gone there, etc. As soon as you detect he might be about to mark, correct him. Places like dog training centers, PetSmarts, vets offices are especially inviting as other dogs have been in those places.
Even today, I will watch Ringo when I take him anywhere new. He hasn't been a problem since he was about 1.5 years old, but you never know if we end up where there has been a bitch in season or something like that he might still get the urge. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
   
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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therozypozy
MH
Posts:470
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| 12/29/2010 9:24 AM |
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That reason is why I never wanted a male dog . . . but my daughter talked me into getting a border collie that is a male. This does not help you, but he was taught NEVER to hike his leg to pee.
Like Bev says, you have to be diligent about it right now keeping a close eye on him while he goes through this phase.
Thankfully my daughter is an awesome dog trainer. It was one of my rules that he could not go around peeing on everything and so, he pees just like all the girls! |
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JMSGunner
Bucks County, PA
MH
Posts:785
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| 12/29/2010 9:35 AM |
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Gunner squats 95% of the time.
In fact both my BIL and Chris's dad laughed that he actually lifted his leg to mark. |
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Jackie & Gunner
Impressive Gewehr von Catskill 4/19/2010
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pixie bee
MH
Posts:4448
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| 12/29/2010 9:41 AM |
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It's a dominance thing. My dogs have never, and will never forget if they do(what this means is they will get a clear,firm correction and be reminded who is the boss - definitly a sharp,harsh verbal command and maybe a swat on the rump), lift their leg on anything except what they are supposed to. Anything that is 'human' is off limits. Be the leader in the dog's eyes and this will stop(or never start). it's easy to say it's a male thing but females do it,too and other subtle dominance actions. |
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"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
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Gunnar
MH
Posts:288
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| 12/29/2010 11:07 AM |
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My big guy is limiting himself to the puppy's crate. He tried it the first night I brought the puppy home and that got corrected. When he pulled that the other day I called him over pointed it out said NO and crated him up. We could call that border line punishment and crate association but to be honest at that point I could have cared less. My thinking was about going back to basics and the only time he got out was to eat and relieve himself. He seems to have figured it out. Now I watch him like a hawk.
What I have noticed is he seems to be going backward with things like counter surfing and such. He see's the puppy doing it so he does it. I understand that and we work through it, but I can't have these knuckleheads getting into a P'ing contest. |
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vnrose53
MH
Posts:379
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| 12/29/2010 11:12 AM |
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| Humphrey (my new boy) marked in the house a couple of times (that I know of) when I first brought him in, but he seems to have stopped now. I think it was less my correction than the fact that he now knows his place with Chelsea. At first they were having literal p*ssing contests in the yard. She pees. . .he pees over it. . .she pees over it. . .he pees over it. . .but that seems to have been short-lived as well! |
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gharner
Middletown, PA
MH
Posts:565
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| 12/29/2010 11:43 AM |
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| We had a couple issues, when Dax was about the same age...a friend of ours brought their dog to our house, and that dog marked several places in our basement. Dax marked over top of it twice. Both times he got a firm correction. He learned quick. He's now 14 months old. a few weeks ago he got confused when we brought the Christmas tree in the house and lifted his leg on it. Another firm correction and he came back to his senses. It will pass, just be firm....let him know you mean business and it is NOT acceptable, then take him outside (I do this even though he doesnt have to go, he's just marking, but it seemed to clear the point that its ok to do outside). Good luck! |
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Gunnar
MH
Posts:288
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| 12/30/2010 5:08 AM |
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| Every dog I have ever had gets confused with the tree in the house. It has to be something with the real tree and the smells that triggers behavior changes. |
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everbell
Kanata, ON
MH
Posts:3162
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| 12/30/2010 6:24 AM |
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| It's funny ... ours' aren't interested in the tree at all (and it smells AWESOME!). The cat on the other hand thinks it's a chew toy. Erk! |
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Joce and Rich
Bogart and Shiraz (GSPs)
Roxane (RIP: 1995-2009) and Tiger Lily (Cats)
The Everbell Adventures |
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Gatormom
St Paul, MN
MH
Posts:203
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| 12/30/2010 6:18 PM |
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The last 4 dogs that I've had have been males, prior to that I had females. I've never had a problem of marking, or peeing in the house once they are potty triained, except for my last shorthair, who started peeing in the house the last 2 months or so of his life (canine cognitive disorder in a 14 year old). This said, about 7 years ago, we got new next door neighbors who had 2 little, yippy dogs. The first time we met, my husband and I were at the fence taking to the husband next door. Kaiser was at our side. The wife let the 2 yippers out of the house, and they quickly came to the fence. Kaiser in response, lifted his leg, and promptly peed on them. Something he had never done to another dog, before or after.
In hindsight, Kaiser in his infinite wisdom was telling us to beware. They lived there for about a year. I work nights and sleep days, and for the entire time that they lived there, I was extremely sleep deprived, since the dogs barked and yipped all day long. |
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Barbara
Kaiser (1996-2010)
Gator
I am simply thankful that least dogs exist, and I'm humbly aware of how much less a person I'd be - how less human, if they did not exist - Rick Bass |
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Gunnar
MH
Posts:288
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| 01/01/2011 6:30 PM |
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MY guy points my neighbors lil yip dog. I'm torn if I should get the gun or not
I'm kidding  |
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