Marking is most often a problem of unneutered male dogs with dominance issues. If you neuter your pet before sexual maturity, urine-marking will often stop. However, in some cases, neutering does not stop marking, because the behavior is entrenched. There are steps to take if your dog is already marking in the house:
- Your initial step must be to completely eradicate any urine odor from the home. Standard household cleansers will not work. You should consult with your vet, or your local pet supply store, to obtain a product that will eliminate the scent through enzymatic cleansing. Ammonia and ammonia-based cleansers, in particular, will simply encourage more marking
- Many pet owners find that they need to give their dog a place to mark outside. Especially in newly developed areas, owners may need to erect a "marking pole." You might find it beneficial to invite other pup owners in the area to bring their dogs by to mark the new pole, all the while praising and rewarding your dog when he marks the pole himself.
- One of the tactics that a dog owner can use is similar to housebreaking. You can limit your doggie´s access to the house until the retraining takes effect. Scolding your dog for marking will probably not change this activity. You need to keep your dog to a smaller area of your home, gradually expanding the confinement, until your pet is only marking outside the house.
- Many pet owners find that they need to give their dog a place to mark outside. Especially in newly developed areas, owners may need to erect a "marking pole." You might find it beneficial to invite other pup owners in the area to bring their dogs by to mark the new pole, all the while praising and rewarding your dog when he marks the pole himself.
