Territory Marking / Cocking Leg

[cavvysavvy]

I have an 18 month old cavalier King Charles who was desexed at a very young age - 4 months old and as of recent he has began to cock his leg on everything outdoors, including other dogs kennels and fence posts, clumps of grass - you name it...... He has never done this indoors and he is house trained. I have one other male dog who is not as bad and two other female dogs in case this means something.

Any ideas to stop this behaviour completely? I would much rather prefer that he stuck to squatting.

Any help or ideas would be much appreciated

Thanks

[dandybrush]

dude i have no idea im in the same predicament, my dog was desexed at 4 months also and he cocks on everything (not inside either) he is our only dog. It has gotten to be quite embarrassing as whenever i take him to someone elses house he goes around cocking on everything outside even their furniture :/

[jackie_a1]

S_edmonds is your other male desexed also? Sometimes this is a learnt behaviour.

[cavvysavvy]

S_edmonds is your other male desexed also? Sometimes this is a learnt behaviour.

Yes, All of our dogs are desexed. We have always had our dogs done as young as possible

[persephone]

Dogs will learn to cock a leg..it is most often done when with other dogs or in a new place. My kieran used to squat at home by himself.. and lift his leg at other times

it is an instinctual thing.. and you cannot now make him squat .

What you CAN do is train him to toilet on command.... a word or phrase, keep him on leash when somewhere which triggers his peeing, and make sure he toilets a couple of times before walks/visits etc.

Are the females speyed? Could there be a bitch in season somewhere?

[Tilly]

My 12 month old has started marking ... but he is entire. He lifted his leg for the first time (that I noticed) at about 9 months and then he just kept doing it. It wasn't a problem until the day I took him to the vet and he walked into the consult room and lifted his leg on the desk ... and then on the door as we were leaving - he had never peed inside since he was toilet trained so I was extremely embarrased.

I make a point of not allowing either dog to mark when we are on a walk but I will give them a change to do so when we visit the off-leash are.

I have caught him once or twice marking the veranda and verbally corrected him - thankfully he seems to be doing it much less.

[jackie_a1]

And let me pat your back for that most people arent so saavy.

I wish I could offer you some intricate reply as to why he is doing this but I'm actually not to sure. I'll try and do some looking on the web to help ya out

Edit: To tell S_ed on yay for desexing

Edited April 26, 2010 by jackie_a1

[cavvysavvy]

Dogs will learn to cock a leg..it is most often done when with other dogs or in a new place. My kieran used to squat at home by himself.. and lift his leg at other times

it is an instinctual thing.. and you cannot now make him squat .

What you CAN do is train him to toilet on command.... a word or phrase, keep him on leash when somewhere which triggers his peeing, and make sure he toilets a couple of times before walks/visits etc.

Are the females speyed? Could there be a bitch in season somewhere?

My cav toilets on command - I only have to say "pee pees" and he wees for me when taken outside but if he is wondering around thats when he marks everything. Our females are fixed up and we live on acreage so no neighbours with dogs either that are in close proximity...

when he is doing his normal pee pee he squats if this helps...

[jackie_a1]

Has anything changed in the house? Have you moved? Have you had visitors? Has any dogs or animals been on your property? New furniture etc? Maybe he is feeling an excessive urge to mark in order to show possession or dominance?

[cavvysavvy]

Has anything changed in the house? Have you moved? Have you had visitors? Has any dogs or animals been on your property? New furniture etc? Maybe he is feeling an excessive urge to mark in order to show possession or dominance?

No changes at all, but I do stay a few nights in town at my partners who also has a desexed cav.... He comes along with me and then goes back home when I do. Could he maybe be re establishing his territory after being away for a few days?

[jackie_a1]

That sounds feasible. Maybe he is just re-establishing to the other dogs that it's his territory and that he lives here. I have a four month old am staff x and he luckily is still squatting (planning to get him desexed in a month) but he is learning from Razor after he defecates to kick the dirt up from behind him. I caught him doing it the other day on a walk obviously learnt behaviour.

[cavvysavvy]

Has anything changed in the house? Have you moved? Have you had visitors? Has any dogs or animals been on your property? New furniture etc? Maybe he is feeling an excessive urge to mark in order to show possession or dominance?

No changes at all, but I do stay a few nights in town at my partners who also has a desexed cav.... He comes along with me and then goes back home when I do. Could he maybe be re establishing his territory after being away for a few days?

Ha my little fella does that too. Maybe I should try staying home with him and see how things go. He may settle down after a few days hopefully and stop doing it. Should I try using a stern no when I see him doing it? I dont want him to think that I dont want him to piddle and confuse him...