What causes urine marking?
The most likely cause of urine marking or urine spraying is to assert dominance.
Your Labrador may be marking in the house because he feels the need to take on an alpha role – Urine marking is a way to stake out his territory and assert his dominance within his pack. He could also be asserting his dominance over potential intruders.
If you aren’t taking the role of the Alpha dog, your Labrador puppy will start taking on that role at the age of about 8 months or so when they start becoming aware of the hierarchy.
In some cases, Labradors will even pee on their owners beds. This is because the bed is the safest and most important place. Thus, if they mark that, they don’t need to mark the entire territory.
Are you sure it is urine marking?
Of course, you have to make sure that it is urine marking before you start fixing the problem.
Make sure that it is not caused by a medical problem. Some Labradors with urine track infections will start marking, and then stop as soon as it clears up.
Also make sure that it is actual marking and not just “accidents” – Make sure that your puppy is properly potty trained.
If it is urine spray, it will tend to be against vertical surfaces, and as high up as possible. Your Labrador will probably choose high value items like your bed or sofa / chair – Any furniture where you relax or sleep.
Alternatively, they might also target items that does not belong. A friends handbag, groceries, etc. Anything new that was bought into the house.
Ok, so how do I prevent urine marking?
The simplest thing you can do to make it less likely is to neuter your dog. Neutered Labradors are less territorial and thus less likely to mark.
Neutering can also help prevent certain forms of cancer, and you don’t have the problem of your Labrador trying to get to every dog in heat at every possible opportunity.
Unless you are going to breed or show your dog, you really should consider neutering.
Also make sure that any new things you bring into the house are out of their reach. Pack away the groceries immediately, put visitors belongings in a closet, etc.
Once a dog has marked a spot, you have to clean it very thoroughly with a odor neutralizer, or else the Labrador will keep marking over it. Don’t use any ammonia based products or anything that has a strong smell, or this could actually encourage the dog to mark there again.
Then we can start the harder work of actually fixing the problem. As I mentioned earlier, urine marking is caused by dominance issues, so to fix it, we need to assert our dominance over the Labrador. Now I’m not talking about barbaric methods like the “Alpha roll” or beating your dog.
Some simple ways to show your dominance
I’ll go into detail in a separate post, but for now, here’s some quick tips:
- Never step around your Labrador to go somewhere. If they are in the way walk into them to make them move out the way. They learn very quickly to get out of the way when you come. The only exceptions I follow is with young puppies when they are exhausted after playing.
- Make sure that all the humans always eat before the dogs. If you can’t, make sure that they see you eat something before they do.
- Whenever you go for a walk, make your dog sit and wait until it is calm. Also, never let your Labrador lead or decide where to walk. The alpha always leads.
- Always go through doorways first. One way of reinforcing your position as alpha dog is to walk your dog around the house on the leash and making your Labrador sit and wait while you walk through doors first.
- Never feed your Labrador from your plate. If you have any leftovers for him, save it for training sessions instead. At the very least give it to him later and away from where you eat.
- Do not greet your dogs straightaway when you arrive home. Make it wait until you are ready and then call it to you.
- Never let your Labrador pester you for attention. Make them do something before you pet them. Even if you only make them sit and wait or give you a paw.
- Don’t allow your Labrador on the furniture. Once he understands that it is not allowed, you can start allowing it when you invite him up, but I wouldn’t ever let him sleep on my bed. My dogs sleep at the foot of my bed on a camping mattress. The important thing is that your bed is higher and comfier.
Well, hopefully this answers your questions about urine marking. If there’s anything you are still unclear about, feel free to ask questions in the comments.
photo credit: ewen and donabel
This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 7th, 2010 at 9:54 am and is filed under Puppy Potty Training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
