He started to mark his territory (and I say mark his territory because he doesn't empty his bladder) when I was 4 months pregnant. I started to keep a closer watch on him, but I have not caught him in the action, just right after. Why is he doing this now? He is house broken..........
2007-01-29 10:44:44 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
Dogs know when things around the house are about to change i.e. when babies come in. If you tend to be his primary caretaker and have slacked off since the pregnancy, he may have some uncertainty about what happens next. Sometimes we tend to treat them more like people than dogs, and that can cause some issues when introducing a new baby into the house. Time for him to be reacquainted with what species he is. There are some great behavior tips - like no on the furniture, no claiming you by jumping in your lap, and reassurance things you can do to help him transition through this time as well. If you are not planning on using him as a stud, then I would suggest neutering, too.
2007-01-29 10:56:29 · answer #1 · answered by vetmom94 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It could be that the dog senses the coming of a new family member. Therefore, by marking, he reminds the rest of the "pack/family" his role and status. If he has more of an alpha character, this could become a bigger problem later on. In general, non-neutered dogs will have a higher tendency to mark their territories than neutered ones do. I am not an expert so I may be wrong: In your situation (and if the behavior did not degenerated), I would speak with a trainer about some strategies: Maybe strategies like:
to emphasize who (me in my case) is the leader of the family. It could be helpful.
using training techniques and sessions like clicker and positive training.
Adjusting my general behavior in the context. Maybe more assertive, not allowing slight disobedience signs like let's say: when i say come, it means right now not 2 min later. It's all suppositions...
a good trainer/vet has probably some very good feedback.
2007-01-29 22:34:15 · answer #2 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is perfectly normal. Most dogs male or female mark their territory. It basically tells other dogs that this is their place and to keep out.
2007-01-29 19:05:25 · answer #3 · answered by Tejans Girl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Marking doesn't have anything to do with housebreaking. He's marking because it's what unneutered male dogs do. Get him fixed fast...the longer you wait, the less likely it is that you can stop this behavior after having him fixed.
2007-01-29 20:54:08 · answer #4 · answered by Pink Denial 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because he is unneutered. I recommend getting him neutered asap. He will be happier & healthier for it as well as live a longer life. I recommend doing it NOW before his behavior becomes a habit that is very, very difficult to break. Also other undesirable behaviors are likely to crop up if left unneutered.
2007-01-29 19:39:05 · answer #5 · answered by Great Dane Lover 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dogs are very jealous when it comes to their primary caretakers....The dog can feel very strongly that something is about to happen......and is acting out on it.....I had the same thing happen to men when I was pregnant with my son......It got so bad that I had to end up putting my dog outside because I didn't know what he would next.......I don't how how you treat your dog but I treated my like one of my own children.....he was super spoiled.....and late into my pregnancy all that changed.
So please please please be very careful.......
2007-01-29 19:05:10 · answer #6 · answered by girlegyrl 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
He is doing it because he is un-neutered. He should get neutered and he will stop.
2007-01-29 18:55:29 · answer #7 · answered by Diana 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋