House Training Your Scent Marking Dog

There is nothing quite as frustrating to a dog owner then a dog that isn't house trained. And if you are a new dog owner this problem can be enough to make you pull your hair out because you aren't sure what to do or where to start. The first thing you need to understand is there are primarily two reasons that dogs do this.

• Scent marking which we'll cover here, and
• Submissive and/or excited urination. You can find more information about this by clicking here.

Scent marking is simply your dog doing what comes naturally to him; marking his territory by peeing on everything. Unfortunately your house is not something you want him marking, even if he see's it as his territory.

One thing most dog owners fail to understand is there is a difference between scent marking and your dog being house trained because they are different. You can have a house broke dog that scent marks, which can be doubly frustrating.

Here are some clues to look for to determine if your dog is scent marking in your house.

• He just gives a quick squirt, usually against walls, doors, and other vertical surfaces.
• Un-neutered male dogs at least five or six months old and older display this behavior. Male dogs that haven't been fixed are very territorial and are more prone to sent marking. Females may also display this behavior but it's relatively uncommon.
• The amount and frequency of outside toilet breaks make little difference.
• Any new items you bring home are often targeted for marking.
• If you have more then one dog and there is some sort of conflict or dominance issue between the dogs.
• Other unsprayed or neutered animals in the house can cause this problem.

The first thing to do is to spay or neuter your dog as soon as possible. Most puppies can be fixed at six months of age and more often then not this prevents unwanted scent marking. This will also work on older dogs but there is the chance they will continue to mark because it is a learned behavior that needs to be broken.

You will need to thoroughly clean the soiled areas because most dogs tend to remark the same areas. It's a smell thing. Do not use ammonia based cleaners or vinegar because they both have a pee smell to them that your dog will be attracted too. If you go to your local pet store you will find cleaners that are made specifically for this purpose.

If the problem is a dominance issue between multiple dogs you need to resolve it to stop the marking behavior. Dogs have a pack mentality with one dog being the alpha dog. There are times when a power struggle will develop for leader of the pack and if this happens in your house it is up to you to stop the obvious tension.

You can do this by paying attention to the dominant dog in a way that lets the other dogs know that he is the alpha dog. Feed him first, give him first choice of toys, and acknowledge him first when returning home. This helps reinforce the hierarchical pecking order within your home bound pack of dogs and once established many of the territorial behaviors will quickly disappear.

For more information on house training your dog (as well as a whole bunch of in-depth information on house training troubleshooting and related issues) you need to check out The Ultimate House Training Guide by Clicking Here.