Possible reasons
Dogs begin to mark their territory when they reach the age of sexual maturity. It will be quite difficult to wean an animal; punishment in this case will not work. In addition, a pet can do this for a number of other reasons:
- The dog has doubted the authority of its owner and is now trying to become a leader.
- The animal does not feel safe and warns that it will defend its territory.
- Several dogs living under one roof compete with each other.
- The pet puts new marks on old, uncleaned ones.
A dog may mark for a variety of reasons.
Resentment, stress
Resentment towards the owner can manifest itself in the appearance of marks on all things, shoes and other household items that he uses. If a dog is punished, it can take revenge in this way. Most often this occurs in young animals. If an animal is under stress, it begins to mark its territory to drive away strangers.
Note! Only after ridding the dog of the phobia can the problem with marks in the wrong place be solved.
Physical measures should not be used
Space limitation
The dog defecates in the same places, it is worth limiting his access to these spaces. You can place furniture in the corners.
If the owner is not at home or at night, dogs of small breeds are placed in large spacious boxes, and large animals are placed in fenced pens. Such a structure can be made from metal rods and plywood.
Age-related changes
Puppies cannot always control the process of urination. Therefore, such incidents happen up to six months. There is no possessive or sexual instinct at this age yet; the baby relieves himself as needed. You should not punish or shout at the animal.
Breed predisposition
Dwarf and decorative breeds are tagged in apartments more often than others. Because of their small size, they simply do not perceive the apartment as their home. In this home they have a favorite place, things - this is their home. The rest is considered by them to be foreign territory that should be marked. This often happens in dogs whose owners limit their stay in the apartment and keep the animal in only one room. You should give your pet the opportunity to move around the entire house so that it leaves its scent everywhere, then there will be no temptation to mark the sofa or door.
Note! Dog breeds such as Bichon, Jack, Spitz, Chihuahua, Pug, Terrier are most suitable for apartment living. However, it is with small breeds that the problem of indoor marking arises.
Small dogs leave marks
Sex predisposition
Many people believe that only male dogs mark corners in the house. However, it is not. Of course, they do it more often and are more prone to this behavior, but bitches do it too. Especially in the period before or after the onset of estrus. To avoid this problem, you should spay the female dog or neuter the male dog. The main thing is to do this as early as possible. Otherwise, if you delay the operation, the animal will already mark the territory instinctively and this will become a habit for it. Even after the procedure it can leave marks.
Lack of education
From an early age, the owner did not train the pet to ask to go to the toilet - in this case, complaining about marks in the apartment is useless. Only attention and proper upbringing and the puppy’s ingrained habits will get rid of smelly corners in the future. If it is not possible to go for walks on time, then the dog can be trained to use a litter tray.
Sexual instinct
Both males and females can place marks on the walls of a residential building. Thus, they invite a female or male. However, male dogs mark more often.
Note! Dogs leave marks during mating season. You should find a mate for the animal and the problem will be solved.
Signal for strangers
In the natural environment, animals place marks in inhabited territories, thereby driving away strangers. As soon as a new person appears in the apartment, even a cute little dog begins to instinctively put marks in all corners.
Doubt about the owner's authority
As soon as the dog begins to doubt the authority of the owner, it begins to challenge it, put marks, thereby showing its superiority.
The dog dominates the house
Health problems
If an animal has diseases associated with the bladder (cystitis, incontinence, diabetes), it cannot control the process of urination; this may happen involuntarily and unintentionally.
Specifics of marking territory
Before weaning your dog from leaving odorous surprises in the apartment, you need to find out how the mark differs from regular emptying of the bladder.
Label assignment
A mark is the leaving of specific marks on objects or walls of a room. The most favorite places for pranksters are darkened corners of the room, entrance doors, the owner’s bed or sofa.
Before doing a dirty trick, the animal carefully sniffs the selected surface. The dog does this consciously, for a specific purpose: to mark his presence in a specific territory and designate the thing as his property.
It is necessary to distinguish between marks and relief
Small puppies under the age of six months are not able to leave marks. If a puddle appears in the house, it means that the baby has simply peed himself - it is difficult for him to endure for a long time due to the weakness of the bladder muscles.
Relieving yourself indoors is also associated with a long period of abstinence. An adult animal may not be able to stand it and do a wet job if the intervals between walks are too long.
Involuntary emptying of the bladder cannot be considered leprosy. Incontinence occurs in four-legged animals that have experienced severe stress or suffer from cystitis, pyometra, polydipsia, suffer from renal failure, or experience severe pain due to injury.
It is easy to distinguish a mark from incontinence: the former appear more often on vertical surfaces and are not so abundant, while the latter are puddles left on the floor.
Eliminating prerequisites
First, you should watch your pet. If leaving marks is associated with stress or fear, you need to help the dog get rid of the phobia.
How to stop a cat from marking territory in an apartment
If an animal marks its territory in front of its owner, he is trying to show his dominance. In this case, it is necessary to show who is boss in the house. During the educational process, consistency, confidence, firmness and calm should be shown. The dog must learn to respect its owner, but not be afraid of him. Your pet should be rewarded for its achievements and good behavior.
Another dog in the house may also be a reason for leaving marks. For some time it is recommended to separate the animals into different rooms. Difficulties may arise if the dogs are of the same sex. Then only castration of one of them will help.
A pet can also leave marks out of resentment. In this case, it is better not to pay attention to it. You can leave him without playing together, giving him treats or walking, thereby showing that his behavior is not approved by the owner.
Note! A dog can leave marks just before its owner leaves home. For her, this is associated with loneliness and fear of separation. In such a situation, you should create pleasant emotions in the dog; you can give him his favorite treat or toy.
Solutions to the problem
Why do dogs mark?
Dogs are highly possessive animals. By marking territory or objects with its scent, the dog seems to say: I was here, this is all mine.
Do you scold your dog for leaving marks at home?
Yes
90%
No
10%
Having smelled someone else's scent, a male always tries to leave his own. In this way he shows his superiority over other individuals. To get rid of your pet's unpleasant habit, it is important to understand why your dog marks objects.
Possible reasons:
- Show your superiority over other pets in the house, including the owner.
- Some particularly jealous individuals begin to urinate on the shoes of people who come to visit, thus showing who is in charge.
- At an early age, the puppy was not properly trained to be clean.
- The dog came into the house as an adult. Until this moment, he was a stray dog, not accustomed to the rules of the toilet. It is difficult for her to understand what her owner wants from her.
- If people come into the house that the dog doesn’t like. Or from a meeting with whom unpleasant memories remained. In this case, the dog will show his hostility in a way that is accessible to him.
- The instinct to mark territory as they mature is inherent in male dogs.
- Expression of resentment to the owner.
- "Updating" old tags.
- When moving to a new place, the dog tends to leave its scent everywhere while walking. This is how he tries to show other dogs who is boss.
- With the help of marks, dogs communicate information about themselves to each other: gender, desire to mate.
- Stress. Perhaps the dog was very scared. A change of permanent residence, a change of owner, an unexpected meeting on a walk with another, larger dog. Emotions that overwhelm a dog in various situations cause the animal to urinate in the wrong place.
- Loneliness and sadness. If a dog sits alone for a long time, it may start marking corners out of boredom. There are situations when the owner is forced to leave and leaves the pet in the care of friends or relatives. In this case, the dog may urinate out of fear or “in revenge” for being abandoned.
- Jealousy. If a new member of the “pack” appears in the family - a small child or a new pet, the dog may begin to crap in the house. This is the reaction of a dog who used to be the only pet in the family.
Not getting enough exercise can also cause your dog to mark at home. For an adult dog, walking twice a day is enough, in the morning and in the evening. If little time is allocated for a walk, the dog does not have time to do all his “business”, and physically cannot wait until the evening.
Behavior correction methods
How to stop a dog from barking at the dog and at everyone
Dog handlers offer several ways to solve this problem:
- satisfy the natural needs of the animal;
- spay or neuter your pet;
- use hormonal drugs to regulate sexual desire.
Available means
First you need to protect the places that the dog constantly marks. Such areas can be wrapped in cling film, plastic, or tape. Place the bowl from which the animal eats and drinks where the pet often relieves itself.
When training a dog and correcting its behavior, you can put special diapers on the animal. The dog will continue to mark, but the feces will be absorbed into the underpants.
Home Remedies
Places where the dog frequently relieves itself must be treated with a detergent containing bleach. Also an effective remedy is aromatic oil, bulk substances, they are not to the liking of the animal’s keen sense of smell. Dogs do not tolerate citrus smells: lemon oil, orange oil or grapefruit oil. Folk remedies also include ground red pepper and tobacco.
Traditional methods of getting rid of marks
Industrial products
The dog is marking in the apartment, what should I do? Dog repellent products are available in specialized stores. You can smear them on the marked corners, the dog will stop doing it. You can purchase a product with a spray dispenser that will spray the substance after a certain period of time. Smart spray eliminates marks. This product gets rid of the unpleasant smell of dog urine and scares the dog away from the scene of the mischief.
Note ! Any substance can only help eliminate the unpleasant odor and scare away the animal, but a dog handler and veterinarian will help correct its behavior.
Processing marked places
The soiled surface should be treated with a special solution, any citrus oil, and cleaning agents. The main thing is to get rid of the smell of dog urine, otherwise the animal will defecate there again.
Will castration help?
It is one of the effective ways to wean a dog from marking in an apartment. But only if the animal did not do this before the procedure. After castration, the problem with damaged areas in the house will disappear.
The method is convenient for those who do not plan to engage in breeding. If castration is not suitable, then you should find a mate for the dog. After mating, the animal becomes calmer.
Castration is a way to correct the problem
Walk
What to do to prevent your Yorkie from marking your home? If castrating a dog is not an option, and physical punishment is not recommended, then in this case experts recommend increasing the duration of walks. Walk for at least an hour, 2 times a day. If possible, include another daytime walk.
During the walk, you need to play with the dog, give it the opportunity to move more, exhaust the animal so much that after the walk the dog simply does not have the strength to mark in the apartment.
Note! Timely walking and exercise will help get rid of dog marks.
Specialized Accessories
So, the first thing to do is to minimize the damage from the existing problem. Identify all areas where your dog marks and protect them as much as possible. You can use cling film or construction film, tape, plastic panels and other materials that do not absorb liquid and do not react chemically with urine.
Next, you should buy special underpants for dogs or sew them at home. The principle of using the accessory is similar to a baby diaper, that is, while the behavior is being adjusted, the dog will continue to mark, but urine will not get on the furniture or walls. Please note that the process may take a long time, and try to purchase an accessory that is easy to maintain (with replaceable inserts, quick-drying, non-staining). The design of panties for females and males differs, since guys need a higher waistband and a free cavity in the “diaper”. Otherwise, urine will leak or the dog will develop dermatitis.
Prohibited methods
How to train a dog to stay alone in an apartment
In order not to worsen the situation when adjusting the animal’s behavior, weaning it from marking in the house, it is prohibited to use some methods of influence.
Physical punishment
Screaming, hitting, slapping and other methods of physical influence will not wean a dog from marking territory. With such an attitude, the animal will become even more embittered towards the owner. It will mark while the owner is not at home, doing it out of spite.
Punishing a dog for breaking corners
Methods of influence without the use of auxiliary means
As mentioned above, punishing a dog for marks is useless and unreasonable, but expressing your dissatisfaction is necessary. You shouldn’t shout, poke your nose, or even hit your ward - this will not help solve the problem, but will undermine trust. If you clearly demonstrate your dissatisfaction, the best way is to ignore it. That is, the pet comes up to you, and you turn away and do not make contact.
Sometimes it is worth shaming, that is, voicing the negative consequences of an action: “Ugh, it smells so bad!”, “Naughty dog!” After the tirade, the four-legged one must be sent to his place in an orderly tone and “turn on” the offense. Let’s make a reservation right away: this method is effective only with phenomenally smart or very conscientious dogs. Since we are talking about instincts, usually problems of marks can only be solved in a multi-step way.
Preventive measures
First you need to understand the reasons for this behavior. This may be due to both physiological and psychological problems. The following preventive measures should be applied:
- use a prohibiting signal - clap and the word “no”;
- exclude the influence of certain social factors on the animal;
- limit access to objects on which the animal leaves marks;
- keep the dog away from doors and windows;
- place dog bowls and treats near the marking areas;
- The places that the dog previously marked must be made inaccessible and unattractive by treating them with special means.
Pet behavior correction
Correcting the behavior of a pet that leaves marks in the apartment will take more than one day. First of all, you need to find out the reason for this behavior. You should not put off solving the problem; at the very first signs you should begin weaning.
Methods of influence with auxiliary means
There are many means to wean a dog from marking territory, but their effect is purely individual and is not 100% effective. The main tools include:
- Sprays and other chemicals - applied to a clean, damp surface regularly and throughout the weaning method. The principle of operation is repelling with the help of smell.
- Carriers and enclosures – the dog’s movement is limited and is released only under supervision. In this case, the pet needs to be walked longer and be sure to engage in training with an emphasis on establishing a hierarchy. Only by “submitting” does the dog recognize that the home is your territory and it should have your scent.
- Controlled collars for behavior correction (electric shock, ultrasonic, spray) are the principle of tracking and punishing a four-legged animal “on the fly.” As practice shows, this method either gives a positive result immediately, or leads to a worsening of the situation against the backdrop of infringement on the dog’s needs.
Methods of dealing with tags
There are many methods for correcting a dog’s behavior and weaning it from leaving marks, but before you settle on anything specific, you need to consult with a specialist and, if necessary, with a veterinarian.
If marks appear again, these areas must be thoroughly washed with products. It is better to use products that do not contain chlorine.
Favorite places for marks should be treated with citrus oil. Or a mixture of tobacco and hot red pepper. These odors are unpleasant to the dog, and the desire to leave marks here will soon disappear.
Dominance and working with a dog handler
There are also special panties for dogs on sale. You can also make them yourself. The design is a kind of diaper in which urine turns into a gel-like mass. The inconvenience is that the inserts in them will have to be changed at least five times a day, since otherwise the pet may develop dermatitis and other skin diseases.
