You must have seen dogs lifting their one leg and urinating on vertical surfaces. The amount of urine may be too small to qualify even as peeing but still they tend to do so frequently. So, do you wonder what are they are doing? What is the purpose of this typical behavior? As a matter of fact, the dogs do not pee when they raise their leg very frequently; they are busy with the process of scent marking- a common behavior among dogs. Dogs above the age of 3 months generally engage in scent marking. Both, female and male dogs can urine mark but usually male dogs urine mark often. Dogs mark for a number of reasons.
Reproductively fit dogs – females who have not been spayed and males who have not been neutered tend to urine mark their environment quite frequently. Their environment includes their home, garden, the way on which they walk frequently and while visiting to other locations. It seems male dogs mark to inform other dogs of the area to announce that the area scent marked by them is their territory. Female dogs tend to scent mark frequently just before and during the time when they are in heat.
Dogs also tend to urine mark when they are anxious for things. When dogs get anxious they mark frequently. A depressed dog may deposit relatively larger amounts of urine while urine marking. They may also urine mark on flat surfaces when anxious. A dog can get anxious if new members in the family are added, if new objects have been introduced in the house, if the family relocates somewhere else, etc.
If your dog is urinating at inappropriate places, make sure that he is not suffering from any kind of medical problems like spay/urinary incontinence, urinary tract infection or other problems of genitalia which makes him leak urine unintentionally.
