Pets bring great joy and companionship into our lives, but that doesn’t mean you should overlook unacceptable behaviors. Recently my dog peed on my other dog, which, though it looked funny, is an unpleasant behavior. As pet lovers, we need to make an effort to teach our furry friends the difference between right and wrong.
Disciplining and training take time, effort, and lots of patience, but once your pet gets the hang of a routine, it gets easy. Territorial animals such as dogs mark their territories by peeing on the spot. Some of them bark to prevent strangers from venturing into their space. Territory marking is fine but peeing on objects, people, and other dogs is an embarrassing and unpleasant situation. Before we move on to the solutions, let us look at why dogs pee on other dogs.
Reasons Why Some Dogs Pee on Other Dogs
Funnily there are several reasons for this peculiar behavior. But here, we have covered most of the common reasons that motivate this act.
1. Marking and Protecting territory
As said earlier, dogs urinate on a particular spot to mark their territory. This action begins from a very young age, from the time they are little pups. But if your canine friend feels that another dog or any other animal is infringing upon their space, they will most likely urinate on them; the scent of the urine is a warning for the other dog to stay away. This is common when you bring home a new pet or a new animal strays into your compound.
2. Can be a result of some medical condition
Peeing on other dogs can be due to lack of awareness or territorial issues, but it could also be due to some underlying medical conditions in some rare cases. Certain illnesses lead to incontinence, making it difficult for your dog to walk all the way to the right spot. And this could cause your doggy to pee on the other dog accidentally. Watch for signs and see if your pet feels low on energy. Suppose that is the case; you need to take your dog to a vet for further diagnosis. Some of the common problems that cause urinary inconsistency are:
- Increased urine production
- Bladder infection
- Kidney disease
3. To find or repel mates
Dogs begin over-marking during the mating season. Some female dogs show a tendency to mark areas before they go into heat. If your dog is not neutered or spayed, they might be peeing on other dogs to either attract or repel mates. This is a biologically driven behavior seen commonly in female dogs during the mating period. Although not common, male dogs also urinate on female dogs to mark her as his mate and to warn other fellas to stay away from her.
4. Anxiety
Emotional highs and lows are not exclusive to humans; every organism experiences emotional turbulences, even dogs. They can also feel threatened or anxious from time to time. Peeing on other dogs seems to be a coping mechanism to calm their anxiety. A new pet or a new baby can induce stress on them. If this is the case, give it some time, and once the fear goes away, they will be fine.
What Can I Do to Stop My Dog From Peeing on Other Dogs?
You can figure out the solution only if you can find out its cause. Once you identify the real reason behind this behavior, you can quickly correct it. The reasons above should give you a good idea about what is causing this act in your dog. Here are some of the solutions that can get rid of this problem:
1. Keep Your Distance from other dogs
If you feel that your dog urinated on another dog by accident, then the next time you take it to a place with other dogs, make sure to keep some distance. Meaning, you can either keep him/her on a leash or at a distance from other dogs. If your dog is not near other animals, he/she won’t be able to pee on them. Continue this practice for some days until it becomes a routine, and your dog learns the right behavior.
2. Take your furry pal to Training Classes
Training classes for dogs are the best solution if you are short on time and don’t have the patience. When my dog peed on my other dog, I didn’t waste another second and enrolled him for training classes. These classes cover all the critical areas such as developing socializing skills, taking commands, manners, etc. And since trainers have enough experience working with different kinds of dogs, they will be able to find the cause and recommend you the best strategies and solutions. In most cases, once the dog becomes well-socialized, they automatically change the behavior on their own.
3. Monitor Your Pet
If you want to do it on your own, monitoring your dog when in public places can help with the situation. The next time you are at a park, allow your dog to interact with other dogs and people. But if you see telltale signs that he/she is getting geared up for the act, immediately call them back. But never shout at them or threaten them. Instead, use a happy voice while calling them. Once they get back to you,reward them with a treat.
4. Spay or Neuter Your Dog
Urinating on other dogs can also be related to mating. If that is the case, then you can get your dog neutered or spayed. Neutering your male dog makes them less territorial and less aggressive.
There are a lot of reasons why dogs pee on other dogs. But luckily, there are a lot of things that you can do to curb this problem. It is better to address the situation as soon as you notice it because if it stays for too long, you will have a hard time getting rid of this behavior. But the most important thing is to be gentle and loving towards your canine friend.
