# If you neuter after dog starts to lift, do they empty their whole tank?



## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

Most all dogs and bitches, de-sexed or not, will save a little for leaving pee-mail.
Do wait to do the deed. do see:
http://www.poodleforum.com/29-poodle-health/141426-poodle-flight-plans.html#post1654914
Eric.


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## FireStorm (Nov 9, 2013)

I have an 18 month old intact male, and of course he does mark sometimes if he is allowed, but he does know the difference between times that he is allowed to sniff and mark and times when he needs to just go. If I'm at work and I take him for a potty break, he will empty his bladder if he is told to go potty. If I let him out in the yard and let him do his thing, he'll mark "his" trees. Also, he doesn't mark much if he's walking on leash, but he does if he is off lead and not heeling. I don't think the marking is a huge deal, depending on how you handle it.


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## maelee (Mar 19, 2015)

I've never had a dog that marked, all my previous boy dogs squat like a girl and had a one-and-done approach. I definitely agree that even fixed dogs may mark, maybe I was just lucky that they just never felt the need to. I see a neighbor of mine who seems to have to walk her dog around the block every time to make sure he's done. But I know that he is an older rescue so maybe with the right training and upbringing the dog can learn the appropriate times.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Leg lifting is a learned behavior and in my personal experience has very little to do with neutering. I've lived with a dog who was neutered at 6 months and marks on everything outside. I currently live with a 4 year old intact male who has been bred a few times and he goes outside and empties his bladder.


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## ChantersMom (Aug 20, 2012)

My standard always fully urinated up until recently (a few weeks ago) and he just turned 4. If we are walking he will do a mini-sprinkle maybe once on a place he was sniffing around but if we're out for a run, there are no pee-stops. 

Leg lifting for him began when he was about 2 1/2 years old and he never pees on vertical things.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

My girls marks outside - sniffing every tree and fir hydrant on walks, but fully empties her bladder at home on the wee wee pad, and outside when we are doing indoor activities and just stop for a quick potty break. In my opinion marking by boys or girls is a message to other dogs, learned by sniffing around at the messages that they left - if your current boy only goes in his own yard where other dogs have not been, that is probably why he has no inclination to mark.
By the way though, I think that you might prefer that you male poodle lift, because many of them are apt to hit their front legs when peeing, and that is much more likely with a squatter than a lifter!


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## maelee (Mar 19, 2015)

Thanks TP! I did noticed a lot of complaints of squatters getting themselves dirty. Thats another reason I'm thinking to wait til he lifts as well (or train him to lift?). I'm most concerned about the emptying it all vs. saving some here and there, especially if it ends up in the house! Like I said this would be the first male dog I would own that I would actually wait to lift, so most of my ideas are probably naive haha.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

maelee said:


> Thanks TP! I did noticed a lot of complaints of squatters getting themselves dirty. Thats another reason I'm thinking to wait til he lifts as well (or train him to lift?). I'm most concerned about the emptying it all vs. saving some here and there, especially if it ends up in the house! Like I said this would be the first male dog I would own that I would actually wait to lift, so most of my ideas are probably naive haha.



I don't know if there is any 100 percent certainty with this issue - I have heard of rescues that were neutered at 8 weeks and still learned to lift. I have a friend with one boy who was neutered at six months, and lifts his leg, and marks not in his house, but when they go to visit in somebody else's home, and one boy who had never been neutered, still squats and does not lift. If I were you, I think that I would train him to just one spot in the yard to potty - you go there, do your business, and no more allowed after leaving that area. He would not likely have much interest in marking in just a small area.
Or, you could avoid the issue completely like me, and just get girls!


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

Blue lifted his leg for the first time when he was about ten weeks old and was lifting routinely by the time he was six or seven months old. He didn't start marking until he was around ten months old and then not obsessively, just a few times on a walk. If he's been inside for several hours (he can hold it for at least eight hours), the first urination is always copious, the marks after that are just squirts. He was neutered a month ago, and I've seen him do a semi-squat three or four times since, but for the most part he continues to hike that leg.


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## Luce (Mar 4, 2013)

My girl is intact and marks out on walks and in the dog park. First time out - a lot - after that, a few drops here and there as she leaves her pee-mail message. She doesn't do that in the house or anyone elses.

When I was a kid, we had 2 intact male poodles - mpoo and tpoo. They NEVER marked in the house. I was a kid and we had a fenced in yard so I don't know about marking in the yard. We were lazy and they rarely got walked, had bad leash manners and we never bothered.


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## maelee (Mar 19, 2015)

Thanks everyone for the replies! I'm getting the impression that this is hugely dependent on each individual dog, male or female! I think the best thing for me to do is to wait until I get my pup and just see how he does, how he develops and take on behaviors when they happen. 

One last question, from all your experiences that you have shared, it seems that the dog will pee most everything out in the beginning and just save a bit for pee-mail. If I were in a rush and didn't have enough time to walk around the block to get the pee-mail out, do you think the dog would still be able to hold it until the next bathroom break, say 4 hours? (in reference to a house trained adult dog)


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## Wren (Jul 2, 2013)

> the best thing for me to do is to wait until I get my pup and just see how he does, how he develops and take on behaviors when they happen


This is always a good idea. As the pup develops you can observe for behaviors you want to reinforce or train out. 



> If I were in a rush and didn't have enough time to walk around the block to get the pee-mail out, do you think the dog would still be able to hold it until the next bathroom break, say 4 hours? (in reference to a house trained adult dog)


Absolutely the dog should be able to hold it for at least 4 hours. My one year old male can hold his urine up to 8 hours, sometimes a little longer. My dog does not have access to water overnight (from around 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) He has access to water all day and can still easily hold it for 6-8 hours if he has to.


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