# Teaching your intact male to NOT mark



## OverTheTopFarm (Nov 13, 2010)

Any ideas? I'd like to nip this in the bud and the behavior just started.


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## cbrand (Aug 9, 2009)

Unfortunately, I think the marking is a natural response to bringing in your new bitch. He wants to make sure that everyone knows that he is head honcho (and #1 candidate for stud muffin). I'd keep him on leash in the house and try to catch him in the act. I know that many breeders have been successful in making it VERY CLEAR that marking is verboten. I would also go back to a "Nothing in Life is Free" training mentality including keeping him off of beds and furniture if he is allowed up (some people have been successful doing this).

In the end, if your efforts don't make a difference, you may have to put a belly band on him. This is the downside to keeping an intact male. The other option is to neuter him. I have no idea what his overall quality is, but you might take a good hard look at whether or not it is worth it to keep him intact. Stud service from outside quality studs is always available.


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## OverTheTopFarm (Nov 13, 2010)

Interestingly enough, it's not MY house he marked in; it was another home where there isn't a female dog, only another neutered male. I guess that makes it easier since normally I can easily keep him on a lead in another home. He was incredibly easy to potty train, and everything else train, so I'm guessing like everything else it is consistency that is important. So far he has passed every checkpoint we've had to keep him intact ... and it is stringently being watched. Finding what we will be looking for in a stud is not something that is easy to find, so we would prefer to keep him intact unless something comes up to exclude him. Frankly, this is one of the tests ... if he cannot be trained not to mark he will not be successful for what we want to keep intact. So, I'm trying to find proven ways so he has the best chance at success, since this issue is every much my responsibility as his since I need to be able to clearly communicate it is unacceptable.

What method do the breeder use to let the dog know it is verboten?


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## debjen (Jan 4, 2010)

Well I have a neutered male who while never marks in my house will mark at others house, hotel rooms, stores etc..it is usually when we first get there so I keep a sharp eye on him or keep him on leash until he has had a chance to sniff...usually a sharp no if he even looks like he is going to mark is enough to keep that leg down.


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## cbrand (Aug 9, 2009)

OverTheTopFarm said:


> Finding what we will be looking for in a stud is not something that is easy to find, so we would prefer to keep him intact unless something comes up to exclude him.


What are you looking for specifically? 



> What method do the breeder use to let the dog know it is verboten?


Oh I think they get real big and real scary. This is not the case for a collar pop and a simple stern look.  

I do think, though, that marking is ultimately about showing the world that he is top dog. I recently worked with a friend's 7 yr old neutered male who began marking in the house. He started when these friends had extended company. It was almost like he wanted to make sure in his own doggie way that the guest's knew that HE owned the house. Leashing him 24X7, using NILIF and working on obedience exercises seemed to fix the problem. I would guess that it reestablished his role in the family and reminded him that the people, not the dog, owned the house. 

Or..... it could just have been that the house guests were gone for long enough that he didn't have anything to prove. :angel:


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## KalaMama (Nov 20, 2009)

I am also dealing with this issue with a 10 month old male Chihuahua. We just got him and he is going through a lot of changes right now(we still have to bring him home with us to Hawaii, so I am not putting much pressure on him. I have read that it can be security issues also. I agree with the leash method. I have done that with Tux some(although you must do it consistently to get good results) and when he lifts his leg or starts to, I make a really loud NO. I mean really loud. This gets his attention and he doesn't even think about marking. I don't know if this will work, but ask me again in 2 months and I will know.


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## Feralpudel (Jun 28, 2010)

I am happy to say that I am not an expert in this, even though I have a 4.5 YO intact male. We have had two isolated incidents in other people's houses, both involving other dogs. But I have never had a problem in other indoor spaces, including work and training/show venues. 

If you routinely walk him outside on lead, I think that's a good opportunity to teach a "no pee" command, and instil the idea that you define what's fair game for peeing on. 

In our lobby at work we have big planters with potted plants. I have caught him once or twice glancing their way, and just told him not to even think about it!


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## puppylove (Aug 9, 2009)

I have had success with teaching the No Marking command. When he was young, Hoot got walked in public every day. Whenever he tried to mark in an inappropriate place, he got a little leash jerk and a firm No Marking! Then he was moved to a better spot and given the OK. Like many commands, it takes time, patience and consistency. You'd be surprised what they can learn


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