URINE
MARKING BEHAVIOR
Much
like the miners during the Gold Rush, dogs and cats are territorial
animals. They "stake a claim" to a particular space, area,
or object. They let other people and animals know about their claim
by marking it using a variety of methods at different levels of intensity.
For example,
a dog may bark to drive away what he perceives to be intruders in
his territory. A cat may mark a valued object by rubbing her head
against it. Some pets may go to the extreme of urinating or defecating
to mark a particular area as their own.
Urine-marking
is not a house soiling problem. Instead, it is considered territorial
behavior. Therefore, to resolve the problem, you need to address the
underlying reason for your pet's need to mark his territory in this
way. Before this can be done, however, take your pet to the veterinarian
to rule out any medical causes for his behavior.
House
Soiling or Urine-Marking: How to Tell the Difference
Your pet may be urine-marking if:
- The
problem is primarily urination. Dogs and cats rarely mark with feces.
- The
amount of urine is small and is found primarily on vertical surfaces.
(Dogs and cats do sometimes mark on horizontal surfaces.) Leg-lifting
and spraying are dominant versions of urine-marking, but even if
your pet doesn't assume these postures, he may still be urine-marking.
- Any
pet in your home is not spayed or neutered. Intact males and females
are both more likely to urine-mark than are spayed or neutered animals.
However, even spayed or neutered animals may mark in response to
other intact animals in the home.
- Your
pet urinates on new objects in the environment (a shopping bag,
a visitor's purse), on objects that have unfamiliar smells, or on
objects that have another animal's scent.
- Your
pet has conflicts with other animals in your home. When there's
instability in the pack hierarchy, a dog may feel a need to establish
his dominance by urine-marking his territory. If one cat is intimidating
another cat, the bullied cat may express his anxiety by urine-marking.
- Your
pet has contact with other animals outside your home. A cat who
is allowed outdoors may come home and mark after having an encounter
with another cat outside. If your pet sees another animal through
a door or window, he may feel a need to mark his territory.
- Your
dog marks frequently when you walk him.
What
You Can Do
- Spay
or neuter your pet as soon as possible. Spaying or neutering your
pet may stop urine-marking altogether. However, if he has been urine-marking
for a long time, a pattern may already be established.
- Resolve
conflicts between animals in your home.
- Restrict
your pet's access to doors and windows through which he can observe
animals outside. If this isn't possible, discourage the presence
of other animals near your house.
- Keep
your cat indoors. He'll be safer, live longer, and feel less need
to mark his territory.
- Clean
soiled areas thoroughly. Don't use strong-smelling cleaners because
they may cause your pet to "over-mark" the spot.
- Make
previously soiled areas inaccessible or unattractive.
- If
this isn't possible, try to change the significance of those
areas to your pet. Feed, treat, and play with your pet in the
areas he is inclined to mark.
- Keep
objects likely to cause marking out of reach. Items such as guests'
belongings and new purchases should be placed in a closet or cabinet.
If your
pet is marking in response to a new resident in your home (such as
a roommate or spouse), have the new resident make friends with your
pet by feeding, grooming, and playing with your pet. If you have a
new baby, make sure good things happen to your pet when the baby is
around.
For dogs: Watch your dog when he is indoors for signs that he is thinking
about urinating. When he begins to urinate, interrupt him with a loud
noise and take him outside. If he urinates outside, praise him and
give him a treat. When you're unable to watch him, put your dog in
confinement (a crate or small room where he has never marked) or tether
him to you with a leash.
For
dogs: Practice "nothing in life is free" with your dog.
This is a safe, non-confrontational way to establish your leadership
and requires your dog to work for everything he wants from you. Have
your dog obey at least one command (such as "sit") before
you pet him, give him dinner, put on his leash, or throw him a toy.
Establishing yourself as a strong leader can help stabilize the hierarchy
and thus diminish your dog's need to mark his territory.
For
cats: Try to monitor your cat's movements. If he sniffs in an
area he has previously marked, interrupt him with a loud noise or
squirt him with water. It's best if you can do this without him seeing
you. That way, he'll associate the unpleasantness with his intent
to mark, rather than with you.
What
Not to Do
- Don't
punish your pet after the fact. Punishment administered even a minute
after the event is ineffective because your pet won't understand
why he is being punished.
Pets
Aren't People
Dogs and cats don't urinate or defecate out of spite or jealousy.
If your dog urinates on your baby's diaper bag, it's not because he
is jealous of, or dislikes, your baby. The unfamiliar scents and sounds
of a new baby in the home are simply causing him to reaffirm his claim
on his territory. Likewise, if your cat urinates on your new boyfriend's
backpack, it does not reflect his opinion of your taste in men. Instead,
he has perceived the presence of an "intruder," and is letting
the intruder know that this territory belongs to him.
Dominance
or Anxiety?
Urine-marking is usually associated with dominance behavior. Some
pets, though, may mark when they feel anxious or upset. For example,
a new baby in the home brings new sounds, smells, and people, as well
as changes in routine. Your dog or cat probably isn't getting as much
attention as he was used to getting. All of these changes cause him
to feel anxious, which may cause him to mark.
Likewise,
a pet who is generally anxious may become more so by the presence
of roaming neighborhood animals in your yard, or by the introduction
of a new cat or dog into your household. If your pet is feeling anxious,
you might consider talking to your veterinarian about medications
to reduce his anxiety while you try behavior modification techniques.
©
2002. Adapted from material originally developed by applied animal
behaviorists at the Dumb Friends League, Denver, Colorado. All rights
reserved.
