Is marking really a problem?
 

Hi all. I may be getting a new male pup soon, and I'm not going to lie, I am worried about marking. I have heard that marking can be a hard habit to break, but I've also heard that males are easier to potty train. Those with boys, what was your experience with marking? Thanks!

What I do know is if you get him neuter before he becomes sexually mature he either won't do it at all or he will do it very little. Hope this helps. :)

I've had two Yorkie males in my life, one intact & the other neutered at 11 mos. of age and who is about to turn 7 years old & neither ever once marked.

Blazer has marked, not going to lie, but it has been so infrequent that it is barely mentionable. He is intact. I have a male GSP, also intact, and he has NEVER marked in the house.

We adopted a pup that had been used as a stud before we got him. He was with us till he was 18 yrs & marked everywhere. We were never able to break him of it. We finally gave up & kept him in a bellyband. I sure miss that little guy!

Guinness was a surrendered breeding male when we got him from the rescue at 5 years of age, he was fixed prior to us adopting. We kept a belly band on him fairly frequently when we first got him as he attempted to mark in the house quite often. He doesn't do it anymore...I don't think it took him long to break of it, I would say within a couple of months we were confident that he had stopped and no longer put the band on him (at home that is). I do have them on hand for going to my sister's house though...he attempts to mark everything in her home still!

:) Harry has never once marked in our house, and he's coming up to 4 years old.....

He was about to do it once at my mother's, but after a sharp 'NO' I picked him up and took him outside (mid-flow!!!!! :eek: :D) - and he's never attempted it again....

As for house-training, he was completely clean within 2 weeks - probably the easiest dog I've ever trained :)

Good luck!

Thanks for all the responses. I will definitely be getting him neutered which i hear is supposed to help. I just read so many horror stories online about marking, but whenever you Google something it seems you only get the worst case scenario. I feel a lot better now.

:D Good, glad you're feeling better! It's probably best to know the good, the bad and the ugly before you make your final decision.

I personally hadn't had a male dog for years, just girls, and I too was a bit concerned about our lovely new cream carpets....!!!

I honestly think that consistency and vigilance is the key - to both possible marking, and house-training. It can be nipped in the bud, and I really do wish you luck :)

What age does marking usually begin?

I've never had a puppy, but I would guess about 5-7 months If not neutered.

Cody was 2 1/2 y/o when I adopted him (9 months ago) I have his medical records, he was neutered at 7 mos. he does not mark inside or out side . I always had girls, so was very concerned about adopting a lil boy. My vet said after neutered some will mark, some will not. If neutered at a young age before marking becomes a habit most will not mark. I am a happy camper, He's my perfect lil boy.

We've always had males, till now...and never had a marking problem. We've always had our males neutered, once their bodies had fully matured.

Think it's more of a problem with dogs that are un-neutered, especially those who have intact dogs/bitches around them or dogs that have bred before.

My boy Toby the Tyrant (Prof. Sumo Yorkie :D ) was only 4 months when we brought him home and he started marking immediately. I have a female who is exactly 4 months older than him, had never gone into heat and was spayed 4 days after Toby came into the house, so Im pretty sure that wasn't the cause of his marking. He seemed to do it right from the get go. We are working on it, but all Ive ever owned has been male dogs (big huge dogs) and have never once had an issue with them marking in the house until now. So yeah... I'm going to get him fixed and hope for the best.

I think I already stated this,my Cody is a rescue, he is 3 y/o, I have his medical papers, he was neutered very early 5 to7 months old. He does not mark inside or outside. I cannot say what he did before he was neutered, I have him it will be one year Nov. 12. Let me add this. I had a female, 17 y/o, 95 % blind and the same for her hearing. The last year of her life he peed in every room in my house, my entire house is carpeted except the kitchen and bath rooms. The laundry room was her pee pee room with paper always laid down, that last year I was lucky it she made it twice a week. Needless to say I was shampooing carpets or just pee spots several times a day. When she passed I had the entire house professionally cleaned.You cannot smell dog pee in my house. This was my main reason I did not want another dog after my Matese was gone. We can't smell the urine but dogs can. When my vet called me about getting this male rescue and wanted me to come see him, I told her 1-no male dog, they mark, 2-my last girl peed all over this house, I don't want anymore dogs that will be using my house as a toilet. She told me 2 things...1-some neutered males may or may not mark....2-even tho my girl peed on every carpet in this house, some dogs will not. Cody has NEVER peed on any carpet or in the house period. If it is 2AM he will whine in my ear to be let outside to make, and as I have written he has NEVER lifted his leg,so no marking. I am truly blessed with this first boy in my life.