My Male was neutered at 7 mos and has never marked inside the house only outside

Surely if a dog marks outside the house but not inside, there has to be an element of training involved. Either they mark or they dont. I know they are probably just marking their terrority, but if its soley testosterone, why are they selective about it. Is it because they know they arent allowed to pee in the house?

I dont know why Chachi marks outside and not inside the house but he doesnt have pee accidents in the house either. He will also mark at places like petsmart where he smells another dog. I think he just doesnt have a reason to leave his scent inside the house

Testosterone is a hormone, and hormones work with other systems, such as the sense of smell. The smells of other dogs outside do make them feel the need to mark their territory. This isn't something they think about or decide, it's just something they feel compelled to do. Many dogs are trained to use the pee pad in the house, and yet never mark in the house, but only outside.

Nancy, I am wondering, have you had male dogs? I respect your knowledge a lot, but I think you are offbase here. The study you're referring to sounds like it must be quite old if you say it employed aversive techniques that would now be illegal. We are still learning so much about dog behavior and have so much more to learn. Without any details on this study, it's hard to know what it really said. Was this study conducted inside people's homes? I don't know if I could train Thor to NEVER mark, but I don't care if he marks outside.

Thor has been neutered, but he is a marker. I disagree that it is simply a smell thing because he used to mark in my apartment, and now he doesn't. The only thing that changed is that I trained him. Maybe HE didn't think about it as potty training, but I certainly did, because my goal was no peeing anywhere but the pads. When he pees on a pad, he squats.

With regard to belly bands, most people say that the feeling of a wet belly is unpleasant enough for most dogs that they won't go when they are wearing them - again, training, and not particularly aversive training either.

Now, I can't say that Thor will never mark inside my apartment again, anymore than I can say there's no such thing as a polka-dot swan. My common sense tells me that male dogs can be trained, and that swans are never born with polka dots, but I can't prove a negative.

FYI, I've walked well over a hundred dogs in the past few months alone, and I would say that over 90% of male dogs mark outside, fixed or not. However, I've never seen a potty training manual that says, "by the way, if you have an intact male dog, all of this is moot, because he'll probably mark in the house anyway."

Anyway, to the OP, I can't wait to see your new dog, you will love him! Be sure to come back with pictures, and I will see you in the potty training forum. ;)

By the way, one of my good friends has two Scotties, intact males who have sired litters - they don't mark indoors. I would KILL to get Thor as well trained as they are. Well, maybe not kill, but I would be willing to do something drastic.

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Okay, final, FINAL thought on the matter. I have caught Thor lifting his leg in the past, and stopped him very simply - I said "no" and he dropped his leg. I'm sure he'll be tempted in the future, but I know he can learn.

I know that dog smells do motivate My Chachi to mark. If they didnt why are the only places he does it is outside, places like Petsmart and the vet. He Never has a pee accident inside the house so he is trained but Ive never tried to train him not to mark

I've only owned male dogs, but this isn't about my opinion, it's about science. Yes, the studies are old, so are Pavlov's experiments, that doesn't mean classical conditions doesn't happen because your dogs don't salivate at the sound of a bell. These studies changed the way scientists look at behavior, and what can be learned, and are at the very foundation of learning theory, which many of you know as behaviorism. Marking is considered a "wired in" behavior, meaning a behavior that is almost impossible to modify. These studies weren't about dog training they were about the brain/body connection in learning theory. There are exceptions to every rule, in science; they talk about probability not what will happen in one individual case. I really wish I never made the comment, and don't understand why some of you are giving your dogs as examples. I already said most neutered males don't mark. I just think people should be aware that it's extremely difficult to teach an unneutered dog not to mark, once marking behavior is clearly established.

Like I said, my sister in law said her dog never lifted his leg in her house either, she found out later that he was all along. I've never known a male dog that has been used for breeding not to lift his leg in the house, especially with other males in there. I'm also surprised those 2 dogs haven't fought really bad, as unaultered males that have been used for breeding usually always fight too.

Sure some older studies are still relevant, but tons of things people originally thought about behavorism are now considered incorrect. Science progresses. And you can find tons of information about Pavlovian experiments on the web. Why is this study not accessible?

I know I am using my personal experience as an example because the OP was asking about her own dog marking, and I took your original comment to say that it was a crapshoot whether she'd be able to train her dog not to go indoors, since you said that many owners say their male dogs are trained, but they aren't really.

I also disagree with your statement that most neutered male dogs don't mark. I would say almost all male dogs do, fixed or not. I'm using Thor as an example because he had years of experience marking indoors, so I think this is relevant. His habit is certainly established, and I expect he will mark outdoors his entire life.

I've grown up with male dogs who have been bred (not yorkies though), and they did not mark indoors. Your statements don't tie with my experience at all, so I'm challenging it. To me, this would be like someone saying "most dogs don't like walks."

I'm sure it is deeply instinctive, since wolves also mark their territory. I think barking is deeply ingrained too, and it would probably be extremely difficult to train, say, a dashund to never bark. But again, why would you care, as long as it was only outdoors.

Fair enough, but again, I can't prove a negative. I believe your SIL had that experience, and I've had similar ones - I thought Thor was potty trained when he wasn't. At the same time, Thor and I are literally about 10 feet away from each other 24-7 (I take him to work with me and live in a small apartment), so I am pretty confident.

Hi, I love the boys and have both. My intact boy doesn't mark in the house...of course marks outside. I also have a belly band for when we go "visiting". He would love to make my mom's house "his", but he is just great, very sweet, and completely housebroken. juliet

1 MONTH!!?!! Please, please share your secret! LOL Mia:aimeeyork was the hardest puppy to train. I wouldn't trade her for anything. She just had 3 puppies on the 9th of May. So we will be going through the potty training process with them. :D Thanks for any information you can give me.

whoops, I didn't know 1/2 of my post went through, was wondering where it went LOL

I got my first ever yorkie at one day shy of 7 weeks, 2 weeks after I got her, I went to Illinois to visit my Mom(14 hour drive), do you know, even at my moms at 9 weeks, she was running in to the kitchen to use her pee pad. I housebreak the old fashion way, this is what works for me. My grandma(wish she was still alive) always had her dogs housebroke in 1 day, and that wasn't a typo. I don't know how she did it, but, that was one woman that could do anything!