Once they mark?
 

You could try getting him the bands that I have heard other members mention?

Just curious since I have a boy, what are the benefits of him not getting neutered?

My previous dog was neutered when he was 4 months and as soon as he turned 1 he stared marking so I say get the bands.

Since he just started marking, I would get him neutered asap and work hard on retraining him. Belly bands are a last resort because they allow him to mark rather than addressing the issue. If you start with belly bands, he will be in them for life.

Buster is neutered, doesn't mark, but he humps....he was neutered at about 6 months...he doesn't hump humans just female dogs, doesn't matter how big, he "air" humps my daughters doxie.

Jackson was almost 7 months old when he was neutered. He was around 6 1/2 months old when he hiked his leg on my dads furniture in his screened in porch (which is carpeted). It was the first time he had ever lifted his leg and I went uh-oh! and scheduled his neuter a few weeks later! lol. He has not marked ever any other time indoors since. He will lift his leg on walks, etc outdoors but it's not obsessive. Basically, I don't think your doomed for life. If he's only done it twice, just keep a close watch on him so he doesn't/can't do it anymore and then get him neutered. I agree with LadyMom, I don't like belly bands because it just covers up the problem and doesn't address it. I wouldn't wanna have to depend on them for the rest of my dogs life if there were other options! :)

Good luck! Btw, I love your new avatar pic!

I agree when it comes to an un-neutered dog. That hormone is a powerful drive to want to to un-welcomed behaviors. I can't imagine having an intact dog while a bitch nearby is in heat, I hear it is horrible for the male, and the family that has to put up with his behaviors. Belly bands in this case will only keep your house clean, and not much else. For an intact male, I would think belly bands are an everyday all day requirement.

Personally, and this is just my opinion, a belly band in that case would be such a bad idea. An intact male with a desire to mark will do it belly band or not. The belly band will collect every squirt of pee, and if I remember correctly, marking pee of an intact male is much more potent. Imagine having that up against his skin all day everyday, that must cause some irritation.

Having said that, I have 3 belly bands for my little boy. I used them as a training tool and not as a band aid. My intention was not to cover up the problem, but find a way for me not to blow my top. When he first came home, he lifted his leg on everything and anything inside the house. I had him neutered 5 days later, worked with him day and night on controlling the marking, and now I can trust him 100% in my home. A friends house is another story.... If he smells pee, he will lift his leg until I tell him this is also not an appropriate place for that behavior. That's why I still have the belly bands. I do encourage him to mark and pee outside. If he wants to stop at every tree, I praise him for it. Better out there than in my house. :)

Mojee was one year and one month old when I got him nuetered. He was marking everywhere and wore belly bands. I too was wondering is it hopeless and will he have to wear belly bands for life?
Well 6 months later I am happy to report he is not marking and belly band free. He has even at times not lifted his leg and will stand and pee. What a Blessing for him to not have to be tied to those bands. It was breaking his hair and a pain.
So I would say it is possible at his age for your dog to not mark. Especially since he was not marking and suddenly is. The earlier the better so it does not become familiar and habit.

One question, is Apple spayed? If she is, did that change her at all?

Apple is spayed, and she did mellow a little...But the worst thing is she put on weight, w/the same amount of food...I have had to cut her down 25% of what she was having, and she looks at me w/such sad eyes :(...like I'm not feeding her enough...

I can see why you are fearful of him changing. The mellowing out, I think comes with age. It could have been coincidence, it could have been the spay. I know this is a personal choice, please don't think I'm trying to convince you one way or the other. I know Kaji put on another lb after the neuter, but the vet told me he would. She said he was done growing (length and height wise), but he would fill out until he was a year and a half. So, by 18 months he went from 6 lbs exactly to 7 lbs. I didn't do anything different either. I continued to feed him the exact same portion size until we moved out of our condo in Dec. He never budged from the 7 lb mark. Now... here were we live now his activity level went down to 0 compared to before. So now I'm measuring his food and he gives me those sad eyes too. I can't let him gain anymore weight because of his LPs.

Neutering CAN calm down a wild dog but if your boy is already mellow, it's not going to make him, like, be slower or mope around or anything. Neutering doesn't change the personality at all. Believe me, Jackson is still a wild man--even ball-less!! :p:p