# Male doesn't fully empty bladder so he has something in the tank to mark



## Wolfhund (Aug 17, 2017)

I'm sure some others here have encountered this problem. I take my dog out for a walk and sometimes and the first thing he will dog is pee. But the it is just a quick spray instead of fully emptying his bladder. Where does all the rest of it go? Well, it gradually empties out during our walk when he marks every other tree, hydrant, post, bush. This is something I would like to fix since it just totally ruins the flow of our walking. I don't mind him sniffing every once in a while, but stopping and peeing at every markable object is annoying.

What is the best way to resolve this? I am afraid that the longer I wait to correct this behavior the more it will be ingrained and impossible to fix as this seems to be a self-reinforcing behavior.


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

You've never owned a male dog before, have you?

This behaviour is completely normal for the guys. If you don't want it interrupting the flow of the walk, just say 'no' and keep on walking! Your dog doesn't have to sniff and mark every telephone pole, tree and hydrant!

If you're concerned he might have an accident in the house, you can give him a few minutes before or after the walk to sniff around the backyard, and empty out his bladder.

You should be dictating the speed/rhythm of the walk, not the dog!

If you watch him when you first let him outside in the morning, you will probably see him take a really long pee first thing, to relieve the pressure. He'll be fine after that. Males always seem to be able to find that little dribble for scent marking, no matter how many times they've lifted their leg on a walk! :rolleyes2:


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

^^ what Sunsilver said! Simply don't stop and keep walking. If you don't mind him sniffing, you can stop where YOU want and give him a chance to sniff and leave his mark. I vary where I stop so that he doesn't get that "hurry hurry I get to sniff up here"


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

Marking has nothing to do with urinating and emptying the bladder.

I have yet to have a male dog that marks when on lead , when on walks. It is a dirty habit that builds frustration with your own male and others who need to mark and re-mark to maintain their territory. The job is never "done".
It can create anxiety in the less than confident male , and it can cause dominance competition which then spins the need to mark and re-mark to new levels.

It is dirty when the dog marks produce baskets or the corner of some wrought iron ornamental barrier which creates the boundaries of an out door side walk cafe .

Not funny when you are the patron .

Well - it is not their territory . 

Read a good study put out about 20 years ago for trainers of service dogs . A by product of that study was that a lot of urban male to male dog friction and aggression could be vastly reduced by not allowing the male dog to mark.

Study then expanded to problematic dogs that marked within the owners home - marking the sofa and other furniture.
A big part of the resolve there was to have the owner pro-active assertive , not having the dog dominant and expressing it by claiming HIS terrritory . 

NOT .

wolfhund
"I don't mind him sniffing every once in a while, but stopping and peeing at every markable object is annoying."

which is it then? 

On lead -- obedient , walking with YOU on YOUR route . Or you escorting the dog on his circuit.

The dog who sniffs and marks in his own zone , not attentive to you . 

Easy fix . Do all your potty busines before setting out .
When you are going for your walk the dog can be in a casual heel position , but no stopping and sniffing and no marking. If he starts to set up for a mark then you give a little pop to the leash and keep going . 
He does not need to do it.

so who is in charge ?


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

^ what she said.

If my boys are released with an "okay", they'll surely oblige and pee on the nearest tree - otherwise I allow them once at the beginning of the walk and once at the end..... only if I haven't allowed a full bladder relieving at home first.


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

Its pretty simple. When they're heeling its not allowed, a clear release from the obedience like Fodder said, have fun. Personally, I get a laugh out of the whole macho display with all the kicking up grass and dirt, maybe a little vocals too for good measure. Its just simple obedience to keep it in an appropriate place.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

I do not allow my males to mark on leash, ever. They can mark whatever they want off leash but being on leash means business. Easy to teach when young with "leave it!" as soon as the nose goes the direction of anything markable. 
They relieve themselves at home or when I give them permission to. I have to admit that I am proud of them when they mark for the first time; "Yep,you're quite the guy now!"


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## Wolfhund (Aug 17, 2017)

carmspack said:


> Marking has nothing to do with urinating and emptying the bladder.
> 
> so who is in charge ?


Completely agree, which was why I was asking for training tips to stop the marking on lead. I guess what I need to do is let him urinate once or twice when we start the walk and correct him for marking during walk and let him go again at the end of walk. Hopefully, he learns that the end of the walk is his last chance at emptying his bladder so he doesn't reserve his urine for marking. I think after enough reps he will learn to just unload at the beginning of the walk.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Wolfhund said:


> Completely agree, which was why I was asking for training tips to stop the marking on lead. I guess what I need to do is let him urinate once or twice when we start the walk and correct him for marking during walk and let him go again at the end of walk. Hopefully, he learns that the end of the walk is his last chance at emptying his bladder so he doesn't reserve his urine for marking. I think after enough reps he will learn to just unload at the beginning of the walk.


frequent marking does not relieve the bladder. Allowing marking at the beginning and end of the walk sounds like you will be inconsistent unless you have a specific command for it.


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

I allow it whenever I feel like allowing it. I walk him 2 miles every day at lunch. He probably marks a dozen times, I don't bother counting. I say heel, no more marking. That's plenty consistent. You don't have to be so militant about it. Heel, leave it, it works fine and I don't have to completely squish and micro manage him.


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## Wolfhund (Aug 17, 2017)

wolfy dog said:


> frequent marking does not relieve the bladder. Allowing marking at the beginning and end of the walk sounds like you will be inconsistent unless you have a specific command for it.


Yes, but I am going to have let him pee at the beginning of the walk. There is no way to know before the pee starts coming out if he is relieving his bladder or marking. If it's just quick squirt then I know it's marking. If it's comes out more like a stream and last for more than 2 seconds then I know he is relieving his bladder. I'm not a fortune teller! :wink2:


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## Heartandsoul (Jan 5, 2012)

There is something that I have noticed about my intact 6yr old. He definitely holds at least half of what is in his bladder back from emptying completely on the first leg lift. It's probably to ensure he has enough to mark with at the next opportunity.

Tonight's last potty break took two leg lifts before he was at least comfortable and the first lift he stopped mid stream on purpose.

This is just my own reasoning and may be false but I allow him to mark during our walks to mark until it's obvious that his bladder is completely empty as I was under the impression that holding any back wasn't healthy. I don't know if my reasoning is true or not though. I am a nudge about where and when I allow him to mark and he knows the no-go zones.


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## Aly (May 26, 2011)

What works for me is to teach the dog to pee/poo on command ("Let's have a pee!"), _before _heading out for a walk or doing anything else. I do it as part of house-training, so it's easy. (Very handy to have a dog that will relieve itself on command when you're travelling). At any time of day or night, the first 5-10 minutes outside is always a designated potty break. I start by simply pairing the command with the behavior ("Yes! Good pee!"). Once mission's accomplished, puppy is rewarded and we go on with whatever's on schedule (e.g., walks, flirt pole, etc). Pair that with not allowing him to mark every blessed blade of grass (as other posters have suggested) and you should be fine. 

Aly


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## Heartandsoul (Jan 5, 2012)

This is an interesting thread. The territorial behavior that Carmspack brought up made me think about where I allow him to mark and where he has been more apt to show dog reactivity as opposed to areas that he is not allowed but where other dogs are in and seen. In my case there does seem to be an anecdotal correlation.

I love reading threads that makes you stop and think.


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## Wolfhund (Aug 17, 2017)

carmspack said:


> Read a good study put out about 20 years ago for trainers of service dogs . A by product of that study was that a lot of urban male to male dog friction and aggression could be vastly reduced by not allowing the male dog to mark.
> 
> Study then expanded to problematic dogs that marked within the owners home - marking the sofa and other furniture.
> A big part of the resolve there was to have the owner pro-active assertive , not having the dog dominant and expressing it by claiming HIS terrritory .


Would you be kind of enough to let me know the name of the study and/or author(s) or better yet link to the study so I could download? Thanks!


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