As a male dog starts to reach maturity, he will increasingly lift his leg while urinating. Sexual maturity in puppies usually starts in male pups around the 6-month mark in small breeds, and up to around 9 months in medium to large breeds, and it may not occur until over a year in some giant breeds.
As soon as you see him preparing to pee, give him the command to lift his leg. If he does, reward him with treats. You may have to do this for a few weeks before he will simply lift his leg each time he pees without the need for a command. Be patient and it will happen.
Because leg lifting can be associated with dominance and territorial marking, dogs who are submissive may not show this behavior. Other dogs simply don't find it comfortable and don't want to do it, or feel no territorial drive.
All male dogs, big and small, raise their leg to pee or scent-mark much more frequently in the fall than in the summer, likely because it is mating season. Accordingly, the frequency of their urination increases whenever there is a female dog or a male competitor present.
The Story Behind Squatting
Most of the time, squatting to urinate is normal — and not a sign of a health problem. “I wouldn't worry unless it's a change,” says board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Karen Sueda, DVM, of the VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital.
The Root of the Behavior
Male dogs start lifting their leg to urinate when they are approximately 6-12 months old. Both neutered and non-neutered dogs will lift their legs, but it is more common for a neutered dog to squat. For the dog, it's all about personal preference and their message.
The age at which dogs reach sexual maturity depends to a large extent on their breed. Small breeds tend to mature faster than large breeds. On average, however, males become fertile after six months of age and reach full sexual maturity by 12 to 15 months.
When should I neuter my male dog? Small dogs do not have as many orthopedic issues, therefore it is fine to neuter them on the younger side at 6-12 months of age. For large dogs that are very prone to orthopedic injury/diseases we now recommend waiting to neuter until 9-18 months of age.
For dogs: While the traditional age for neutering is six to nine months, healthy puppies as young as eight weeks old can be neutered. Dogs can be neutered as adults as well, although there's a slightly higher risk of post-operative complications in older dogs, dogs that are overweight or dogs that have health problems.
The pain associated with spay or neuter surgeries is typically more of a discomfort and may last for just a few days and should be completely gone after about a week. If your pet is experiencing pain or discomfort for more than a couple of days it's a good idea to contact your vet for further advice.
Spay (or neuter) first
The longer a dog goes before being spayed or neutered, the more difficult it will be to train them not to mark in the house. Spaying or neutering your dog should reduce urine-marking and may stop it altogether.
Male dogs also often squat to urinate. All puppies squat to urinate and the urge to actually mark develops with maturity from about five months on, depending on the individual pup. In contrast, marking is done from a standing position by cocking a rear leg and aiming the urine stream at a (usually) vertical object.
Obstructions in your dog's bladder or urethra can lead to urinary retention. These obstructions can be the result of bladder stones, urethral plugs, blood clots, a narrowing of the urethra (called stricture), or even cancerous tumors. Also, if minerals accumulate in the urinary tract, it can also cause an obstruction.
It does tend to be entire males who mark the most, although desexed males and females can also mark their territory. Outdoor urine marking is acceptable behaviour to most owners. It is when marking or urination occurs indoors that frustration begins.
The traditional age for neutering is six to nine months. However, puppies as young as eight weeks can be neutered as long as there aren't other health problems. An adult dog can be neutered at any time but there is a larger risk of complications.
Behavioral Changes in a Dog After Being Neutered
Removing the testicles removes the largest source of testosterone in the body. This results in a decrease in sexually driven behaviors in your dog: urine marking, escaping to seek female dogs, and aggression toward other male dogs.
In early-neutered dogs, the incidence of CCL was 5.1 percent in males and 7.7 percent in females, suggesting that neutering prior to sexual maturity significantly increases a dog's risk of developing CCL disease. With respect to cancer, cases of lymphoma were 3-fold greater in the early-neutered males.
Can Spaying or Neutering Make a Dog Less Hyper? The short answer is that no, your dog isn't likely to be less hyperactive after getting spayed or neutered. It won't change their personality much, if at all. Each dog has its own positive and negative social habits.
On average dogs who are spayed or neutered live one and a half years longer than those who are not. Typically, dogs who are not fixed live to be about 8 years of age, where fixed dogs average about nine and a half years.
Early-age neutering does not stunt growth in dogs or cats (a once-held belief), but may alter metabolic rates in cats. The anaesthetic and surgical procedures are apparently safe for young puppies and kittens; morbidity is lower and recovery is faster than in adult animals.
The male sexually dimorphic behaviors in dogs include interest in estrous vaginal secretions, mounting, pelvic thrusting, ejaculation, urine marking, roaming, and intermale aggression.
The first physical signs you tend to see are a degree of swelling or redness of the vulva, a small amount of clear discharge and some increased licking of the area.
As male dogs reach puberty, they will start cocking their legs and you may notice an increased interest in other dogs. Typical behaviour increased confidence with other dogs and/or people. Keep male puppies well-exercised, enriched and encouraged during all behaviours. Remember to reward them when they've been good!
One of the easiest ways to train a dog to go only in one spot is to train it to go on command. Take your dog on a leash to the spot you want it to use, and say the cue word. Keep the dog in that spot until it goes, then offer a reward. Only reward the dog when it goes in that particular spot.