Carrie, I need you input!

**Dixieland Dancer** · 01-23-2002, 10:17 AM

I'm writing this for a friend who is too embarrassed to ask. She has two pups, both will be three years old, a male and a female, both neutered. The female seems to be alpha, however he is after her all the time. The problem is that when they go outside he lifts his leg and pees on her. This has only started in the last month or so and she can't figure what triggered this new action. The male has been sort of a docile male, no confrontations. He has never been aggressive or anything like that.

Two things: What do you think could of triggered this to start occuring and what would you do to stop it.

Thanks,
Candy

**carrie** · 01-23-2002, 10:25 AM

As you have indicated it is dominance related. The bitch has always seemed more dominant but the male ( a slow to mature breed and a neutered male - this can lengthen the emotional maturation of the dog) is coming into his own. He now sees himself as the Alpha and is pressing home his point in no uncertain manner.

I would suggest to your friend that she shifts the way she treats the dogs so that the male is now treated as the higher ranking dog. Once he sees his role as supported and the bitch sees that he has the leader's support things should settle down in a couple to three weeks.
Suggest that she feeds the male first, greets him first and gets the dogs to sit at doors and allow the male through first, after she has gone through, of course.

Hope this help - tell her not to be embarrassed it really isn't uncommon. It would probably stop anyway as the male matures further and feels safer in his new position.

**Dixieland Dancer** · 01-23-2002, 10:32 AM

Carrie,
Thanks for the input. That is kind of what I figured but I wanted your input. I value your take on things.
Candy

**carrie** · 01-23-2002, 10:33 AM

Just had an instant fix kind of idea to help the rather unpleasant aspect of this problem...
Tell her to try getting both dogs to sit before letting them out. Allow the male to go first, keeping the bitch in a sit. When he has toileted call him back and allow the bitch to go and toilet while the dog sits. Then, to help the male secure his position, call the bitch in and get her to sit and allow the dog to go and mark over where she has been.

**Dixieland Dancer** · 01-23-2002, 11:08 AM

Originally posted by carrie
Just had an instant fix kind of idea to help the rather unpleasant aspect of this problem...
Tell her to try getting both dogs to sit before letting them out. Allow the male to go first, keeping the bitch in a sit. When he has toileted call him back and allow the bitch to go and toilet while the dog sits. Then, to help the male secure his position, call the bitch in and get her to sit and allow the dog to go and mark over where she has been.

WONDERFUL IDEA!!!

**mary_jsn** · 01-24-2002, 11:10 AM

Wow! I never heard of this. Tell your friend not to be embarrased worse things can happen. Like when a male dog is atracted to males instead of females. I don't want to put the word that we usually use. It maybe offensive for some people or some people might not even know it

**AdoreMyDogs** · 01-25-2002, 09:27 PM

Candy,

I adopted a female mix from a shelter a couple of years ago who turned out being extremely dog dominant. She didn't show signs of any dominance when I took Graham to the shelter to meet her for the first time. It was an aweful situation actually. Her true colors came out when she came home, after she came off the ansthetia from being spayed. She started to push Graham out of the way when he was in mid-pee or mid-poo and frantically LIFT HER LEG to pee over his pee or poo. He had to sneak away from her so he could finish going to the bathroom. It was aweful. She became more and more obsessed with asserting her extreme dog dominance and she started lifting her leg on each and every one of his toys, and the last draw was when she insisted on lifting her leg ON Graham, whether he was inside the house or outside. She also growled at him every time he got near the water bowl or he walked by any of HIS toys!

It was aweful because she was exceptional with people, very, very submissive and gentle...I could even take a slimy rawhide out of her mouth and she'd open her mouth and let me with love in her eyes and a smile on her face. She worshiped me in the short 10 days we had her

We named her Ellie

Ellie had to go back to the shelter because, as hard as I tried, I could NOT find anyone who wanted her

The fact that Graham has always been a dominant dog made it a dangerous mix. If Graham ever tried to challange her dominance, which he may have because she took EVERYTHING away from him, it would have been a fight, and a possible bad one according to the 2 dog behavorists who I was dealing with

I couldn't take a chance with my baby. I had to part with Ellie and pray that she found that home that she deserved

It was an aweful thing. Sorry to get off the subject! The lifting of the leg on another dog reminded me of that difficult situation.

**Sudilar** · 01-26-2002, 08:43 AM

Leslie, I'll bet that was a very hard thing to do! Sometimes a situation just can't work out. It was a good thing that you realized it and did what was right.

As usual, carrie, came through with wonderful suggestions! This is why I love this BB so much!!

**mary_jsn** · 02-12-2002, 09:36 PM

In my not-so-great dog logic I had never ever heard of either cases. I so sorry adoremydogs that you have to give Ellie to another person if she has found one and I think she used to pee everywhere to make sure that graham's belogings where now her belogings. Dixie how's your friend's dog pee problem?