Results 1 to 9 of 9
  1. #1
    Puppy
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Illinois
    Posts
    37
    Thanked: 12

    Marking other dogs at daycare

    Cooper just turned 8 months old and is intact. I was aiming to wait to neuter till 1 year, or maybe even 2 if there are no obnoxious male behaviors convincing me to do it earlier. 😏. He goes to daycare (for socialization/ play) 1 x per week at the facility where I take him for obedience classes. He is home and kenneled the other 4 days as I teach. My dog walker lets him out mid-day for a potty break. Today he was at daycare and when I picked him up my trainer asked when I was planning to neuter. I told her my plan and asked why she asked. She said cooper was 'marking' today. Not the walls though.... the other puppies! This has never happened before. He is the oldest puppy in the group, and the trainer suggested we move him to a different day of the week ('big dog day'). She hopes that might make a difference.... being around adults who are bigger than him. She said I might want to consider earlier neuter if it doesn't. Any thoughts? I really want him to continue going b/c it breaks up the monotony of the work week. He needs dog socialization time. I'm so conflicted though. I just recently decided to postpone neutering till he is mature....but I wasn't expecting this. The trainer said she had never seen this before and was going to research it a bit. Any thought? Anyone have a similar problem? Thanks in advance for advice.

    Jeni

  2. #2
    Real Retriever
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Wake Forest, NC
    Posts
    294
    Thanked: 179
    I've always had black gals so no help. I was just wondering why you wanted to wait until a year or two old before neutering?

    I spay my gals before the first heat and have not seen any issues.

  3. #3
    Puppy
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Illinois
    Posts
    37
    Thanked: 12
    I learned from this website that it is better for their joints to wait to neuter until they are mature. I talked it over with my vet and she didn't have a problem with that. My previous lab tore an acl and had to have it surgically repaired. Trying to avoid that best I can this round.

  4. #4
    House Broken piccadilly's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    108
    Thanked: 109
    I personally don't buy the knee/hormone connection but I DO believe in waiting until the dog is full grown before altering. What does the daycare do as far as a correction? When is it happening? Are more than one dog sniffing the same area and your dog hikes his leg, hitting another dog? Or is your dog actively going up to a dog to pee on it?

  5. #5
    Senior Dog Berna's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Belgrade, Serbia
    Posts
    4,081
    Thanked: 4633
    I see this as a behavioural issue that can be addressed with some training. I have an intact 8 year old who has never ever marked other dogs.
    Cookie Black Snowflake
    July 12th, 2006. - May 25th, 2023.

    Hidden Content

    Hidden Content

    Hidden Content
    Hidden Content | Hidden Content | Hidden Content | Hidden Content

  6. The Following User Says Thank You to Berna For This Useful Post:

    Tanya (08-28-2014)

  7. #6
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    8,136
    Thanked: 5108
    Is he just barely starting to lift his leg? My theory is boys need to be trained twice. First on horizontal surfaces, grass is ok, carpet is not. Then on vertical surfaces, trees are ok, furniture and people legs are not. Other puppies don't neatly fit my theory but I have to wonder how much of this is partly Cooper being a little unsteady on his feet and not aiming properly yet and how much is the other puppies getting in the way?

    No matter, if you aren't there to monitor there is no way you can influence his choices. I wonder if being with the big dogs will have any effect on him as he will still miss out on the training from you. He may continue if you neuter him, he may not.

    Did the trainer say how many times this happened? I'm having a hard time seeing a young dog deliberately marking other puppies. A once or twice mistake I can see and have seen. Think I'd be asking to know which exact puppies he marked and how often.

  8. #7
    Senior Dog Berna's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Belgrade, Serbia
    Posts
    4,081
    Thanked: 4633
    There are dogs who mark on purpose. I've seen dogs purposely mark other dogs and one dog even marked my trousers at the dog park. The common denominator is that the owners didn't react or correct such behaviour.
    Cookie Black Snowflake
    July 12th, 2006. - May 25th, 2023.

    Hidden Content

    Hidden Content

    Hidden Content
    Hidden Content | Hidden Content | Hidden Content | Hidden Content

  9. #8
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    8,136
    Thanked: 5108
    Quote Originally Posted by Berna View Post
    There are dogs who mark on purpose. I've seen dogs purposely mark other dogs and one dog even marked my trousers at the dog park. The common denominator is that the owners didn't react or correct such behaviour.
    LOL, my agility trainer is the first person Oban tried to mark when he was 9 months old and still learning. It was at a show she was judging agility at and her theory was the ground and grass was covered in pee and some had splashed up on her shoes and socks, thus making them seem peeable. I bet that could happen at the dog park too. Oban missed and hit the ground, partly because I yanked him away. She said not to worry, he wouldn't be the only dog to try that weekend.

  10. #9
    Puppy RockyMountainCoal's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    North Florida
    Posts
    21
    Thanked: 12
    Coal has done this once before. I was mortified. We were at the dog park and another dog was being particularly obnoxious toward Coal. Jumping on him, nipping his jowls, running into him, barking. Coal had no interest in playing with the dog. At one point the dog laid down on the ground near Coal. Coal then walked up, hiked his leg, and peed all over him. I was shocked but also trying not to laugh!? At 8 months I have a hard time believing your puppy would be doing it on purpose. Coal had just started lifting his leg right around 7-8 months and had zero coordination. I feel like your situation is probably accidental. Or, another possibility, I can't tell you how many times someone gets peed on at the dog park because every one is trying to sniff and pee the same spot at the same time. Also, if for some reason he IS purposely peeing on other puppies, neutering isn't going to do anything to fix that problem. Training will
    Hidden Content
    Coal 3/1/13
    Aria 6/1/14

 



Not a Member of the Labrador Retriever Chat Forums Yet?
Register for Free and Share Your Labrador Retriever Photos

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •