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It isn’t great when your male dog starts marking their territory with pee. But why on earth do they do it? Do they pee everywhere for no reason, to pass time or could it be for some other reason?

Housebreaking your dog

If a puppy has not been housebroken, you cannot expect them to be house trained when they are adults. House training your puppy is the first thing you should teach them.

Patience and consistency will be rewarded when teaching your puppy where it is appropriate for them to relieve themselves. Take your puppy outside frequently—at least every two hours—and immediately after they wake up, during and after playing, and after eating or drinking. For instance, smaller breeds have smaller bladders and higher metabolisms and require more frequent trips outside. If your dog was not house trained when they were a puppy they can take longer to be housebroken.

Separation anxiety

Separation anxiety or other similar behavioral problems can also be the reason for the dog peeing inside the home, especially if the problem only occurs when the dog is home alone. Fortunately, there are solutions to handling a dog with behavioral problems, so it is not completely impossible to completely get rid of separation anxiety over time.

Enough time outdoors

Does your dog get out often enough to relieve themselves? Depending on the dogs age, their personality and the length of the walks, the appropriate amount of time spent outdoors varies, but either way your dog should be allowed outdoors at least three times a day and preferably more often. A dog’s retention ability is not limitless, so if your dog does pee indoors especially near the front door, you should make sure your dog has enough opportunities to relieve themselves.

The lovely girl dog next door

A dog’s sense of smell is known to be unparalleled. Usually this is a good thing, but it also has its downsides. If your male dog has caught a whiff of a female dog during one of their walks or otherwise it will make their head spin. When this happens, a male dog can start to mark his territory -including indoors. The love-longing male dog can also be more restless and eat poorly.

Health reasons

Whatever the reason for marking their territory you should always rule out the possibility of illness. If the dog is drinking more than usual, they will also pee more. Continuous drinking can be a sign of illness and you should sooner rather than later take your dog to the vet.

Urinary tract problems such as urinary tract infections, continence problems that come with old age, congenital malformations and other ailments that a dog can't do anything about always require the help of a veterinarian.

Old smells

It's critically important that you truly neutralize and remove the odors from the pee or poop first, before cleaning, shampooing, or steaming your floors and carpets. Miss this odor-neutralizing step and the lingering odor will keep your pup coming back for more! Try using products for sale in pet stores meant specifically for odor removal.

Don’t punish your dog

If your dog is peeing indoors, you must remind yourself they are not intentionally trying to annoy you. A dog lives in the moment and behaves according to their instincts - marking their territory with pee is one of its natural functions

House train your dog patiently and if you're struggling to train them ask the help of a professional.

FINNERO products to the rescue!

FINNERO male belt / male wrap is needed when a male dog marks furniture, curtains, rugs, etc. This can lead to both financial and unhygienic problems, not to mention the resentment that results. The male belt is a belt-shaped, easy-to-wear male protector. Most dogs stop marking when the male belt is on when they notice that there is no sign.

See the products >

Author:
Eeva Ahervuo's career began in 1987 with a partnership in Töölö´s Pet Shop in Helsinki, Finland. In 1995 she started working in Faunatar pet shop chain, where she was a marketing manager. After wanting some new opportunities in work, she joined FINNERO's marketing in 2022. She is a animal attendant and she has numerous professional educations in marketing. However, dogs have had their very own place in Eeva's heart for over 40 years.

Dogs will have their first estrous (reproductive or heat) cycle when they reach puberty. A dog's heat time or ‘’heat’’ is a female dog's rutting season, a time in which a female dog can become pregnant if it is allowed to mate with a male dog. Male dogs don’t have heat time and once they become sexually mature they can produce offspring at any time.

When is the rutting season?

On average, puberty (or sexual maturity) is reached at about 6-12 months of age, but this can vary by breed. Smaller breeds tend to have their first estrous cycle at an earlier age, while large and giant breeds may not come into heat for the first time until they reach eighteen months to two years of age. Differences between breeds are quite big - sometimes a dog can be almost two years of age before the first heat starts.

During rutting season, a female dog's behavior can change. They can be tired, in a world of their own, more restless than normal, bark more frequently, become a picky eater and when outside be especially interested in other dogs and tempting smells. They can also pee indoors even if out of character for them - the dog could during this time be subject to more time outdoors than usual. All changes in behavior are completely normal and usually the strongest changes happen during the first heat.

How long do they last?

The rutting season lasts approximately a month at a time. There are three different stages: preheat, heat and post-heat. In between heats is a rest period during which a dog cannot become pregnant. The duration of the rest period is typically six months, but it differs a lot between different dog breeds.

The first stage of the rutting season is pre-heat, which lasts from three days to about two weeks. During this period the dog’s genitals swell, the follicles develop and the bleeding related to the heat begins from the dogs vulva. It’s very individual how strong the bleeding is - in some it is barely noticeable and in others there is more mess. At this point male dogs are already interested in females, but females don’t let males get too close and reject the males attempts to mate. An unneutered male and a female experiencing preheat should not be left alone together because it is not entirely impossible that the male should impregnate the female. The female should for the entirety of the heat be kept away from unneutered males to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.

The actual heat lasts about a week. During this time the female is very submissive, and pregnancy is extremely likely. The female can be very interested in males at this time. At this stage pregnancy is very likely and if your intention is to breed puppies this is the time for it.

The last stage is post-heat. At this stage the swelling and bleeding slowly pass. During post-heat the female will no longer let the male close and reject all her suitors. The female can be more tired, but this is normal. On the other hand, if the dog starts licking more than usual, drinking more, peeing more or has higher temperature at worst they could have a uterine infection. If you suspect your dog has a uterine infection you must contact a vet posthaste. A uterine infection requires veterinary care.

If your dog has become pregnant during heat, they shall give birth 58-72 days after conception. If the dog hasn’t become pregnant it is possible that the dog can be subject to a false pregnancy. During a false pregnancy the dog's own body tricks them into thinking they are pregnant. The false pregnancy passes eventually and usually there is nothing to worry about. During a false pregnancy a female dog can carry toys more lovingly and make them a nest. The female might also produce milk, but the false pregnancy passes on its own when the aftereffects of the heat wear off.

During the rest period the dog’s hormone functions are normal and the dog cannot get pregnant until the next heat.

If you have no intention of letting your female dog have puppies, you can take them to the vet and have them sterilized. After sterilization the dog will no longer experience rutting season.

FINNERO products for heat

FINNERO heat pants are washable diapers (“panties”) for dogs in heat. It is put on the dog so that your surfaces and interior textiles are protected from the bleeding in your home and on the go. The heat panties also work with urinary incontinence for neutered females or elderly dogs.

If you have a female dog, it is recommended you get the heat pants early so the dog can get used to them before the heat. By putting the heat pants on the dog for a little while at a time and rewarding them the heat will pass without any problems.

See FINNERO heat pants here >

Author:
Eeva Ahervuo's career began in 1987 with a partnership in Töölö´s Pet Shop in Helsinki, Finland. In 1995 she started working in Faunatar pet shop chain, where she was a marketing manager. After wanting some new opportunities in work, she joined FINNERO's marketing in 2022. She is a animal attendant and she has numerous professional educations in marketing. However, dogs have had their very own place in Eeva's heart for over 40 years.