The Low Down On Leg Lifting
Leg lifting is a dog behavior that I am so often questioned about, that I decided it deserved its own post.
Dogs lift their legs to mark their scent on vertical surfaces. The goal? To hike their mark as high as it can go, showing that they are the “bigger” dog - thus leaving a more impressive scent marker for all the other dogs that pass. I’ve even heard of a case where a Basenji would run up a tree peeing as it ran. Mind you, I never saw this. However, if you know Basenjis, you wouldn’t put it past them!
Photo by iMinerva
Male dogs usually start lifting their legs somewhere between 6 - 12 months of age. If your male dog hasn’t started lifting his leg at this point- there isn’t anything wrong with him! Some dogs never lift their legs. As for the “early lifters” - generally speaking, the earlier a dog starts exhibiting this behavior, the more assertive and dominant he may be. If your puppy begins lifting his leg before 6 months of age, a neuter is a good step to take - asap - and you may want to enlist the help of a behaviorist as well.
Male dogs aren’t the only dogs in the park who will lift their legs - occasionally female dogs will also lift their legs to mark their territory. This is also a perfectly normal behavior and does not need to be discouraged.
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