To be fair, Mojo has never marked in the house, though he's partial to park benches and people being sat on them won't stop him :/. It seems to be that if it's outside, he considers it fair game. It's just seriously irritating that that extends to people and buggies.
He looks very loving and reliable with your baby in the picture and that must be a lovely bit of him.
I had Django castrated at 10 months to stop marking which was going on in the house and outside. He's only 11 months now and perhaps the fact that he does not mark wee nearly so much might be down to maturity, but the fact is that it is greatly lessened.
Since he was never going to be bred from and could never therefore have a reproductive life I decided that it was best for him and us managing a dog in a busy city to have him neutered and we haven't regretted it.
I guess my concern is that the problem escalates from just male dogs to all dogs.
I will stick my neck on the line and say, if he's only got a problem with male dogs at the moment (and especially if they are entire too) then it's probably his hormones which are causing the problem. Whether this is because other male dogs sort of give him the "Let's see what you're made of" look or whether it's him thinking he should get one over them, who knows, but I bet Testosterone is at the heart of the problem.
If he were really that wimpy and scared, then surely he wouldn't dare mark his patch or rise to the challenge of other male dogs.
That's what I'm hoping Jules. It's been going on for a while. I've ummed and aahed about whether his (occasional) aggression towards other dogs was fear-based or hormone-based and my feeling is that it's largely BOTH (unless he knows the dog then he'll be all tippy-toed and hackles up and watchful until he's either had a sniff and a play, or has got past them giving them a wide berth or with "back off" growl).
I'm gutted because I do feel that if I'd had him castrated when he was much younger then we might have avoided the issues that we have with him. I do feel he's been targeted by other dogs because he's intact, and that if I'd had him castrated earlier we'd have avoided the attacks, and the subsequent defensive behaviour from him. A lot of his bolshiness is, I feel, fear-based and I've held off having him done because my concern is that the steadying influence of the testosterone is what has kept him from tipping into something much worse. It feels like I'm kind of caught between a rock and a hard place.
I'm gutted because I do feel that if I'd had him castrated when he was much younger then we might have avoided the issues that we have with him. I do feel he's been targeted by other dogs because he's intact, and that if I'd had him castrated earlier we'd have avoided the attacks, and the subsequent defensive behaviour from him.
I must admit, if I ever had a boy dog, I'd likely get him castrated at about 8-9 months old. I know this goes against so much which is preached here, but I see entire boys time and time again being bullied by other males and then becoming defensive themselves. That along with the fact that so many people walk their in season bitches round here, so any boy of mine would be far better off without his plums. For me, the benefits of having them castrated before they are fully mature far outweighs the benefits of leaving them entire, but no doubt others will disagree with me. It's just such a personal decision and we all try to do our best, don't we.
Totally agree Jules - it's so hard knowing what to do for the best and there are so many factors that affect whether, with hindsight, it was the right decision. I do regret not getting him done when he was younger. I'd say he's probably reached full physical maturity and he is (in my untrained eyes) in fantastic shape and very much a MAN dog lol (muscular, strong, agile and darn handsome)
Charlie was castrated a 9 months of age and is now 7 years old. He does still mark territory when we are out on walks, although to be fair he has never done it at all in the house.
He did wee on my leg once last year when we were waiting our turn at agility class. I gave him rather a telling off, and so far it has not happened since.
Well - I've now got him booked in for January 9th. I'd get him done sooner but we're off to the US for 2 weeks over Christmas to see the ILs and don't think it's very fair to leave him to deal with a huge hormone change whilst in kennels so am holding off until the new year.
To be fair he has never marked in the house. I think I can count on my hands the number of times he's had an accident ever since we got him at 8 weeks so he's always been very good like that. He is just a serial marker when out and about. I try and stop him when he's on the lead and he'll still continue to pee even if he doesn't get as far as lifting his leg. I'm hoping this'll help.
Ok, I know you won't speak to me after this, but a few things shout to me from your original post. leg cocking on you usually doesn't have aparticularly deep meaning, it can be hugely deep and meaningful about your whole relationship, OR it can mean he made a misjudgement because he was busting. Chances are its somewhere between these two 'places'.
What shouts at me are a couple of phrases like 'I'm sick of being dragged about for him to mark everywhere' and 'his bolshiness with males which is escalating'. I also read he is 'all male and handsome and adored' (which is great of course.... grin).
To be honest he sounds as if he is rather taking control of things. He's playing the cards in who he will be pleasant and tolerant of and who he won't. He's pulling you about to mark (my dogs would rather fly to the moon than physcially tow me to a patch of something to **** their legs - i would be yanking them back and giving them the worlds worst boll*cking for such bad manners) and that firstly is saying he picks and chooses when and where he ***** his leg without a thought to the insignificant poor soul holding his lead. I would absolutely immediately start installing some manners in this department in the sense of YOU decide when and where he wee's when he is ON the lead. Once he's off and you have said 'go play' or whatever, fine, he picks and chooses, but when on, YOU teach him that you take him to a wall or bush or post and say 'wee wee's' or whatever, give him 30 secs or a minute to decide if he wants to, and then, until you do that again, he does not **** his leg and he certainly doesn't tow you to somewhere to do it, even if its only 3 feet from where you were walking.
As I say, when off, fine, but he needs to learn some manners about when and where is acceptable when ON....its not a case of when HE wants.
On the way to a offlead place, I walk my dogs maybe 15 mins. They do not stop and sniff and if they **** their legs its without diverting from where we are walking and if they hang back whilst doing it they will get yanked and towed along. They hve half hour or more to do it where they like when we get there. They have had ten mins in the garden before we leave to get it out of them, they do not do it as and when they fancy. If I do a lead walk or we are at a country fair or somewhere they need to be onlead the whole time, regularly I spot a suitable place, walk them up, give them the wee command, and they may or may not wee. If they don't then tough, they don't do it until they get the next chance.
I think if this was a one off misjudgement on his part fine, no bootcamp, but you say its more and more .... OK, offlead, its hard to say to him *this* is acceptable and *that* isn't.... but if its ON lead, give a clear boundary.... NOTHING is acceptable except when I give you the chance unless you are VERY polite and VERY discrete as we physcially walk past something close enoughfor you not to tow me.
He's being a bolshy little whatnot and for me, its time for the boundaries to change for a while to improve all areas of his 'i'm the big I am!' attitude
And yes, I'd castrate him but I'm not convinced it will stop the dragging and peeing etc or even not pee'ing up you, that is more habit than hormone driven, but it can do absolutely no harm whatsoever in his circumstances.
Good luck!
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
Diana - thank you (and I will still talk to you lol)!! Actually what you say makes complete sense. My husband has been saying much the same. He's said that basically Mojo is being a bit of a bolshy moron and needs to learn some manners (I know he wouldn't dream of cocking his leg on Richard). He tried to trounce the cat yesterday (Mojo - not my husband lol). Chased her out the living room and then settled back down on the living room floor with a snort of satisfaction.
On the whole walking thing... I think part of the problem I have is that usually have to walk him with me taking the buggy, and whilst I correct him as much as possible in terms of the marking, I'm maybe not getting it each and every time. He is much better on the lead when it's just him and me. He's also much better if I use the Halti which I resort to if I have to do any kind of extended road walking and have the buggy with me and I'm able to give him a quick tug if he tries to pee so he stops.
I think the permission to pee idea's a good one. I used to use a command when he was pup when I'd send him into the garden to do his business so will see if we can get that happening again.
I think he's seeing me as his possession. I think he also gets defensive of me when I have Toby (my youngest) with me (as he's definitely worse if I've got the buggy) but like my husband says - it's not his job to defend me. I'm the boss. I guess I need to learn how to show him that lol!!
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I gave him rather a telling off, and so far it has not happened since.
(and I will still talk to you lol)!! Actually what you say makes complete sense. My husband has been saying much the same. He's said that basically Mojo is being a bit of a bolshy moron and needs to learn some manners (I know he wouldn't dream of cocking his leg on Richard). He tried to trounce the cat yesterday (Mojo - not my husband lol). Chased her out the living room and then settled back down on the living room floor with a snort of satisfaction.
