# It's a boy thing!



## Chalex (Feb 19, 2010)

Preston was neutered at 7 months. He had always pee'ed with 4 on the floor. Then he started to lift his back let just a little. Today, for the first time he got that back leg up pretty high. Do I need to worry about this? If so, is there a way I can teach him not to do that???


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## Dora's Mom (Nov 7, 2009)

There's no harm in it, I don't see why he can't just keep hiking that leg! I've seen dogs lift their leg up so high I wonder if they're going to tip over. :w00t:

Of course, if he's missing the pee pad because his aim is off or something, I guess you would want to correct that.


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## MandyMc65 (Jun 14, 2007)

There is nothing wrong with your dog lifting his leg. There is a big difference between lifting a leg to pee and lifting a leg to mark. Girls can and do mark without lifting their legs.

Jax lifts his leg to pee and has NEVER marked anything. It also helps keep him from getting any pee on himself.


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## MaryH (Mar 7, 2006)

For me the leg lifting would depend on where it's being done. If my dogs want to lift their leg outside on a fencepost or hydrant or some other upright object for the purpose of eliminating then I'm okay with that. I'm not okay with marking every tree, shrub, lamp post, etc. just for the sake of saying "I've been here." My neutered boy only eliminates outside, sometimes squatting, sometimes lifting his leg, but always to eliminate, never a spot here and a spot there for the sake of marking territory. My intact boy will eliminate both on potty pads and outdoors. He squats to pee but lifts one back leg out to his side so that he doesn't get pee on himself. If Preston is lifting his leg in the house and directing the urine to something other than a potty pad I would try to catch him the instant the leg starts to go up and just say "no" or "eh". If he is only lifting his leg outside and it's to eliminate rather than mark then I don't see that as a problem that needs correcting.


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

MandyMc65 said:


> There is nothing wrong with your dog lifting his leg. There is a big difference between lifting a leg to pee and lifting a leg to mark. Girls can and do mark without lifting their legs.
> 
> Jax lifts his leg to pee and has NEVER marked anything. It also helps keep him from getting any pee on himself.


Mandy - Okay -- I have no idea what the difference is between peeing and marking. I thought they mark when they pee (with leg up).Please explain to me.:blush: Tyler squats on pad at home and lifts leg outside - peeing - and then even when there's nothing left. Is that it??


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## princessre (Dec 23, 2008)

Casanova mostly squats inside, but I've noticed he sometimes lifts the back leg if he has alot of peeing to do in order to prevent getting pee on himself. (He is a total clean freak). He lifts to pee outside on trees, on rocks :HistericalSmiley: But he has never marked furniture or any object inside our home. I would think it is okay to lift if it is not to mark furniture, but just to prevent getting pee on the coat.


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## MandyMc65 (Jun 14, 2007)

Snowbody said:


> Mandy - Okay -- I have no idea what the difference is between peeing and marking. I thought they mark when they pee (with leg up).Please explain to me.:blush: Tyler squats on pad at home and lifts leg outside - peeing - and then even when there's nothing left. Is that it??


Mary put it very well  


MaryH said:


> My neutered boy only eliminates outside, sometimes squatting, sometimes lifting his leg, but always to eliminate, never a spot here and a spot there for the sake of marking territory.


Jax is exactly the same way - he only lifts his leg or squats when he actually has to pee. Marking is when the dog (male OR female) pees on something to scent mark it - "I've been here, this is mine". They can do this without lifting their leg.

I think I just see people saying that leg lifting is always seen as marking and that is not the case.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

When Soda started lifting on the pee pad to eliminate (not marking), I just gently placed his foot back down. He's a good squatter at home to this day. Outside I let him lift away.


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## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

Alex lifts his leg occasionally only outside. But a lot of times he lifts the wrong leg when peeing on a tree or bush :HistericalSmiley::HistericalSmiley:


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## princessre (Dec 23, 2008)

Oh thank goodness Casanova never marks inside our home. A spot here, a spot there would make me nuts!


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## cleex1004 (Aug 2, 2008)

princessre said:


> Casanova mostly squats inside, but I've noticed he sometimes lifts the back leg if he has alot of peeing to do in order to prevent getting pee on himself. (He is a total clean freak). He lifts to pee outside on trees, on rocks :HistericalSmiley: But he has never marked furniture or any object inside our home. I would think it is okay to lift if it is not to mark furniture, but just to prevent getting pee on the coat.


This is exactly what my Louis does except hes not so much a clean freak. :wub:


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## Johita (Jul 10, 2009)

Sometimes Aolani lifts his leg and other times he doesn't. I'm not quite sure yet why he prefers to lift it sometimes, but it's no big deal to me. What I did find pretty funny though (and I think I may have mentioned this in another thread) was when one day I caught him lifting one of his front legs while peeing. He looked like a little pointer LOL.


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

Scooby lifts his leg to pee sometimes and always does it if out on a walk to mark but he has never done it inside thank goodness.
Koko is almost 4 years old and has never ever lifted his leg either inside nor out, I guess he just never had the inclination to do so:thumbsup:
I think I would follow Mary's advice, it sounds very good to me.


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## almitra (Apr 24, 2009)

Luigi's only 5 mos, but he occasionally slides a rear leg slightly to the side to get it out of the way, yet not a lift-n-lean like I usually see with male doggies. He normally just cops a squat when I take him outside, which is the only place he's allowed to pee or poo as he is trained to use the great outdoors exclusively. I think I'd croak if he tried to mark my furniture! If he starts lifting and marking outside I won't care.....I don't expect it to be an issue inside, though, cuz that peeing on furniture thing is a housebreaking matter anyhow. And although I never call a dog under 6 mos housebroken, he hasn't had any mistakes, so he's pretty darn close.


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## Chalex (Feb 19, 2010)

jmm said:


> When Soda started lifting on the pee pad to eliminate (not marking), I just gently placed his foot back down. He's a good squatter at home to this day. Outside I let him lift away.


I did this once as well but I wasn't sure if I was interfering where I didn't belong. I'll continue to do this when he's lifting his leg on the pad.

Thank you everyone. I'm a lot more clear on the difference between marking and peeing now. I've only had one male dog in my life and he was a squatter.


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## NIMaltese (May 24, 2009)

Tobi is in the process of learning to go outside only, as his pad training only lasts so long before he forgets. So far so good.
He lifts his leg up stupidly high at times and has lost his balance on more than one occassion.

He is a terrible marker outside, but not in the house. He will literally lift his leg and mark every couple of mins. Is this a problem that I should stop? Does it signify him being dominant, or insecure, out of interest?


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## ldykandii (Dec 31, 2009)

Thank goodness there is a post on this! 

Advice needed and appreciated!

Ducati is now almost a year old and before when he was a puppy he had no problem going on the pee pads at all, he would just squat. Now that he lifts up his leg, he hasn't been using the pee pads. At first, I thought he was marking, but then I realize he is doing it just to eliminate (he doesn't do a drop here or there, unless it is outside...which is fine for me). The problem is he doesn't use the pee pads anymore and I think there is a slight confusion on eliminating with his leg up and not using the pee pads in door because he can pee anywhere outside. 

If you can give me some advice on how to fix this or suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it. My white carpet now has over twenty stains and I will be replacing the carpet for Ducati to have a fresh start. Thanks again for the advice


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

if its just peeing i dont think theres anything wrong with it . dolce squats , and sometimes lifts one leg a little , only to pee , he has never marked anything n he is not neutered , i learned what marking was w rochie my cousins girls dog that i dog sat last week , when he goes down to pee he will mark every single corner , tree , hydrant , anything , even just a drop , even when he has nothing left, when he came to my house the first time even though he pees outside he had to mark dolces wee pad n the corner of my couch , luckily he only marked in the house at the beginnining but walking him was def a site , he marks every single thing . he is three yrs old and not neutered , if he gets neutered will the marking stop?


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## malteseboy22 (May 25, 2010)

Max does the leg lift and he does it cuz I will rub it underneath and he likes it its only the left one.


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## pammy4501 (Aug 8, 2007)

Well, Frank (being the man of the house) is a total leg lifter. However he doesn't mark.....usually. He will on occasion, for some reason do just a tiny spritz on his food bowl. I think it's because we have three feeding bowl, and he wants to be sure his is not overtaken by Lola and Truffs. At least that is my theory! But it is pretty funny. But as for the leg lifting and peeing, he will go the the exact spot on the pee pee pad or outside where the girls have squatted, and he will lift and relieve on that exact spot. It's a guy thing I guess.


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## Maltbabe (Oct 10, 2010)

*Pee mark*

Cappi lifts his leg outside and pees. Inside, he squats on the pee pad. Max squats inside and out.

They are being neutured tomorrow. So I pray they never mark. Petey on the other hand, has to wear a belly band inside ALL the time. He is my daughters Malt and she never trained him :angry: so, I inherited MR SPRINKLER:w00t::w00t:


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## ann80 (Jun 13, 2009)

My girl (yes girl, not boy) squats then lifts her right leg to pee...always the same way & the same leg on the pad. I believe she doesn't want to get her leg wet & tries to get it out of the way.


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## Katkoota (Feb 18, 2006)

ann80 said:


> My girl (yes girl, not boy) squats *then lifts her right leg to pee*...always the same way & the same leg on the pad. I believe she doesn't want to get her leg wet & tries to get it out of the way.


My poodle (girl) used to do that too. 

Crystal does not do that. Snowy lifts his leg though,


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## Canada (Jun 4, 2009)

ann80 said:


> My girl (yes girl, not boy) squats then lifts her right leg to pee...always the same way & the same leg on the pad. I believe she doesn't want to get her leg wet & tries to get it out of the way.


Paris does that too sometimes. :w00t:
She will lift her right leg about an inch or two off the potty.


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## littledog (Dec 7, 2006)

I have a marker! He will do fine for some time and then mark right in front of me. He always marks the same spots that are well marked already. I would think he would realize he already has everything marked. He will do it right after coming in from outside with an empty bladder.


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## elly (Sep 11, 2006)

littledog said:


> I have a marker! He will do fine for some time and then mark right in front of me. He always marks the same spots that are well marked already. I would think he would realize he already has everything marked. He will do it right after coming in from outside with an empty bladder.


How is Mercedes little brother?


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## Rocky's Mom (Apr 10, 2010)

Rocky is still a squatter. I keep waiting to see if he will lift his leg. I thought for sure when we got home from vacation he'd be lifting his leg because my friend's dog does and I thought he'd learn from him. He squats really low too, it's kind of funny and most people comment on it.:HistericalSmiley:


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## silverhaven (Sep 6, 2009)

Lola lifts her leg too  always has done, but she lifts it forwards, I think so she doesn't get pee on herself. She doesn't either


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## Cathy Yates (Apr 28, 2011)

Every puppy I have ever owned has always hiked their legs to mark or go to the bathroom. The only bad thing is when they miss their "spot" and I have to bust out the carpet cleaner.


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## Bibu (Jun 3, 2010)

pammy4501 said:


> Well, Frank (being the man of the house) is a total leg lifter. However he doesn't mark.....usually. He will on occasion, for some reason do just a tiny spritz on his food bowl. I think it's because we have three feeding bowl, and he wants to be sure his is not overtaken by Lola and Truffs. At least that is my theory! But it is pretty funny. But as for the leg lifting and peeing, he will go the the exact spot on the pee pee pad or outside where the girls have squatted, and he will lift and relieve on that exact spot. It's a guy thing I guess.


Bibu used to always pee in my other dog's food bowl right after he ate! It was the weirdest thing!

However, Bibu is a leg lifter inside and outside the house. I strategically place the wee pad in a way that he can lift his leg and score on the pad. Sometimes he walks off with his leg up and gets some on the floor which drives me nuts! 

Does anybody have a leg lifter on a wee pad? If so, how do you strategically place your pad to avoid leaks off the pad?

As far as marking, I only had a problem when I bought a room divider at a garage sale. Apparently the person who owned it had a dog that had marked all over it(not visible at all) and when we brought it home we left the house for 30 minujtes and when we came back the rug and the room divider were full of markings all over the place! Needless to say, I threw away the room divider right away!


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