“I want a girl dog because males lift their leg on everything, everywhere and they hump all the time.” By adopting a female you think you will not have to deal with marking and humping... well, think again!
Females mark just as much as males... it is just not as obvious when females mark. They scoot and you don’t notice, especially if it’s on carpet. Females hump other dogs to show domination and they mark for the same reason. Marking and humping are the reasons why there are 10 times more males than females in rescue and shelters. Unfortunately, many still think only males mark and try to dominate.
A neutered/spayed animal is less likely to behave that way, not to mention it is better health wise to have your pets fixed. Using a belly band with males will save your furniture and walls during house training. Adopters often ask me: “How long should he wear this thing?” or “Aren’t people going to think there is something wrong with my dog?” And they don’t use the belly band, get frustrated and often send the dog back to rescue because of the marking.
I tried many things to house train a dog and what works well for me is baby diapers. Pet stores sell fabric belly bands in which you insert a lining pad. I don’t like them because it does not absorb as well as a diaper. If you have a 30-pound dog you are trying to house train and he lifts his leg, the little liner will not hold enough liquid and the fabric band will be soaked. The band will be useless at that point because the urine ends up leaking everywhere and your dog smells bad.
By using baby diapers it solved my problem. The boys don’t like to have a wet tummy for one, and it absorbs way better than liners and fabric bands. I wrap the diaper around the tummy of my boys and flip the stickers to secure the diaper on the other end. Since diapers are sold in various sizes, you can find the right size for your dog without a problem. I also use diapers with females who mark by cutting a hole in the diaper for their tail and I put it on like I would for a baby.
Even though my trainee wears a diaper/belly band, I train him the same way as if he didn’t wear one. I take him outside just as regularly and take the diaper off when he is outside. Before getting back in the house, I put the diaper back on and use positive reinforcement to congratulate the dog. I do everything the same way except for the diaper part, which saves my furniture, my walls and my sanity.
I have house trained very many dogs since I have started to foster dogs and get involved in rescue including my own, male and female. This always worked very well. The purpose of the diaper is not to leave it on and forget about training your dog because he cannot tinkle in the house and mess it up. It is to protect your house while you are training him. A dog can be house trained and will mark all of a sudden when you thought he was completely house trained. He goes on a visit in a strange home, the family moved to a new home, he meets new dogs or cats, etc. All of these situations can trigger the marking habit back because he wants to tell everyone this place is HIS territory. It that happens, get bac to the diaper/belly band solution until he is retrained to his new environment and he settles down.
Don’t stop yourself from adopting a male dog because he might mark. There are solutions to this. Boys are more affectionate and cuddlier than my girls. I have male and female fosters and, although I love my girls, I would not trade my boys for anything in the world.
Linda Barrette
Founder,
Sheree's Dog Rescue
www.shereesdogrescue.org
