Expert: Renee Cox - 5/26/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hi Renee,

I hope I am not over reacting.  But I have a 80 lb Male Boxer that will be 1 year old next month and he has not been lifting his leg?  Is this something I should be concerned about or is he just a late bloomer?

Thanks,

Gary

ANSWER: Hi Gary. I wouldn't worry about this yet. Some dogs are late bloomers, as you say. And some are not that dominant, and may not lift their legs often at all. I also have an almost one year old male here that still hasn't lifted his leg yet either. I don't know if it's just because he's maturing at his own rate, or if it's because of my almost 13 year old intact male that still thinks he's boss. Either way, it's fine by me. :-) Larger breeds mature slower than the smaller breeds. I've known males that didn't start to hike until they were 2 years old. Your boy is ok, don't worry.:-)

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Renee,
...you mentioned something interesting.  I wasn't aware that "lifting a leg" was a male dominant thing.  You see,
I also have a 7 year old female and sometimes she will lift her whole rear end (with her leg slightly cocked upward) just to pee on a small bush.  I thought that maybe she was just a "Tom Boy?" Are telling me that she could be a reflection on him lifting his leg?

Thanks again,

Gary


Answer
Hi Gary. Again, I also had a female that lifted her leg to mark. She was second dog in command, and she wouldn't hike her leg around the old guy. It very well could be a dominant issue. However, I really believe that when he gets a bit older, he'll hike as well. He's still puppy like, and has a lot of maturing to do before he's full grown. Boxers are slow to mature anyway.