Expert: Renee Cox - 8/29/2008

Question
I have two boxers @ home a male puppy and a older female.  The male is 9 months old.  He started a new dominance problem where he urinates on other dogs and sometimes even people.  He will only urinate on our other dog if we are not around, but he will urinate on any dog no matter who is around.  How do I break him of this?  At first I thought it was because he wasn't paying attention when he learned to lift his leg, but that is clearly not the problem. It is very embarrassing when he is around other peoples dogs and he goes to the bathroom on them.

Answer
Hi Kim. You have a few solutions. One, get him neutered. Two, take this boy to some serious obedience training. This is a form of territorial marking, and you have to nip this in the bud. While out, keep him on a tight leash. When another dog comes around, let them meet, but when he tries to lift his leg, give a strong no, and turn around and walk away. Give him a minute to calm down, and try again. Do this everything you think he's going to hike, even at home. When you have company, keep him on a leash. You have to do this constantly for him to get the picture. My best advice would be to get this boy to an obedience class. It would help him.