My dog sprays people and acts defiant. How do I stop this behavior?

This can be either a dominance issue, or a submissive behavior, as he is still a young dog. You can use gentle correction at the first sign he may try to mark, but it is not an indication of anything serious. All dogs perceive their world just a bit differently from one another. Just like people. Work with him to discourage the behavior & try not to put him in the position where he needs to mark other dogs. He will hopefully outgrow the behavior. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there. It sounds like these are two separate issues. For urine marking in the house, I would treat this just like any other housetraining issue. Take Milo out frequently for potty breaks, and reward with a treat when he urinates outside. In the house, he needs to be closely supervised at all times to prevent him from having any opportunity to mark. Keep him tethered to you with a leash, if needed. Once he's gone a full two weeks without attempting to mark on anything indoors, you can gradually start to give him a bit more freedom. "Growling at everyone" is very vague, and doesn't really tell us much about what might be causing this behavior. Please feel free to post another question with more information about this, such as who he tends to growl at, what kinds of situations normally cause him to growl, etc. We will be happy to try and help once we have a better idea of what's going on.

Hello, sorry to hear about Buddy. It sounds like he is indeed marking his territory when you're not home. I think the crate is a great idea, but if you need some time to get him used to this, a small room such as a bathroom or bedroom would also limit the areas where he marks in the house. Additionally, taking him out to go to the bathroom before you leave will also decrease the amount of urine he has to mark with. A dog urinating on objects, usually vertical, is a normal, instinctive social behavior. Dogs mark their territory by urinating on certain objects within their territory. The dog returns to these spots on occasion to renew this olfactory mark. Usually the amount of urine produced is a smaller amount than when the dog relieves himself. Marking often occurs in areas where other dogs have urine marked or left there odor. Although more commonly seen in intact males, neutered males and females also mark. What is inappropriate marking? Inappropriate marking is when an otherwise healthy, housetrained dog marks objects in an area that is not acceptable to the owner, such as inside a home. Why is my dog inappropriately marking? Causes of inappropriate urine marking can be hormonal or social. Social factors include situations that cause anxiety or territorial stimuli, such as other animals entering their “territory,” or the introduction of something new, such as grocery bags, people, or furniture. Dogs with other anxieties, such as separation anxiety or noise phobia, can also mark. What can I do to prevent inappropriate marking? • If your dog is intact, neuter your dog. One study found that 40% of male dogs castrated for marking drastically decreased their marking, regardless of age of castration. • Neuter all animals in household. Hormonal changes in other animals, like female dogs in heat, may trigger marking. • It is important to rule out underlying medical problems that may cause inappropriate urine marking. The stress of medical problems can be a contributing factor to marking. • Clean up residual odors of the urine with enzymatic cleaners. • Block or eliminate provoking stimuli, such as cover windows where your dog can see other dogs walking by, block access to room where dog may hear other dogs walking by. • Have a conversation with your veterinarian about separation anxiety or other anxieties to determine if this is the cause of inappropriate urine marking. Treat these underlying causes. • Do not place new objects on floor until your dog has gotten used to having them in the house. • During training, when your dog cannot be supervised, he should be confined to a smaller area so that he does not practice inappropriate urine marking when the owner is not home. He may subsequently learn that it is acceptable to mark when the owner is away. • Establish conspicuous objects outside the house where marking is acceptable, and reward for acceptable marking. • Change the emotional state of your dog around target areas to pleasurable areas of play or eating • In dogs with extreme anxiety, anti-anxiety medications may be beneficial. • Establish leadership from the owner and routine in the dog’s life by implementing non-confrontational leadership exercises.

Yes, neutering may indeed help even though he is not a puppy anymore. As for your question, "is this something we can control?" This article has some great information and tips. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/prevent_urine_marking.html?credit=web_id110528407 I hope thats helpful for you!! Thanks for asking PetCoach!

I doubt that the behavior will stop on its own if you can't figure out what has started it. The first thing I would recommend would be to have your vet examine George and perform a urinalysis to make sure that there isn't a medical cause that has started this. If your vet can't find a medical cause then I would recommend figuring out a way to stop the behavior temporarily. I would use a Belly Band (https://www.k9ofmine.com/best-belly-bands-for-dogs/), so he does not have the opportunity to mark and ideally use baby gates, a crate or supervision to prevent him from having the opportunity to mark. 2 weeks after the last time he has marked (or attempted to mark if he has the belly band on), you can allow him more unsupervised time without the belly band on. Hopefully that will be enough to break this habit. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

This could be submissive urination. It is common in younger dogs. Luckily, they typically outgrow the behavior. Until then, try to greet visitors outside to minimize accidents. Gradually acclimate Django to strangers, one at a time. If possible, walk him in parks and around town to expose him to people and places. A pheromone product, such as the Adaptil collar or DAP plug in diffuser, may decrease any anxiety. https://www.petcoach.co/article/submissive-excitement-urination-how-to-control-it/

Many times this is submissive behavior or a sign that Clark is very excited. This is normal puppy behavior and most dogs will outgrow it. Do not punish Clark when this behavior happens. The best thing you can do is either have the people greet Clark in an area that is OK if he urinates or have them ignore Clark when they first arrive until he calms down. They cannot speak to him, pet him or make eye contact with him. If he tries to jump on them, have them turn and walk away. Once he calms down it is OK to pay calm attention to him. I hope this helps and please free to post any additional questions.