Male dog question

[dogsgalore]

I've got a question:
Jesse is a little over a year old, he was neutered at six months. I've never seen him cock his leg like a male usually does. I was just wondering why. I don't mind that he doesn't I just find it a little strange.
He's hardly ever around other male dogs but I've read that this doesn't matter, it is instinct, and not seeing other males do it doesn't matter.
Is it because he's not physically mature yet? Or underconfident?
Our female does cock her leg though, she's very confident.

[Guest Anonymous]

MY Cody was Neutured at 12 weeks and he has never cocked a leg eaither, he just stands still whie he pees.. I've herd it was becuase when a male cocks a leg it's dominace trying to get the highest spot shows you are alpha.. i also heard that if you have a dog around a male dog that does lift his leg your dog may learn to do this. but not possitive on eaither reasoing, i'm sure othere people on here have better answers. i personally am hapy Cody doesn't lift a leg lol :)

[dogsgalore]

Yes, I'm glad he doesn't too, but I'm like a mother wanting him to grow up! :lol: He still squats like a puppy! :-? :lol:

[Lucky Chaos]

Lucky was neutered at 6 months as well, and never lifted his leg till about 1 1/2 - 2 years. Even now at age 5 he still does half and half, sometimes lifting his leg and sometimes squatting.

Also, I'm not sure what breed Jesse is, but some dogs with hip problems will act normally at least for the first couple years but never lift their legs.

[kendalyn]

I'm really not sure either. Kody, my standard poodle (he died at 10) never lifted his leg to pee. He squated his entire life and he was probably neutered around 3-4 months old. Buck was neutered when he was about 6 months old (we think) and he lifts his leg all the time. I have never seen him squat.

[Malamum]

I really think it has to do with dominance. Indy will lift his leg when he is marking a spot (as opposed to peeing because he needs to) but when he is going in our back yard all four feet tend to stay on the ground.

[imported_Cassie]

Dog's urine is used as a scent marker for other dogs. Many male dogs and some female dogs will urinate in multiple places to establish their scent on their territory and say "I was here."
A male dog lifts his leg so he can urinate on vertical surfaces the scent of urine on a vertical surface will generally last longer than the scent on a horizontal surface. The scent is also more at nose level, so the next dog coming by will be less likely to miss the scent. My female Rottweiler and all of my dogs submissive or dominant try to mark as high as they can out on a walk and will cock their leg as high as they can just like my males do, except kind of a squating back leg lift...basically so all the other dogs can smell it...in my yard; my females usually just do their business in a squat and my males will some times lift their legs and some times just stand there and pee while standing on all fours. Most male dogs will not start lifting their leg until they reach maturity...some are later bloomers than others, and some never lift their legs to urinate especially if they don't have any where interesting to leave it...my male Newfoundland Gil who is not submissive at all...didn't start lifting his leg til he was well past 2 years of age. I found once I started taking him for walks with the other dogs he got into the pee mail exchange pretty heavy like the rest of the gang.

[courtnek]

Cassie is correct. Lifting is a marking gesture, basically a calling card - I was here. The higher up they can pee the better chance the wind will carry the scent farther, and the highest pee spot gets all the attention from other dogs. They will also try to outdo each other - I can pee higher than you. In your yard, there is nothing to mark against. No other dogs have been there trying to "outmark" him. It's really just a pheremone thing, there are pheremone's in dog urine that get carried on the air. If you walked him around the neighborhood where there were other dogs marking he might lift once he reaches maturity, but he might not. Depends on how confident he feels. It's nothing to worry about if he doesnt. neutered males often lift less then entire males. especially if they were neutered before they matured and learned to lift. My female will lift her leg on neighborhood walks (she really is very dominant) but always squats in the backyard.

[mouseatthebusstop]

Paddy first started to lift his leg when gladis was in season. Don't worry about it

[StarFox]

Zebra is a year and a half and has never lifted his leg(thank dog!). He was neutered at app. 3 months.

Just out of curiousity how are your dogs hips? I think that's another reason Zebra never lifted his leg, his hips are so bad.

[dogsgalore]

Jesse is a Westie, he has no hip problems as far as I know. Both his parents were x-rayed for it and didn't have it either.
Beta only lifts her leg on walks, but she does have hip dysplasia. It's only mild right now so lifting her leg doesn't bother her.

[Guest Anonymous]

I read somewhere (puppies for dummies maybe) That the lifting of the leg is an observed behaviour. I don't know, though. Brooklyn was also neutered at 6 mos. He's 2 now and never does it. I take him to the park and he passes lots of other doggie marked things, but he never does it. My GF had a male and female dog and both of them lifted their legs. If people ask (and they actually have) I say Brooklyn is too much of a gentleman. *lol*

[ellieangel]

Rio is 18 months and was neutered at 7 months and has never lifted his leg either.

[Horsefeathers!]

I don't know... I have a Schnauzer who will back up to a tree, back UP the tree with his back feet until he is nearly vertical and then go poop while it rolls down his belly. Wonder who taught him THAT? He's not only a leg lifter, but a butt lifter. :-?

[kendalyn]

WOAH! That's a new one on me HF! :lol:

Your schnauzer sounds incredibly agile!

[Horsefeathers!]

Or incredibly stoopit! *snort* :roll: