Content
- Why does the dog lift his leg to urinate?
- How old do dogs lift their paws to urinate?
- How do bitches urinate?
- Marking, fundamental to the language of dogs
- Why doesn't my dog lift his paw to urinate?
Raising the paw to urinate is a typical behavior of male dogs, although surprisingly some females do too. This body posture for their needs is something that some owners look forward to while the dog is still a puppy. It is common to hear the question "why doesn't my dog raise his paw to urinate?"
If you've only recently had your best friend at home and you've never had a dog before, you may be surprised that your dog still doesn't lift his paw to pee over time. Don't worry, it's normal behavior: some puppies take longer than others to start raising their paws. At what age does the dog lift its paw to urinate? Find the answer to that question in this PeritoAnimal article.
Why does the dog lift his leg to urinate?
Lifting the paw to urinate is not just for do their needs, it is also a very valuable tool for the territory marking. It is important to point out that when the dog reaches puberty, changes in his behavior begin to appear: this is an "activating" effect caused by the sex hormones and that is when we observe the dimorphic sexual behaviors. In this case, lifting the paw or urinating while sitting, for example.
From 6 months of age, in general, the dog begins to secrete sex hormones that lead him to reach sexual maturity and coincides with the moment when the dog begins to lift its paw to urinate.
How old do dogs lift their paws to urinate?
The height at which puppies lift their paws to urinate depends on their adult size. You must remember that these ages are only indicative, each dog has its different developmental rate and even puppies of the same breed can raise their paw at different ages.
- Small Dogs: between 6 and 8 months.
- Medium sized dogs: between 7 and 9 months.
- Oversize Dogs: between 8 and 10 months.
- Oversized Dogs: between 8 and 14 months.
How do bitches urinate?
If you've never had a female dog, you may not know that they don't raise their paws to urinate, they keep the same position they did when they were puppies.
Generally, male puppies look for vertical surfaces to urinate on, always trying to get as high as possible and urinate a small amount at a time, in order to mark the territory in more places. On the other hand, females usually urinate only two or three times during the walk, usually not marking the territory.
Still, as we explained to you in the introduction, some females raise the paw to urinate. This behavior is usually due to some experience while the dog was young, a behavior learned and reinforced. In some cases, it may be due to a hormonal imbalance. It is not abnormal conduct nor does it indicate any kind of problem.
Marking, fundamental to the language of dogs
The dog's territory is maintained thanks to an invisible line of urine, feces and other odorous substances that the dog naturally secretes. It's part of the dog's language. In addition, it also helps them to orient themselves, to identify other individuals, the status that other individuals have and also allows them to communicate sexually with females in that territory.
Raising the paw helps the dog to mark territory but it is also a way for him to express himself to other males in the area. Many dogs struggle to get higher in their markings in an attempt to look bigger.
Why doesn't my dog lift his paw to urinate?
"My German Shepherd dog doesn't lift his paw to urinate. Is he sick?" It's normal for a dog to take a little longer to lift its paw to urinate, if it's less than a year old and it's small or medium in size, you don't have to worry, it's normal.
"Why does my dog lift his front paw?" some dogs experience different types of postures before learning to lift the paw permanently. You should allow him to do all the stunts you want, it's positive for his development.
