‘I’m a dog trainer and it’s better if pets squat to pee’ | UK | News
A dog trainer, known as @thepuppyacademy, suggests male puppies watch other dogs and conclude this must be the “correct” way to urinate, ultimately adopting it over squatting. That said, the so-called “leg lift” does fulfil a function. It enables dogs to deposit their scent on raised surfaces such as trees, lampposts and public bins.
A statement from the American Kennel Club clarifies: “Peeing at this elevation lets the dog leave their message near nose level, which makes it easy for other dogs to discover. The urine dribbles down and covers a larger area than if left on the lawn. The spread helps maximise the scent they leave behind.”
Nevertheless, the trainer at The Puppy Academy advises: “I personally don’t recommend encouraging it because a dog who hikes its leg tends to mark much more often, which makes your walks a lot longer. You may also find curtains inside your home getting marked.”
Responding to the video, one user added: “My dog is a one-year-old intact male and doesn’t lift his leg. It’s the best!” Another said: “My spayed female dog is a lifter and marker. No clue where she learned it.”
A third said: “I started to worry about my now 13-month-old lab not lifting his leg, then realised how silly that is. If he’s peeing in the right places, who cares? Sometimes he lifts, sometimes he doesn’t.”
Someone else said: “My male dog always squatted. He wasn’t obsessed with marking anything and everything either.”
Dr Mary Burch, a certified applied animal behaviourist and director of the Canine Good Citizen Program at the American Kennel Club, clarified: “Urinating in both male and female dogs has several purposes. The two main functions are eliminating urine and marking territory.
“When dogs walk by an elevated pee station, they can more easily smell urine on a vertical surface than on a flat one. Male dogs who don’t lift a leg and opt for squatting may do so because the position causes discomfort in their rear leg joints, or after experiencing hip or knee surgery.”
Dr Burch further explained that female dogs typically squat as it assists them in maintaining cleanliness, whilst males generally direct urine away from their legs.
A further statement from the American Kennel Club observes: “Some female dogs also lift their legs to urinate. The raised stance may feel more comfortable than squatting, particularly when exercising away from home. Intact females may mark with lifted legs during heat cycles to signal to receptive males that mating season has begun.
“Female dogs may also raise a leg if they feel anxious and want to establish territory. Size can play a role, too – smaller females tend to lift their legs, whilst medium- and large-sized females often do not.”
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