When your dog starts marking in the house, it is a very frustrating feeling, and seems like the dog has forgotten all the house training and rules. The marking of a Maltipoo is much different from that of an accident. It disturbs the family members as no one likes a mess all around the house. You need to stop your Maltipoo from marking and before that, you should know the reason so you can act accordingly.

What is marking?

Marking is a light spray of urine by the Maltipoo. When a dog needs to urinate, it will empty its bladder. However, in the case of marking, it will just lightly spray urine to mark its territory. Marking is not a housebreaking issue and even highly trained dogs do this. Marking can be done at one place or all over the house, most often being the vertical objects like table, legs, etc.

Marking is not gender-specific, both male and female dogs can do this. However, the chances of marking in puppies 2 to 3 months old are less than adult Maltipoos. Signs of territorial marking is usually seen when the Maltipoo enters puberty.

What causes a Maltipoo to mark?

The reason for a Maltipoo marking its territory is due to a change in its behavior and there can be many reasons for it. It may be caused by a change in environment as well as health issues.

·        Change in the environment:

Just like humans, dogs can be disturbed by the change in their environment, and it can eventually lead to a change in their behavior. If you have changed your house or welcome a new dog, mate, or baby, your Maltipoo might not like this fact. Such a change might be stressful for the Maltipoo and it will release this stress by marking.

·        Not understanding hierarchy:

This is the most common reason for the Maltipoo marking in the house. A Maltipoo will mark because he thinks that he is the leader of the house and by making, he wants to hold onto his title. The Maltipoo does not have anything as being equal in his mind and just because it is small in size, may not let him think that it is not superior.

When feeling superior, the dog feels responsible and will mark to keep outsiders away from its territory. The common areas the Maltipoo usually chooses to mark are the doors and around the beds.

·        Calling out for the opposite sex:

Female dogs usually mark to inform male dogs of their presence. When on heat, the urge to mate rises, and the un-neutered male dogs can get signals 3 miles away through the dog’s urine. So, marking by urinating is actually a sign of stating their sexual availability and calling out for the opposite sex when the female is on heat and urges to mate.

·        Perceived threats:

This happens when there is more than one dog in the house. A Maltipoo will mark its territory to keep itself the leader. Even if you have one dog, the Maltipoos can sense if there are other dogs in the neighborhood and would mark to keep them away.

How to stop a Maltipoo from marking in the house?

Before you do anything, you should take the Maltipoo to the vet to confirm if there is any medical issue or not. If the dog is healthy, start working on preventing marking as soon you notice it for the first time. If you don’t pay attention to it, the dog will develop it as a habit and it will be much difficult for it to stop it.

·         It is always a good idea to spay or neuter the dog first. It is a good alternative as it will slowly reduce marking and eventually stop it. The longer the dog goes without neutering, the more difficult it can be to stop the dog.

·         As Maltipoos may mark after feeling competition with other dogs, try to keep it away from them and don’t allow it to see them. You can keep your Maltipoo inside or close the curtains to prevent this.

·         If the dog is marking at one specific spot, try to keep the dog distracted whenever it goes there. Putting toys and converting it into a play area is a good choice as the thought that triggers marking of the Maltipoo will be overcome by the distraction.

·         Clean the marking area properly to ensure hygienic measures. If you use soap, it will urge the dog to urinate there again to cover the scent. The best choice is to use a quality enzyme killing formula that will completely disappear the traces of urine.

·         If the marking is due to feeling superior, try telling the Maltipoo that he is not. This can be done by ordering the dog as ‘’sit’’ before giving the meal. Also, being the first to enter or leave the house can be effective.

·         In case of changing address or introducing a new member in the house, the dog may mark. The best way to prevent this is by making them friends with the dog. This will make it believe that they are safe.

What not to do to stop the dog from marking?

Never punish your Maltipoo if they are marking as this is a behavioral and natural change and they won’t understand the reason for the punishment. If it has urinated in the house when you come back, try to stay calm and clean up the mess instead of yelling at it.

Conclusion:

Marking of the Maltipoo to show its territory is always a very annoying and disgusting thing for the owners. First, you should seek medical care. If nothing is wrong, you should figure out the reason why the dog is marking. Many reasons can be linked to this fact. You just need to figure them out and act accordingly.