Dogs...Dominance or Protection???

[Kevin]

Dog question here. My wife and I disagree. We have a girl dog and a boy dog. When Rainy (who identifies as a female) pees when we are walking, Blizzard (personal pronouns he, him) will come over, sniff around and pee in the exact same spot where Rainy just peed.

Sweetie says it's dominance, and Blizzard is showing everyone who's the boss. I think he does it for protection. To keep other dogs from sniffing around and finding Rainy. He just did it on a walk just now. well, practically every time we take them walking. It's an everyday sort of thing.

So what do you think? Our dogs are super protective of each other.

Another funny story. Yesterday, sweetie and the dogs were out back doing some yard work. I went out front to unlock the gate on the side of the house. Before opening the gate, I made a bunch of noise to see if I could get Blizzard and Rainy worked up. They couldn't see me, just hear me. Rainy heard me first, but wouldn't come near the gate. (I peaked through a crack in the fence.)

In fact, she ran around behind the house, got Blizzard, and then they both came back and stormed the fence and gate. She had to wait for him. (Some guard dog she is! )

 

[Kevin]

By the way, that's Blizzard in the avatar picture... Give me a minute, I'll post a picture of them from today.

 

[Kevin]

That's Rainy on the left and Blizzard on the right, Rainy is about 3 1/2 and Blizzard is 7 years old.

 

[arfmel]

Rainy seems like the smart one

 

[Mobuck]

I can't give you a real answer but my 'barn dogs'(both neutered-1 male & 1 female)follow each other around the corral peeing in the same spots. If I pee in the area, both come by and mark the same spot. I doubt there's any sense of 'protection' involved.

 

[hittman]

I think it's about marking their territory.

 

[Kevin]

Thanks! And yes, Rainy is sometimes the smart one, and other times Blizzard. He's more thoughtful, and pays attention when we talk to him. Rainy sometimes has her head up in the clouds.

 

[GLASSMAN]

Nice looking dogs. Can't help any with the question, my dog Max pees on everything outside.
Funny thing, he didn't hit the trees on the neighborhood walks until he was about 3 years old ( 5 now).
I was wondering what was wrong with my dog. I guess he needed to learn by example.
I don' think the neighbors appreciated the lessons, though. :lol:

 

[JPGLSG1234]

They may just be having a peeing contest......

 

[Gator89]

My female lab pees like a female when at home.

Around her neutered "cousins" my female raises a hind leg and attempts to pee on a tree, stump, tire, etc.

Dogs often mimic one another. My lab was 6-7 years old before she learned to raise a rear leg to pee.

 

[gramps]

I have a female Jack Russell that is dog aggressive(size doesn't matter), except for one of my neighbors dogs( they have been lovers in the past, he is neutered). She hikes her leg like a male dog. He comes over and marks all over my farm, my female marks where he has. It is a territorial/communication thing.
gramps

 

[ronto]

My dog has a specific place where he pees and a specific place where he poops. When on a walk he "marks" various areas as we are walking.

 

[Watchman]

Protection.

When a dog urinates over another dog, or persons, urine, it says to other dogs or predators that there is more than one threat to overcome in this area.

I have eight German Shepherds, both male and female. They are a pack, and behave as pack animals do. Almost every one will mark over each other, and will "stack" their scents around the perimeter of the area they are occupying. This includes females lifting their legs to pee higher on trees and shrubs. And it doesn't matter who pees first, the other will soon follow suit.

The reason It's not dominance, is that if the same dogs are playing in a specific area for an extended period of time they may mark more than once (each) on the same spot, as the other dog watches calmly. They never get upset with each other. It's not a competition. It's a declaration of community and territory.

As long as your dogs are friends, they are just expressing their solidarity to outsiders.

 

[Kevin]

Watchman:
Thanks! That is very insightful, I believe it, well, and it does make sense.

And 8 German Shepards? Oh holy cow!!! I often wonder if 2 dogs is one too many, but 8? Man oh man, with 2 dogs out dog food bill is around $100 a month. I won't even ask about 8. And vet bills? Ugh…

On the bright side, ain't nobody going to break into your house.

 

[Watchman]

My dog food bill runs @ 500 a month. Flea and tick, plus heartworm meds add @ 200 more. We won't mention vet bills... :shock:

We breed, raise and train German Shepherds for show, schutzhund, therapy and companion animals. We primarily breed for intelligence and temperament, and only breed dogs that have OFA certified hips and elbows that rate good or better. We have been in business for several years, and my top stud dog is currently working dog confirmation champion of two separate regions of the country, Pacific Northwest and Mid Central. 13 states in all.

Most of my time is spent in the company of dogs. I have no complaints! I prefer their company to most people.

It's true, my home is pretty safe from just about everything. The coyote packs that roam our area give us a wide berth. So do the coons and skunks.
Most people won't get out of their cars in the driveway, which seems reasonable. If they know us, they call first or honk until someone comes to rescue them. Curiously, they hate the garbage man (an obvious and blatant thief!) and the UPS man, but have no problem with the FedEx lady,
though they do bark to let me know she's coming. We live in the middle of a timbered 40 acre parcel, so the driveway is quite long. I can tell by the dog's barks who is coming without needing to look. Useful, when I'm out in the timber out of view of the house.

Someday I may downsize to a modest 3 to 5 dogs, and spend the money I save each month on a new BMW payment... :lol:

 

[A.J.]

Not sure. I asked my wife (a veterinary technician). She didn't know either.

We currently have a male and a female dog. They do the same exact thing.

 

[vito]

I don't think that behaving as a pack implies or means protectiveness. Dogs are pack animals, and even a two dog group will become a pack with one being the alpha over the other or others. But that does not have any aspect of protectiveness. An attack against one of the pack will bring about concerted defensive behavior because the attack endangers the pack, not a concern over the well being of the individual dog being attacked. This is just my observation after having multiple dogs for my entire life.

As to who is the alpha dog, they seem to behave differently in captivity as compared to what I understand happens in the wild. The biggest and toughest of the pack will be the alpha in the wild, and will have total or at least first access to the females. In domestic dogs, it may just be who bosses who when the newest member enters the pack, usually as a puppy. Right now I own only two dogs. One is a 7 year old Coton du Tulear, female of about 13 pounds. Our puppy, who joined the household at 8 weeks and 10 pounds, is now a year old and 80 pounds. He could devour the little Coton with one bite of his huge mouth, but she is the boss, the alpha dog, without any doubt. She will take toys from him if she chooses to do so, with impunity. If she starts to eat his food at his bowl he will stand back until she walks away and he will never go for her food unless she leaves the bowl unattended. This has nothing to do with size or strength.

 

[harley08]

Dog question here. My wife and I disagree. We have a girl dog and a boy dog. When Rainy (who identifies as a female) pees when we are walking, Blizzard (personal pronouns he, him) will come over, sniff around and pee in the exact same spot where Rainy just peed.

Sweetie says it's dominance, and Blizzard is showing everyone who's the boss. I think he does it for protection. To keep other dogs from sniffing around and finding Rainy. He just did it on a walk just now. well, practically every time we take them walking. It's an everyday sort of thing.

So what do you think? Our dogs are super protective of each other.

Another funny story. Yesterday, sweetie and the dogs were out back doing some yard work. I went out front to unlock the gate on the side of the house. Before opening the gate, I made a bunch of noise to see if I could get Blizzard and Rainy worked up. They couldn't see me, just hear me. Rainy heard me first, but wouldn't come near the gate. (I peaked through a crack in the fence.)

In fact, she ran around behind the house, got Blizzard, and then they both came back and stormed the fence and gate. She had to wait for him. (Some guard dog she is! )

She said there is strength in numbers - We better both go see what that noise was!

 

[mishtub]

I think it's about marking their territory.

Bingo,

 

[nekvermont]

Seems like Rainy and Blizzard and Mobuck and his dogs all know a good place to pee when they see one.