Marking on walks, do you allow it?

 Tootsie, my female, is a marker. I let her mark 2x and thats it. She would happily mark everything, but when nothing comes out I draw the line. As for doing #2 and ripping up the grass after who cares? Obviously if she were on someones lawn I wouldn't let her, but I also wouldn't allow her to do #2 on a strangers lawn. Heck, on walks she is allowed to walk on the sidewalk only.

I allow marking in some situations.  If we're hiking & there aren't other people around, then the dogs can mark to their heart's content.  They aren't allowed to mark in the yard, on tires, or on other people's property.  They know where they can & can't mark & they are all respectful of my wishes.

None of my guys kick back after pooping, but Bev does kick back after marking.  In hiking situations he is always off leash, but under voice control.  If the area that he's marking doesn't look safe for him to kick, then I just recall him, & he doesn't worry with kicking.

I can't stand for people to allow their dogs to mark on other people's things.  Today at lunch, we were eating on a restaurant's patio when a man & his dog walked past.  He stopped & let the dog mark on the restaurant's sidewalk sign.  I really wanted to smack the guy.

Tyler is the only real marker.  However, I don't let them mark at all on a normal walk.  If we are, as Amanda said, out in the fields or woods, with no one around, yep, they can mark to their hearts content, but for the most part, no one wants to stop long enough to do so!

Mine don't do the post poop kick either.

I allow it on appropriate outdoor objects.  In other words, not on someone's light mailbox or a tire on a parked car.  I don't care if the boys kick up some dirt. Rex and Twister kick dirt on occasion but not always and it's never been something I felt I needed to stop if it wasn't causing damage.  I don't have a problem telling a dog not to "go" if I don't want them to for some reason but mostly it's not an issue for me.

 thanks for the replies - Bugsy only started to mark after age 2.5 and is still not really into it but he does mark on our walks but only things like a street sign - no mailboxes, flowers, etc. We have no sidewalks so he is on grass all the time. If he hikes to mark somewhere I deem inappropriate I say 'let's go' and he moves on happily

He occasionally does the 'post-poop' kick back thing at home - and I will say with some attitude - I find it amusing if anything.  It is rare.

The article I read went on about how marking and especially the kicking back is about dominance - it did allow that marking can be a few other things but also said it all came down to leadership.  My first instinct was a chuckle and I can see by the responses that the people whom I trust have a similar take on marking that I do

Karen, I've been told by professional trainers that if you pee on top of your dog's urine he will "know" you're the boss. lol  I think this must be something someone with self image issues came up with. lol  I spit in my dogs' food for many years on the advice of top trainers.  Some trainers have not been able to change their thinking, as more is learned, about how dogs learn best. 

Speaking of "marking" and "dominance", this may be OT (maybe it belongs in its own thread) but....the other day my brother came to walk dogs with me. We hike off leash with a Mastiff (intact). My brother had to pee so he went off in the woods to pee on a tree (haha!) and the Mastiff waited until my brother was done, then he marked right where my brother peed....Weird? Dominance? What's up with that! He's (the Mastiff) also extremely pushy with people and other dogs.

Bailey was neutered at aprox 3ish years old, and even now, almost 6 years later, he will still mark ANY chance he gets. But, he only marks on trees, bushes, rocks, etc. He won't mark a mailbox or the tire of a car. Not because I've taught him not too, hes just never wanted to.

I let Bailey mark on walks, but when I decide. If I let him, he'd stop every 3 feet and sniff a bush for 5 minutes before he'd pee on it. He knows the general area where we stop and I let him mark and sniff, and if we go in a different direction sometimes he will "protest". He'll stop, and look in the direction we usually go, and look at me like "Ma, u cwazy? u iz goin da RONG way" LOL.

Bailey is the KING of the "burn out", or whatever you want to call it. He ALWAYS does it after he poops, followed by the zoomies. He does it sometimes after peeing, but not every time.

 OK Stephanie that cracked me up - clearly the mastiff doesn't realize that he is a dog and not human FWIW I had to pee on a long hike with B and did He just sniffed it and moved on.

Jackie that is so funny - there is some strange stuff out there. I love reading it I must confess - its just so bizarre and truly illogical - I've got a great image of you spitting in dog bowls now though 

Chelsea B always zooms post poop but he really goes for it when he does the kick back

 Jewel kicks after every poop. I have no idea how I'd stop her, and honestly have no desire to do so. If they want to mark on something that's not appropriate, I tell them, "not there" and allow them to in an appropriate area. If they're working, though, it is not time to potty. That is for when they are free dogs, doing what dogs do. They know the difference. This has nothing to do with dominance, for me, and a lot to do with the fact that I take my dogs to a *lot* of places that dogs are not typically taken, and they are welcome with open arms. First sign that somebody is thinking about marking on something, and they'd never be invited  back. They also compete in rally obedience, and peeing in the ring is SO not allowed.

kpwlee

OK Stephanie that cracked me up - clearly the mastiff doesn't realize that he is a dog and not human FWIW I had to pee on a long hike with B and did He just sniffed it and moved on.

Stephanie, Gaci has also peed on my SO's pee when he ended up having to go at an inopportune time with no bathroom available. It was quite humorous to me.

I allow marking when, well, I allow marking. If we are *on a walk*, then we don't stop to use the bathroom generally until I give the okay. Then they are allowed to mark on allowable objects. They are not allowed to stop though and mark on their own.

If we are "on the job" (like Jennie described), marking is not okay unless given the okay. I don't want Gaci marking during an agility run or during Rally, or Zipper marking inside the middle of the Pet Expo. Not acceptable, which is why we teach a "go pee" cue to allow acceptable marking times.

If we are out on the beach, or on an off-leash (or long line) hike, they can mark whatever. There are never things around that people own, as we are always out in the countryside.

Gaci, my sassy girl, always kicks back after marking with urine or defecating. At home, and when out. I allow it, as I do think it's totally normal to do. As long as she's not actually wrecking someone's lawn, then I don't care at all. Zipper, my male, never kicks back after marking. Shimmer doesn't mark, so......

Zipper's (intact male) morning routine is to walk the perimter of the back property and mark the same trees each morning and evening. Gaci generally follows along with him and marks as well, and Gaci will not urinate first thing in the morning until Shimmer has, so that she can urinate on Shimmer's urine. Actually, almost every time they go out to do a bathroom run, Gaci will wait until Shimmer goes so she can go on top of it. Gaci really *is* a funny girl.....when I say she's full of p*ss and vinegar, I mean it.