Peanut has taken to impersonating a male

I can't offer any insights, but my male will often squat when there isn't anything good to mark.  Maybe she's trying to get higher up the tree?

*laughing*  We humans get SO hung up on dog gender roles.  She's not "acting like a male" -- she's simply marking and whoever's mark she wants to 'cover' is way the heck up there.  For lack of a step-ladder and a paintbrush she's hiking as high as she can get!!  (Danged males can be so inconvenient sometimes!)

I've had TONS of males who squat.  And I've had females who 'hiked' upon perceived need.  And a female really has to 'hike' cos gravity + aim just don't make that easy (so most females just decide that male just ain't worth it!! -- particularly not dribbling on your own foot!!). 

She's just got a point she wants to make.

I'm not sure why she would start lifting her leg at age six.  I've had females who did this but it was not something they started doing after years of squatting.  Are there any new dogs in the house?  I know you lost a dog not too long ago and perhaps this changed the dynamics.  Just a thought.

Any change can do that -- my old Prissy never started doing it until she was about 14 and we moved to Florida.  "new" smells I think -- she was pretty short and her distaste of getting herself .... ewww ... WET, put a stop to it if I recal

 Thank you all for your insights.  We thought we might have to enroll Peanut in a charm school and get her a pink collar to send the right message :)  Wondered if she was getting too much testosterone in her Purina!

 Sissy died about 5 months back, and now it's just Peanut and Red.  They are adjusted to the daily rituals, I think, and Peanut is not being aggressive toward Red (crossed fingers).  She is fairly aggressive towards other dogs when on a leash.  Take the leashes off in a backyard, and she plays fine w/ the same dog.

  was starting to feel guilty for giving her the androgynous name Peanut - am relieved we won't have to change it to Penelope!

 No slight on the name Penelope intended!  It would not suit Peanut, as Eleanor - the name Red was given at the shelter - is not so well suited to her inasmuch as she doesn't have the span of attention to detect a 3 syllable name.

Sometimes shelter folks just plain have named TOO many dogs and the names they pick are ... maybe out of desperation??

Tinkerbell was truly LuLu before we got her but with a Luna that just wasn't working anyway.  Billy had been "Huggins" (an English cocker -- I always wondered if it was supposed to sound English or .... cuddly?)

But wouldn't you love to be able to ask her and ask her exactly WHO it is who has caused her so much angst?  You could offer to let her carry a spray bottle?? (*grin* sorry)

Gracie started her leg-lifting later in life, too.  Decided she needed to set her mark on top of others.  You can literally watch her sniff sniff where someone else has peed, then squat WHILE lifting her leg to pee on top of it.  However, her morning "I gotta go" is a straight squat w/no lift.

 Tootsie, does a half lift when she smells a good scent. Seeing as how shes height impared (Corgi) it doesn't work very well.

Willow loves to lift her leg.  And, its really getting funny lately because as she is getting older she is less coordinated and usually has to put the leg down before shes ready.  So, we have a lift squat combo.

 IMO, humping is not a sign of dominance.