Has your Dachshund suddenly started urine marking objects and areas in your house? Do you want to know how to stop this from happening? Here’s everything you need to know about how to stop a Dachshund urine marking.
How Do You Stop A Dachshund Urine Marking? Train your Dachshund by redirecting their marking behaviour as it happens, or use a Belly Band that’s designed for dogs who urine mark at home. Neutering may help too, but it won’t always work, and research suggests waiting until your Dachshund is 1 year old.
Read on to find out why Dachshunds urine mark, and what steps you need to take to stop your Dachshund from urine marking inside your house. Let’s solve this!
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This article is based on research and personal experience as a Dachshund owner of 10+ years. I’m not a Vet, qualified dog trainer or dog behaviourist.
What Is Urine Marking In Dachshunds?
Like all dogs, Dachshunds like to claim objects and territory as their own. The way they do this is by leaving a small amount of urine which carries their scent. This is called ‘marking’.
Your Dachshund will typically cock his leg out to the side and pee vertically onto surfaces and objects.
This can be all sorts of random things like dog toys, dog beds, dog bowls, curtains, cushions, couches, table legs, chair legs, or even areas inside your house that he wants to claim as his own territory.
Often dogs will keep marking the same area over and over again
You can easily tell if your Dachshund is urine marking if he’s targeting new items in your house.
Particularly if these items have a scent. For example, items owned by a guest or something with the smell of other dogs on them.
Dachshunds may also urine mark in the garden or yard on things like bushes and trees and on lampposts when out walking.
Outdoor marking is no problem at all, it’s the indoor marking that gets owners frustrated!
Why Do Dachshunds Start Urine Marking In The Home?
This is why Dachshunds start urine marking in the home:
Dachshunds may start urine marking when they reach adolescence
Urine marking is a normal, instinctive behaviour for Dachshunds that usually begins at around 6 months old when hormones like testosterone kick in.
Although, it can start earlier or even a few months later than this.
It’s basically the adolescence phase of your Dachshund’s development as he starts to physically mature.
Male Dachshunds that have not been neutered are most likely to urine mark.
However, female Dachshunds (even those that are spayed) and neutered male Dachshunds can also urine mark.
Dachshunds may start urine marking if they have anxiety
Your Dachshund may also urine mark as a result of anxiety. Other signs of anxiety include shivering, digging, destroying furniture, and pacing around.
If you think your Dachshund’s urine marking is due to anxiety, you need to work out why your Dachshund is so stressed.
It’s best to contact your vet and work with a dog behaviourist one-on-one to get to the route of the problem.
Dachshunds may start urine marking when you get a new dog or cat
Getting a new dog or cat may cause your Dachshund to suddenly start urine marking in the house.
He may be trying to re-establish his place in the pack and want to protect his territory from the new pet that’s just moved in.
When he marks, he’s basically saying “I own this!”
Scent marking is also more common if you have several dogs living in your house, especially if they’re intact.
The dogs will then compete for dominance and to claim their territory in the home!
Dachshunds may start urine marking after changes at home
Your Dachshund might also start urine marking in response to a change in his home environment.
Maybe you’ve had a new baby, just moved house, have family staying with you, or your partner has just moved in.
Any change in your Dachshund’s environment or routine can unsettle him enough to start marking his territory.
Dachshunds may start urine marking if they have medical issues
It’s also important to check with your vet that your Dachshund doesn’t have a medical issue causing him to frequently urinate in the house.
You don’t want to try anything else until you’ve had this checked out.
Your Dachshund might be suffering from a urinary tract infection (UTI) which can look very similar to urine marking behaviour.
Some additional signs of a UTI include blood in urine, licking genitals, and a fever.
Although more common in senior dogs, your Dachshund might also be suffering from incontinence, where he passes urine involuntarily.
Additional signs of incontinence include redness around the genital area and passing urine while asleep.
Take your Dachshund to the vet if you’re worried about incontinence as it may be the symptom of a more serious health issue.
Is Urine Marking Different To Potty Training Accidents in Dachshunds?
Yes, urine marking is different to your Dachshund having a potty training accident.
With urine marking, your Dachshund will only let out a small amount of wee. Whereas, a potty training accident is where your Dachshund empties his full bladder on the floor.
It can be quite baffling when a potty trained Dachshund suddenly starts urinating on things in the house.
Rest assured, these are two very separate issues!
Your Dachshund is still potty trained, but he’s now trying to show dominance and mark his territory to claim ownership.
And, unfortunately, urine marking is your Dachshunds natural way of doing this!
Do All Dachshunds Start Urine Marking In The House?
No, not all Dachshunds will start urine marking in the house, and the behaviour isn’t anyway near as common in neutered males and spayed females.
How Do You Stop A Dachshund Urine Marking In The House?
This is how to stop a Dachshund urine marking in the house:
Redirect your Dachshund’s behaviour to stop him urine marking
To stop your Dachshund urine marking in the house, you need to watch him very closely and crate him for short times if you pop out of the room.
As soon as you see your Dachshund showing any signs he’s about to urine mark, say ‘No!’, distract him with a toy, or take him straight outside.
If your Dachshund does urinate outside, reward his behaviour with treats and praise.
This positively reinforces to your Dachshund that he’ll be rewarded with attention and treats if he does what you’ve asked him to do.
If you’re too late and see your Dachshund start to urine marking right in front of you, just say ‘No!’ or ‘Leave it!‘ in a calm but firm voice.
This will interrupt his marking behaviour and give you time to either distract him with a toy or get him straight outside.
However, if you don’t see your Dachshund urine marking but notice a damp patch later on – don’t react!
The only time you can correct the behaviour is if you see your Dachshund sniffing in one of his favourite marking spots or he’s actually urine marking right in front of you!
You won’t be able to train your Dachshund to stop urine marking by shouting or punishing him.
This may give your Dachshund anxiety and increase the likelihood of him urine marking again.
The best way to stop your Dachshund urine marking is to interrupt the behaviour and then distract him by redirecting his attention elsewhere.
Use a Belly Band to stop your Dachshund urine marking in the house
A Belly Band is a fabric band that fits around your Dachshund’s waist. It covers and encloses your male Dachshund’s genitals.
Belly Bands are specifically designed for dogs who urine mark in the house.
The inner layer of a Belly Band is made of soft and absorbent material, meaning it will absorb any urine if your Dachshund tries to mark.
The outside layer is waterproof, which helps to stop urine from escaping the band.
The benefit of using Belly Bands is they keep your house clean because no markings or scents are left inside your home.
They also discourage your Dachshund from marking, as he’ll be unsuccessful in his attempts to leave a scent.
Your Dachshund will also realise very quickly that when he’s trying to mark, he’s just getting damp – and we all know Dachshunds hate the wet!
A Belly Band won’t harm your Dachshund if you pick the right size for him. Just make sure it fits properly around his midsection and doesn’t cut in.
You don’t want the Belly Band to be too tight, as this will put tension on your Dachshund’s body.
You’ll know pretty quickly if it’s too loose, as urine will escape the band!
One disadvantage of using a Belly Band is having to clean it regularly. You can’t leave it on him once it gets damp.
So, as soon as you notice it’s damp (and you will have to check regularly!), you’ll need to wash it or change it over for a fresh one.
You also need to remember to take the belly band off when your Dachshund goes outside!
If you have a female Dachshund that’s urine marking inside your house, you’ll need to use a doggy diaper instead.
Thoroughly clean any areas that have been urine marked by your Dachshund
Completely removing the odour of any previous urine markings is an essential part of stopping your Dachshund from doing it again.
If your Dachshund smells wee in the home, he’ll be much more likely to mark that spot again.
Your Dachshund’s nose is much stronger than yours. So, even if you think the smell has gone, he may still be able to pick up on the scent.
That’s why you need to use an enzymatic pet odour eliminator that has been specifically designed to neutralise the smell of dog urine.
Alternatively, you can use white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda – these are lifesavers to keep in the cupboard!
Just clean the area with white vinegar and water, let it dry out completely, sprinkle the bicarbonate of soda, cover it over with a towel for several hours, and then vacuum.
Feed your Dachshund in their favourite urine marking areas
Just like all dogs, Dachshunds don’t like to eat where they wee and poop.
So, if there’s a particular area in your house that your Dachshund keeps marking again and again, start feeding him there.
This can change the association with that space and may stop the behaviour.
Boost your Dachshund’s confidence to stop him urine marking in the house
Sometimes urine marking starts after the arrival of a new baby or when your partner moves into your home.
A change in routine or not getting the same amount attention as before can sometimes make a Dachshund feel unsettled.
So just make sure you’re giving your Dachshund lots of love and cuddles and that your new partner is feeding, walking and playing with him to help build that special bond.
Tidy away new things to stop your Dachshund urine marking them
Dachshunds love to scent mark new objects so they can claim them as their own.
So, if you do buy anything new, the best thing you can do is store it in a cupboard or keep it up high.
The same goes for your guests belongings too. You don’t want to come back and find your Dachshund has peed on your friend’s new purse!
Use baby gates to keep your Dachshund in one room and stop him urine marking
If your Dachshund is marking in one particular area of your house, consider using baby gates to keep him contained to one room.
You only need to do this when you can’t watch him. But they can also be handy if you need to pop out for a short while.
Play with your Dachshund outside to stop him urine marking inside
When Dachshunds get over-excited they tend to mark more. This means feisty play inside is more likely to lead to urine marking.
So, if you move playtime outside into the garden or yard, he should learn to mark out there instead.
Play is also a great way to tire your Dachshund out both mentally and physically. Meaning he’ll be less likely to mark when he comes back inside!
Walk your Dachshund in new locations to encourage outdoor marking
Walk your Dachshund in new locations with new people, dogs and smells. Lots of outdoor socialisation is good for their health and wellbeing.
This’ll encourage him to start scent marking outdoors on lampposts, trees and bushes.
Not only that, exercise is a great way to physically tire your Dachshund out. Making him much less likely to mark when he comes back inside!
Neuter your Dachshund to stop him urine marking in the house
Neutering your Dachshund may help to stop him from urine marking.
However, you must remember that neutering may not fix your Dachshund’s urine marking problem, especially if it’s already become an ingrained habit.
More importantly, according to research, neutering a Dachshund too young (before 12 months old) could increase the risk of Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD).
This is because Dachshunds have uniquely long backs and need their hormones for both physical and mental development, until they are fully grown.
You’ll obviously need to do your research and speak with your vet about neutering. But, while you’re waiting for your Dachshund to be old enough, try interrupting and redirecting his behaviour, or use a Belly Band instead.
So, now you know! If your Dachshund is urinating on objects and areas around the house, he’s actually marking his territory. You can stop him urine marking by watching closely and redirecting the behaviour as it happens, or by using a Belly Band. Just make sure you remove any scents with an enzymatic cleaner to stop him marking in the same spot again!
Neutering your Dachshund may help too, but it won’t always work, and research suggests waiting until your Dachshund is at least 12 months old.
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