At What Age Do Dogs Lift Leg to Pee

Have you ever seen a dog lift their leg while peeing? If so, you are not alone. One of the most common questions new dog owners asks is why dogs lift their leg to pee? It's not just large breed dogs that raise their legs; small dogs also raise one or other back legs when urinating.

What is the root cause of this behavior? Why do dogs lift their leg to pee? If you want to know the reasons behind this, feel free to continue reading!

Why does my dog lift his leg to pee?

Male dogs have a natural tendency to lift their leg and start urinating at about six months old, but it can happen earlier or later depending on your dog's individual development. In the majority of cases, males will begin lifting their leg up when they reach adulthood.

As most people know by now, both spayed and unspayed canine companions are known to raise their legs when they need to go pee. But as a general rule of thumb, the neutered dog will squat while attempting to relieve themselves. The non-neutered pooch might lift its leg, but it's more common for a neutered dog to show this behavior.

Dogs may be lifting their paw for several reasons, but it usually falls into one of the categories given below:

To relieve themselves is the most obvious reason

When dogs pass urine, it's a natural process. Their body needs to get rid of wastes and toxins by passing water through their kidneys into the bladder, where it can be stored or released as needed. An average healthy dog passes 10 to 20 ml of urine per pound of their body weight, and they do it three to five times a day. When a dog lifts his leg, it means he is trying to relieve himself.

Marking territory

Dogs mark their territory by urinating on an object or area; this is called territory-marking. The most common place for dogs to do this is in strange places, but sometimes they will also mark their territory on your furniture if there are no other options available. Dogs use urine to distinguish their territory. When another dog steps into the wrong area, it indicates that he doesn't belong there and should leave immediately.

When reaching sexual maturity

You will often see that male puppies will start lifting their leg when they reach the age of sexual maturity. This is an essential milestone in a pup's life as it allows them to vent their bladder and mark territory at will. Usually, this occurs when they reach the age of 6 to 12 months, but it mostly depends on the breed. Larger dogs often take a little longer than smaller ones to reach sexual maturity.

During mating season

All male dogs, big and small alike, are prone to lifting their legs and urinate more often in the fall than during summer. This is likely due to mating season, which usually happens at this time of year for males who are breeding females. This process is known as scent marking. The males will often increase their urine production when there is a female dog or another male present in the area.

To aim higher

Dogs are naturally drawn to high places. So they will lift their leg to pee and aim higher than other dogs. The reason is that they want their canine friends to know that this is their area. Dogs also determine other social status by how high their urine mark is.

A perfect example of this would be with dominance in dogs, which has its roots deep into their evolutionary past and continues today through various behaviors like marking territory or showing aggression against another animal they perceive as threatening. A small dog has lower urine marking, and a big dog has higher marking. Dogs want their stature to be as high as possible, so they try to aim higher.

Should you be concerned if your dog lifts its leg to pee?

The behavior of lifting one's paw and peeing has been observed among many different breeds from all over the world and their natural behavior. If your dog is not peeing in unwanted places, then there is nothing to worry about. If he has an accident on something like a carpet or bedding, then it's best to clean that area with soap and water before drying thoroughly so that your pup would not pee in that same area again.

Conclusion

The next time you see your dog lifting his leg, feel free to let out your best smile. You'll at least know the reasons why! Chances are they'll simply be marking their territory and letting other dogs know "I was here!"

At What Age Do Dogs Lift Leg to Pee

Source: https://clikvet.com/why-do-dogs-lift-their-leg-to-pee/

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