I was just wondering if anyone elses female dogs lift their leg up against tree's etc. when weeing?Emma came to me a 2yr. old intact female(shih-tzu) and has done this since i've had her,she is now spayed but the habit has stayed.When out on walks she has to sniff at every bush and tree and then commences to mark most of them,you would think she was a boy! I have seen male dogs just about tip over when peeing against a tree,she is not quite that bad,she only lifts it slightly so it hits the trunk of the tree or bush. My mum reckons that she lifts her foot out of the way so she doesnt get  wee on it,which would make sense if she squatted??She squatts when she pee's in our backyard,i have never seen her lift her leg there,only when out for walks.

christine

All I have ever owned do it, so I would think it is more or less the norm. Only have experience of about 5 breeds but think it applies to most. Just the same as humping is just as common in bitches as in dogs and neutering seems to make no difference, if fact, in the bitch I think it makes it worse. Think we see the leg cocking and bonking as a sexual behaviour where as I am inclined to think it is a status or territorial thing.

My Bess is just the same (unspayed Springer). She doesn't do it at home but does it about a dozen times on walks. Usually she only lifts her leg a little but one time the rangers in the woods had been felling trees and had left a pile of tree trunks. She sniffed the logs then actually did a handstand (pawstand?) to wee on the second log up! :D

Kath.

:D Kath :D  Thank-you both for your replies,Jackie i agree with the humping etc. as being a dominance thing,my other female does this and she also stands over other dogs in the T position which is said to be another dominant behaviour?

thanks again

christine

Have found that if there is a bitch in the household they are always top of the pile, under the owner hopefully, but I don't think of it as dominance but more a reminder of the dogs status, a sort of reminder of who is responsible for the smooth running of the group. After all there are responsibilities to being in charge, as we all know, and we don't want anyone stepping out of line.

Yes my female boxer lifts her leg up against tree's, fences, lamp posts...well just anywhere a male dog might have been.This usually gets worse when she is on heat and for a couple of months after then it slowly dies off until the next season. I just thought my dog was strange so I am glad to hear there are others that do this...

Jane...

both of mine do this ,say 8 times out of 10!

Penny never lifts her leg, But Lucy does.  The funny thing is, while Penny is peeing Lucy waits calmly, then after Penny finishes, Lucy walks over cocks her leg and pees on the place where Penny has gone.  Lucy also lifts her leg when she is in season.

Lucy also mounts Penny when Penny is in season and when she herself is in season.  And yes, Lucy is our alpha bitch.

                                                                                                                                              Kate

My westie does it when the grass is long.  LOL.  Oh and she gets amourous with the cat as well.