hey all just a quick question for those who have male and female dogs together.
a friend of mine has a 2 year old female bull terrier who has not been spayed and they want to get a male puppy.
Their only concern is how do you stop the male dog (when he is older) to not mark his territory in the house they had a similar problem a few years ago the male dog even tho he was house trained always used to wet in the house as they had a bitch aswell unspayed.
do you think they should get the female spayed before getting a male?

Marking would be the least of my worries dealing with a love lorn male and keeping them apart twice a year is beyond my ability, accommodation or Patience, so I only keep bitches.

If they aren't intending on breeding then yes the bitch is best spayed asap, between her seasons.

males usually mark their territories when you have two males and one female when there is just one male in the house he should not need to mark as there is no competition.
years ago i had two males but no female and when the bitch over the road was in season my entire male would mark in the house.

now i have three females and one male the male has only just been neutered in dec and he never mark in the house but it did drive him mad to have three female in season every 6 months he was not suitable for breeding from so had him done.

Kerrie
I have a 4 year old entire male and a 19 month entire bitch and no marking problems at all - now!  As in house training a pup, you have to be vigilant with the male adolescent until the correct habits are formed and watch for the body language signs that he is going to mark and then get a very firm 'no' in. (Reading the dog and getting your timing right just comes with experience - as I know to my cost when we went visiting and my then 12 month old male marked up some very expensive Osborne & Little floor length curtains at our posh friends!!  :-0 )  It is really just part of the general training process......for instance, if out lead walking I don't stop every 10 yards to let the male mark wherever he wants.  From the front door he is allowed one pee until we get to where he can run loose and then he can do his own thing as far as I'm concerned.......marking every yard if he so chooses!  :-) 

I've never had any marking problems here either. Xena will be 2 in May and Blade 3 in June he has never marked once in the house not even when we have had visiting males to stay! But that would be the only time if there was a male for competition, they don't generally just start marking. That's why every lamp post pillar or tree is marked on our walk because of the ammount of males out there for competition lol. Although being biased mine is the best male around.... But on another note, if they are not planning on getting the bitch speyed, they must have ample room and patience to keep these dogs seperate for 4 weeks twice a year... I know season's only last 21 days, but I just like to be sure!!! Bearing in mind it can be very stressful for the male being in the same house, although saying that my boy copes very well considering!!

I have an entire male who will be 6 years old in July. I also have 2 entire bitches. One was in season in January and the other has just finished her first season. I WILL NEVER HAVE ANOTHER MALE AGAIN!!!!! Although he is good and doesn't mark in the house, or howl, or cry TOO much it is such a pain having to take them out separately (I live in the country so don't have to worry about meeting other dogs), feeding them separately, doing anything at all really. If I had to go out one of them had to come too. I just wouldn't trust him not to escape and get to her, even though they were caged :-) However, as I intend to breed from them all in the future I won't get any of them neutered. I just have to be very vigilant, and make sure that everyone else is too.

For me the biggest problem would be ensuring the other people in the house don't slip up.  Just would not work keeping both sexes, until the kids move out, and even then I don't think I could live with the stress of an entire male pining for a bitch.

I live alone, so don't have to worry about other people in the house slipping up.  I have 3 males (different breeds) one is castrated, the other two are entire.  I have both spayed and unspayed bitches (different breeds.) 

My vet once asked me if I put my stud dog in a different room when a bitch is in season.  I know some people do that, it just doesn't suit me to have all my dogs apart.  Fortunately, it's the large breed male that is castrated.  I have two 4ft puppy crates in the kitchen (which is where all my dogs sleep.)  I put the two toy breed males in the top crate.  Before they come out, I put the in season bitch in the bottom crate, as they can move fast!  They are then taken out for an hour or so, and put back in the top crate before the girl in the bottom is let out.  It works well for me.  I will often have one of the spayed girls ask to go in with the boys, as they know there will be chew sticks and toys available. There is always one bitch or another that will ask to go in the crate with the in season bitch. 

As I said, it works for me.  When there are no girls in season, the top crate isn't used, and the bottom crate door is left open, and you will often see 7 sleeping in there, so they go in from choice.  Not sure how I would manage with large breed stud dogs though.  Only the eldest boy has to be watched in case he looks suspiciously as if he is going to mark.  A quick Ahh Ahh does the trick fortunately.

My boy genuinely doesn't make a noise no crying at all, he may occasionally claw at her cage to try to let her out if he gets close that is... but then maybe thats because he has never been used at stud?? so although likes the smell etc isn't entirely sure about why!?! We have dog gates on all doors and seperate crates etc, even my kids are good, my son won't open a gate unless he is entirely sure he can (just incase) He is only 5.... my ex next door neighbour was a whole different kettle of fish, when I said to her that Xena had to stay in the kitchen as she was in season under no circumstances to let her out, the first thing she done as she went to the kitchen was let her out... her reply "she pushed her way through!" So I am always extra vigilant when we have outsiders in the house at season time!!

think a lot is down to the individual dog....we have 4 males and 8 bitches all living together.....3 out of 4 males are sued at stud and only one of the 3 actually marks indoors :( although all the othrs do so out doors.

I have 2 males (did have 3) and 2 females- and one of each was intact since I did breed- now all are fixed except my one male and he has never marked in the house. I house trained on a leash not sure if that had anything to do with it. I did have 1 male who I did not house train that way and he marked, he even lifted his leg on my friends foot .... Beautiful dog but was not anything what she had promised, so I ended up sending him back to the breeder at 8 months- long storey- very hard thing to do :(

again I think it's breed-dependant.
I was told when I decided to use my boy at stud that it would ruin him, he would always be looking for bitches and would start to mark in the house.
And it just didn't change him at all! I have 2 entire males, aged 3 and nearly 2, and 1 entire bitch, and 2 spayed girls...and I must admit I was a tad concerned when my girl came into season over Christmas, but there was no male posturing from either male towards each other, and to be fair it was more amusing as they tried humping each other as she was totally not interested (first season). So no marking in the house, and they all live in the house, and no other bad behaviour...

I would suggest if the male is housetrained it should make no difference what other dogs are in the house, a bit of stress may result in a few accidents, but I would hope none habit-forming.....(now waiting to hear that I am completely wrong..)

:) 

Well, maybe we're lucky - we've got 4 males, 3 of which have been used at stud, and 5 females in the house.     None of our males has ever marked in the house, only outside.

But a lab dog who came when the owner needed a hand with a mating did mark indoors, and to be honest I was quite taken aback.    Mind you, he was used to living in a kennel, not indoors, so that was possibly part of the cause.

Jo