Have you ever noticed that dogs behave in all kinds of weird ways when they pee? In addition to our common way of male dogs lifting their hind legs and female dogs squatting, there are also dogs that stand on their heads and even urinate while walking. Behind these seemingly strange behaviors, there are actually hidden thoughts. do you know? Whether it is a male dog or a female dog, peeing is not just a simple excretion, but also an important way for them to mark their territory. Raising your legs to pee is to spray urine to a higher place, cover a wider area, and convey more information.

< p>Why do dogs raise their legs to urinate?

Did you know? The secret behind dogs raising their legs to pee goes beyond elimination. In fact, whether they are male or female dogs, they do this for another important task - to mark their territory with scent. Have you ever experienced that your dog’s pee always seems to leave more information behind? In fact, this is all due to the way they raise their legs. In this way, urine can be sprayed higher and cover a wider area, thus delivering more information. In this regard, male dogs are obviously more willing, so we often see male dogs choose to lift their legs to pee.

Do you really understand those things about male dogs peeing?

Not all puppies like to raise their legs to pee when they are young. A 2018 study revealed the secrets of shelter dogs. Those little guys, when they were young, they usually pee lying on their backs, with their hind legs on the ground and their bodies slightly leaning forward, looking so innocent. However, as they grow older, male dogs begin to display the posture of raising their legs to urinate. do you know? Small dogs usually reach sexual maturity at 6 months of age, medium dogs at around 9 months, and large dogs may need to wait until they are over a year old. However, dogs’ urinating behavior can be trained. Those working dogs, such as guide dogs or riot dogs, after rigorous training, no longer mark their territory at will and show civilized qualities. So, if your little one has the habit of raising his legs to pee, try keeping him away from vertical surfaces to avoid this habit.

< p>In fact, it is not unusual for female dogs to raise their legs to urinate.

When you deeply understand the motivations behind this behavior of dogs, you will find that female dogs also use this method to mark their territory. Although male dogs are more motivated in this regard, female dogs also use scent to communicate with other dogs. In a 2004 paper on the urinating habits of female dogs, researchers observed that the further away from home, the more frequently female dogs urinate and are more likely to urinate on target. In addition, they also found that female dogs pee in different postures. In addition to the common squatting posture, there are also postures that combine leg raising and squatting. This may be the female dog trying to synchronize with the male dog, or wanting to show her independence and strength to the outside world.

My male dog urinates without lifting his legs. Is this abnormal?

Many people believe that male dogs should lift their legs when peeing, but it’s not surprising if your dog doesn’t do this. Did you know that the way a male dog urinates actually depends on many factors, such as physical condition, breed, etc. Some dogs may also change the way they urinate when they feel stressed. A Cornell University study found that stressed dogs in shelters even reverted to puppy-like postures. Therefore, if your dog suddenly changes the way he urinates, it may be due to illness, such as joint pain or urinary tract infection. For the health of your dog, it is recommended to take it to the doctor in time to make sure everything is normal.

Why do small dogs always like to raise their legs to pee?

In fact, there is a secret behind this. According to research from Cornell University, dogs convey information, such as body size, through substances in their urine. Did you discover it? The smaller the dog, the more likely it is to raise its legs and urinate to a higher place. Why do you think this is? Yes, they are exaggerating their size in an attempt to appear more competitive. I have to say, these little guys really try their best to attract attention!