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Dogs start working on their form when they're about 9 months old, and they keep practicing and perfecting it until they get it right. By the time they've reached a year and a half, the age of sexual maturity in most dogs, they're comfortable with the concept and are starting to think about refinements - such as marking higher in order to impress all the other dogs who will come after them.
The urge to lift and water wouldn't be a problem if dogs only did it once or twice in the course of a walk. But dogs who are concerned about power and social status have an intense need to spread the word. This makes for some very slow walks - and worse. Some dogs even mark inside people's homes.
Since standing on three legs requires more concentration and balance than standing on four, you can take advantage of dogs' momentary distraction to teach them that they're not supposed to stop at every vertical object that they see. When your dog lifts his leg, give the leash a tug. Tug just hard enough so that he has to put his leg down to catch his balance. When he does, give a command such as "Don't pee!" As long as you do this consistently, your dog will learn that he's only going to get a couple of chances to empty his bladder. He'll be more likely to do it all at once, rather than saving it up and releasing it a little at a time.
It doesn't take children very long to learn that there are appropriate times and places to urinate, and dogs can learn it too. The lesson "go potty" is among the easiest of all to teach.
1. Go outside with your dog when you know he has to go to the bathroom. The best time to practice is first thing in the morning, when you know he'll have to go.
2. As soon as your dog starts getting into position, tell him, "Go potty." He was going to do it anyway, so this step is easy.
3. As soon as he's done, give him a treat. Act. as though it was all your idea and he's a great dog for listening and doing what he's told.
If you start this lesson when your dog is a puppy and you practice it every time he goes outside, he'll learn to control himself until you say that it's okay for him to go.
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