Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

How to stop my dog from marking, peeing inside, and growling?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | unneutered | 2 years and 4 months old

hi my dog keep marking and peeing in the house as well as growling at everyone. is there any advice you could give me to prevent this

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on May 30th, 2018

Hi there. It sounds like these are two separate issues. For urine marking in the house, I would treat this just like any other housetraining issue. Take Milo out frequently for potty breaks, and reward with a treat when he urinates outside. In the house, he needs to be closely supervised at all times to prevent him from having any opportunity to mark. Keep him tethered to you with a leash, if needed. Once he's gone a full two weeks without attempting to mark on anything indoors, you can gradually start to give him a bit more freedom. "Growling at everyone" is very vague, and doesn't really tell us much about what might be causing this behavior. Please feel free to post another question with more information about this, such as who he tends to growl at, what kinds of situations normally cause him to growl, etc. We will be happy to try and help once we have a better idea of what's going on.

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Image profile

    Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 27th, 2019

    Number one thing you need to do is have him neutered. He is being aggressive (growling) and territorial (urine marking). Hopefully neutering will help to curb this behavior however, it may have already become a habit to him. ( http://pawsitivelytexas.com/resources-for-pet-owners/resources-for-pet-owners/ ) Number two, you need to work with a professional dog trainer. You need a trainer to come to your house and see the behavior and the interaction of all the family members with Rocky. This is your best bet. Aggression problems need special care and it is not recommended that you try to correct this on your own. Growling can turn to biting at any time. You may give him the wrong signals and make him worse. Everyone wants a quick fix when it comes to behavior problems and they are not quick fixes. They take time, consistency and patience. I like BarkBusters as I believe they do a free in home consult and a guarantee. ( https://www.barkbusters.com/dog-training-fortworth-arlington )

    Vote icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

See More Answers

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
Hi I have a pet Pomeranian. He is 8 months old. He is mostly house kept due to my outside dog who is too aggressive and does not get along with him. I work form 8 to 4 weekdays so he is alone during the day.When I got him he was quiet and didn’t real
Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! Milo is adorable! Sadly there are some small breed dogs that will just not house train. But I think also that some owners give up because it is so hard. I think Milo needs to be crated when you aren't home due to his destructive nature and because he is not house trained. When you are home he should be leashed to you at all times and taken out very often. If he doesn't go when you think he should, he goes in the crate. All other rooms should be blocked by a door or gate so he can't wander off to eliminate in the house. Use special delicious treats, praise and play with him for 10 mins after he goes outside, even bring a favorite toy. He can never be out of the crate when you aren't home or when you are asleep. You can also train him to ring a bell when he needs to eliminate. It may take 2-3 months but if you are aggressive about it hopefully it will work. Also you may have to consider neutering him to fully eliminate marking behaviors. The destruc
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
My dog that I have had since he was a baby listens to my bf more than me and he grows at me and pees on and around my bf
Number one thing you need to do is have him neutered. He is being aggressive (growling) and territorial (urine marking). Hopefully neutering will help to curb this behavior however, it may have already become a habit to him. ( http://pawsitivelytexas.com/resources-for-pet-owners/resources-for-pet-owners/ ) Number two, you need to work with a professional dog trainer. You need a trainer to come to your house and see the behavior and the interaction of all the family members with Rocky. This is your best bet. Aggression problems need special care and it is not recommended that you try to correct this on your own. Growling can turn to biting at any time. You may give him the wrong signals and make him worse. Everyone wants a quick fix when it comes to behavior problems and they are not quick fixes. They take time, consistency and patience. I like BarkBusters as I believe they do a free in home consult and a guarantee. ( https://www.barkbusters.com/dog-training-fortworth-arlington
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Buddy is 3yrs and just now being crate trained. He pees all over the house. He does let me know when he needs to go, but when no one is home he goes wherever, normally in the same spots. When I am gone it's only for about 4 hours and I come home to p
Hello, sorry to hear about Buddy. It sounds like he is indeed marking his territory when you're not home. I think the crate is a great idea, but if you need some time to get him used to this, a small room such as a bathroom or bedroom would also limit the areas where he marks in the house. Additionally, taking him out to go to the bathroom before you leave will also decrease the amount of urine he has to mark with. A dog urinating on objects, usually vertical, is a normal, instinctive social behavior. Dogs mark their territory by urinating on certain objects within their territory. The dog returns to these spots on occasion to renew this olfactory mark. Usually the amount of urine produced is a smaller amount than when the dog relieves himself. Marking often occurs in areas where other dogs have urine marked or left there odor. Although more commonly seen in intact males, neutered males and females also mark. What is inappropriate marking? Inappropriate marking is when an otherwise h
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
What can I do to stop territorial marking indoor? I cannot trust my dog to be left alone in the house for even 5 minutes before coming back to him having relieved himself against many objects. Is he too old to teach differently? Are dog diapers a goo
Has he always done this? If this is new behavior, it may be that he has a medical condition that is causing him to urinate more frequently resulting in more marking. A urinary tract infection, bladder tumor or bladder stones, kidney disease, endocrine diseases such as diabetes, or prostate disease since he is intact--any of these could cause him to urinate more. Take him to your vet to rule out a medical cause. It may help to have him neutered, as he's less likely to feel the "need" to mark his territory if he is neutered. Try some potty training steps as suggested in the article below. Dog diapers are not ideal in my opinion. The skin can become very irritated if they are not changed very shortly after they become wet, and regular bathing is needed. https://www.spca.org/file/pet-university/Urine-Marking---Dogs.pdf https://www.petcoach.co/article/top-5-tips-to-potty-train-your-dog-young-and-old/ I hope that is helpful for you, thanks for asking Boop by Petco!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
How do I get my dog to stop marking his territory in the house?
I would recommend getting a crate for Sirius and crate training him. This means keeping him in the crate all day and taking him out to go to the bathroom. If he goes to the bathroom then leaving him out of the crate when you can keep 100% watch on him. If you end up having to turn your back for 1 second I would put him back in the crate. He needs to learn he cannot mark around the house. I would also recommend bringing him to the vet to rule out any medical issues if there is any, for example, a urinary tract infection. Thank you for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I have two male puppies and a cat. Both puppies are under a year and one has started marking his territory. Is there anyway to break him from this?
Urinary accidents can definitely be frustrating! It would be a good idea to have Leo checked out by your veterinarian to make sure there isn't a medical reason for the accidents. If he is not already neutered then neutering would be a good idea to reduce this behavior. Crate training can also help to retrain a dog to not urinate in the household. This article should also be of help to you: https://www.petcoach.co/article/top-5-tips-to-potty-train-your-dog-young-and-old/ Thanks for using Boop by Petco and good luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog is 3 yrs old and has recently starting peeing indoors. Not just having accidents on the floor but actually going on hanging things - a towel hanging over the banister, coat hanging on the end of the stairs or even clean sheets hanging over the
I doubt that the behavior will stop on its own if you can't figure out what has started it. The first thing I would recommend would be to have your vet examine George and perform a urinalysis to make sure that there isn't a medical cause that has started this. If your vet can't find a medical cause then I would recommend figuring out a way to stop the behavior temporarily. I would use a Belly Band (https://www.k9ofmine.com/best-belly-bands-for-dogs/), so he does not have the opportunity to mark and ideally use baby gates, a crate or supervision to prevent him from having the opportunity to mark. 2 weeks after the last time he has marked (or attempted to mark if he has the belly band on), you can allow him more unsupervised time without the belly band on. Hopefully that will be enough to break this habit. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
my pug is a 8 months old he is toilet trained , he pees outside the home and also uses pads insids his room , he is confined to one room, but never beed dry totally he still make mistakes and urinate in the home , one month ago he start to elevate hi
Things not to do! • When you witness your dog marking, do not yell at him or use other types of direct punishment. This may lead to your dog marking when you are not present, or sneaking off to mark. Do not punish your dog after the fact by rubbing their nose in it, etc as your dog will not associate it with the marking that happened awhile ago. Summary Though your dog may drive you crazy marking around the house, it is not a hopeless situation! There are many steps you can take to eliminate or minimize the behavior, beginning with neutering. Start by analyzing why your dog is marking to determine if there is an underlying problem. Animals also depend on their owners to teach them appropriate behaviors, so you must be consistent with your rules. By starting with a few of these simple changes, you may be able to correct your dog's inappropriate marking. If you should need further assistance be sure to contact your veterinarian, who may send you to a board certified veterinary behavioris
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I have a 3 year old staffy that is not nurtured he keeps peeing in the house and he keeps showing agrressive behaviour after he pees in the home I don't no what to do!
Unfortunately, Spud has 2 behaviors that neutering may help. Testosterone can play a role in marking behaviors in the house (which is considered a normal behavior for an intact male). Testosterone can also play a role in aggression in some dogs. So, I would recommend consulting with your veterinarian about that. I have attached a link to a handout below that may also give you some ideas. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2284 In the meantime, the longer a dog urinates in the house, the harder it will be to eliminate the behavior. I would recommend a belly band (https://www.bellybands.net/) to prevent the behavior for now. Also, make sure you are not punishing Spud for urinating in the house. That may make aggression worse. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I have a maleEnglish Bulldog, Iggy. He's been "marking" inside the house since he was 6months old. He was neutered at 18 months. He only does this when I'm not home. I crate him when I'm gone 5 hrs or less but sometimes I'm gone 8. Even if a wrapper
You are correct that this type of behavior is difficult to correct. The best way to correct it is to not allow it to happen. Easier said than done. The best way I have found to allow that is to either use a Belly Band (www.bellybands.net), keep the dog on a leash attached to you in the house or keep the dog in a crate when you are gone. The goal is that it he does not get the satisfaction of urinating on something (either because the belly band prevents it, because you are on the other end of the leash preventing it, or because he is in a crate), that the behavior is less likely to continue. However, it will be a work in progress and since it has been going on for over 3 years, it will not resolve quickly. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored