a friend's lab/pointer cross singled me out for a shower around the campfire. I had been playing fetch with him, and a couple minutes later he came up to my chair and peed on it.

One of my dogs (a mutt; Shepherd/Lab) used to do this occasionally. It was more likely to happen if someone was sitting on the ground with their back toward the dog. I think in cases like that, it was simply a vertical object upon which to place his calling card.

I have a neutered wirehaired terrier that used to be a marking fool! And..I stress "used to". I find this type of behavior is unacceptable. I kept the dog on leash; teathered to me within the confines of the house. Each time he would begin the hike motion; I would firmly say NO, Bad Dog, Potty Outside and take him outside to the grass/fence area. When he hiked outside; I praised him for being such a good boy. If we passed by my truck or anyother inappropriate item and he began the motion; I firmly again said NO..took him to an appropriate area/object and again praised him. After a couple of weeks of being teathered to me; I allowed him free run of a room under supervision and then to the barn area. He now only "hikes" where it is acceptable. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Funny stuff guys. Like Paul said though...does anyone know why? Maybe it is just some dog with one funny sense of humor.

on the subject and relating funny stories....
a friend of ours has a nice Rottie male, if you look at him when his toy is around, he'll pee on it, turn around and then pee on it again from the other side. Seems as if he's saying "It's mine, you can't have it.....(then after he pees on it TWICE)....do you still want it now?!?!"

What I do to cure this is teach my dogs to go on command. They will mark what ever I tell them to. It can come in handy when someone "pisses" me off. I feel free to tell the dog to "piss on them", or their car, or whatever.

Vince,

Must be a full moon tonight.

Funny stuff Richard.LOL <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Wizzin on people and stuff with significance like toys, items you are holding, or others are holding is a weird territorial/dominate/predatory/pack action thats root behavior comes from the pack instinct to protect kills and territory. Wolves, big cats, and a few other animals will deficate or urinate on or near their kills to mask the scent and mark it as property. They will also tinkle on new or unfamiliar animals that the group allows to enter their territory as possible members. Of course everybody knows that they mark their territories this way also. Then there is the dominate/submissive side of the pissing thing.

I think that because our dogs are domesticated this behavior has been added to a few other things, like toys, new people that you meet, or people that are in a submissive possition like sitting down at the dog run or training club. Also because the pack instinct has been altered in the dog. I think it is a way-weirdo interraction of all of these normal animal behaviors in our, not so normal, domestic dogs. Seen mostly in dogs that have been bred for working because they have more pronounced drives and natural instincts.

That's my guess anyway. . .

I saw all that pee action in wild pack animals on a Nova special about social predators.

Van Camp,
Your answer is probably closer to fact and it may well be what is happening,some instincts are stronger in some dogs than in others and this may well be why not all dogs do this.Must admit,never thought about the marking of kills before and it is most likely a kick back from this.
Paul

A pack of wolves will generally urinate or defecate in the same spot, some species of jackals (who are also sometimes family/communal living), African wild dogs and hyenas will also participate in this type of behavior. It is basically a "we are together", "we were here together", "this is ours (territory)" response. Urinating at a kill also signifies a possesion, but it will not stop other species from poaching a kill. It is mostly a warning to other members of the same species, who by generally being territorial, should not be in that area anyways.

I have noticed that companion dogs will generally communally urinate as well. When my dog Max had a springer spaniel friend (they were together a lot until mom divorced dad and dad got custody of the dog, I was mom's friend) they always urinated in the same spot, one over the other. Despite being a soft (with humans) dog, Max is a dominant dog. Although physically he would never be able to overpower another dog (he is too lightly built) he was usually always in charge when meeting other dogs. His enforcer was a doberman, but many times Max easily intimidated a dog that was at least 2X his size. He also urinated on a lot of dogs (very embarassing, especially the smaller ones), but he never peed on a human.

Remember, wild animals do not really want to get mortally wounded. Most responses are mainly posturing, and body language cues that end the "discussion" before it is really begun. Unfortunately dogs, being somewhat far removed from their wild ancestors frequently get their cues mixed up. Breeding for dog aggresiveness as well as lack of free socialization with other canines also contributes sometimes to dogs forgetting how to speak "dog".