Dogs have unique personalities and quirks. Many of those quirks are endearing, but some of them are not particularly pleasant.
For example, some male dogs are known to pee on their own front legs. Is that habit something you can treat or do you just have to live with it? Find out the answer to that question by continuing with the rest of this article.
Why Does My Dog Pee on His Front Legs?
Before you can do something about your pet’s unusual peeing habits, you first have to understand the reason behind it. There are different potential explanations for that aforementioned habit. Let’s discuss them in greater detail below.
Your Dog Is Not Used to Peeing Just Yet
Training is necessary if you want your dog to follow your commands and perform tricks. You should also train your dog to keep them disciplined.
What you may not know is that training is also necessary if you want your pet to correct some of his unusual habits. If your puppy consistently urinates on his front legs, that could be because he isn’t used to performing that action just yet.
After some time, he may grow out of that habit and successfully pee without hitting his front legs.
The Issue Is Caused by Your Dog’s Anatomy
Puppies may pee on their front legs because they don’t have a good grasp on what they’re doing just yet. There’s a good chance that issue will sort itself out on its own.
Unfortunately, the other issues that could cause your dog to pee on his front legs are not as easily resolved. That could be the case if your dog’s messy urination is related to his anatomy.
One such issue could be caused by his penis being misaligned. Your dog’s penis could be aimed squarely at his front legs. It may be difficult for him to redirect his urine because of that.
Hip or leg problems may also explain why your dog always hits his legs while urinating. Your pet may not be capable of positioning his body in such a way that he can avoid his legs.
Your Dog Is Marking His Territory
Dogs don’t urinate just to relieve themselves. Sometimes, they also use their urine to mark their territory.
The typical urinating position for male dogs doesn’t cause their pee to spread out too much. That’s generally a good thing for us, but your pet may prefer to spray his urine further so they can mark more spots.
Your dog may assume the handstand position in order to pee further. In the process, he will likely splash some urine onto his front legs as well.
How to Stop My Dog from Peeing on His Front Legs?
Urine develops a foul odor as it dries on your dog’s fur. It’s the kind of odor that will hurt your nose if you have to breathe it in constantly. The urine on your dog’s front legs may also end up on your floors and furniture if he starts running around.
You have to stop your pet from peeing on his front legs. How should you go about doing that? We have some suggestions that are worth trying.
Teach Your Dog How to Urinate Properly
Is your dog urinating on his legs because he isn’t peeing correctly? In that case, you can give him a few nudges in the right direction.
Right as your dog goes to pee, use your foot to position his elevated leg even higher. Doing that should allow the urine to spray to the side instead of directly onto your pet’s front legs.
Keep up that habit and your dog should understand what he needs to do whenever he goes to pee.
Leave Some Fur near Your Dog’s Penis
If your dog pees on his front legs because something is off with his anatomy, you must take a different approach to address that problem. Some special grooming could help you out.
Essentially, you want to leave some fur near your dog’s penis so it deflects his urine.
Instead of the urine hitting your dog’s front legs, the small bit of fur should direct the stream downward. You’ll still have to clean that spot, but it’s easier to deal with than your dog’s legs.
Approach an Animal Behaviorist for Assistance
You may have to visit an animal behaviorist if your pet’s unusual peeing habits are caused by his desire to mark everything around him. After a few sessions, your dog may permanently drop his tendency to handstand while urinating.