Dr. Barchas, is it true that if you neuter a dog
who is already 2 years old, it will not help him
marking inside the house?

I just adopted a well behaved German Shepherd.
He just arrived a day ago, but his past owner says
he will mark the house and to leave him in the car
port. To me that’s cruel. The owner moved to a
condo and the dog had to stay in one room all day
(for 3 months). That’s why past owner gave him to
me. Please help.

Ana
Levittown, PR

If your new dog is not neutered, the surgery may help to reduce unwanted urine marking inside the house.

Neutering or castration involves removal of a the dog’s testicles. In adult dogs, testicles produce a hormone called testosterone. Testosterone helps to drive a number of behaviors in dogs including urine marking, aggression, sexual activity, and the desire to escape into the neighborhood in search of trysts.

If you have your new dog neutered there is a very real chance that his urine marking will stop. Neutering him is a very wise step in dealing with the problem.

However, I should warn you that neutering is not a cure-all. There is a chance that your dog’s previous owners never bothered to house train him properly. Or, he may have a medical condition, such as a urinary tract infection, that is causing him to soil the house.

I recommend that you have a veterinarian evaluate your dog for medical conditions that may be leading to house soiling. If he gets a clean bill of health, neutering him is the next step. If the problem still persists, you will have to implement a behavior modification (training) protocol to properly house train your new pet.

Photo: Freedom Star has no known record of house soiling.