When do male dogs learn to 'cock a leg'?

[GnomeDePlume]

Probably a daft question but this is the first dog I have ever owned.

We have a six month old black lab/border collie cross. He still squats to wee. Is this normal? My only concern is that he is a fair degree of force. The wee shoots through between (and over) his front legs! He is bathed regularly.

Will he grow up to be a 'stand up' wee-er or will he always sit down?

I have an almost 2 year old collie and he still squats to wee occasionally. He did it much more often when he was younger though so maybe your dog will grow out of it.

I think leg cocking tends to come with maturity. Mine was 7 mnths but is a smaller breed.

My 11yo springer still squats to wee about 50% of the time. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it.

My 14 month GSD has just started to occasionally lift his leg, mostly still squats though and manages to wee over one of his front legs. He's a rescue and was neutered at 7 months which i think is too early for a large breed dog. Perhaps that delays leg cocking.

Mine never cocks and he's nearly five.

My two boys are big gsds...Kelly never cocks his leg...never ever ever. he doesn't do a girly squat, he just stretches a bit and lets go...he's quite long and just about manages not to pee on his front feet.

Zac just about lifts one leg off the ground, small tilt and off he goes. But never a full leg cock! :o

god the things, you tell internet strangers!!

It depends really... Current dog was 5 months, last dog was 18 months and he only did it about half the time.

I'm guessing it's to do with testosterone levels given that it's one of the things the behavioural specialist asked about when we were discussing testosterone and whether to neuter current dog and last dog was a rescue and neutered early.

So probably sometime during puberty.

Maybe you need to let him play with some big boys to show him how it's do e.

It varies massively. My boy started at, I kid you not, 9 weeks and even though he was neutered at 6 months he stills cocks for every single wee. To begin with his little puppy legs were so wobbly it was very funny to watch. He fell right over once! He never really squatted, just sort of let go wherever he was standing before he cocked.

My dog is nearly 5 yrs and has only started to cock within the last 6 months or so and this is only on v rare occasions. Never at home in the garden and only occasionally in the park. Many people assume he's a bitch when they see him wee!

My dog did it out of the blue when he was about 9 months, he lifted his leg so high he nearly fell over. There was no going back to squatting. Now he's an old boy he sometimes gets tired mid-flow and puts his leg down to finish.

Stupid question possibly but if they cock their leg and have an accident in the house, do they do it up the wall/ cupboards?! Just twigged this might be the case and was a bit as I can cope with it on the floor but all up the wall...yuck!

I've found that housetrained dogs only have accidents indoors if they're ill or something's happened so they can't get out...and so they just go where they're standing, not taking the time tofinding somewhere they want to cock their legs at, so no...

But, some dogs will scentmark if they're stressed or somewhere strange or there's another dog - and then, yep, walls or doors with pee on.

I have had two females that have done it too occasionally! I have not see this girl cock her leg yet though

Oh - yes, I know a bitch who cocks her leg sometimes

It used to be up trees, in undergrowth sort of places but my oldestc girl used to do it up lamppotts
Mind you, she did a good line in looking on steps too

What tabulah says re accidents, but before he was properly housetrained (when I thought he was housetrained but he wasn't quite there) he did a lovely big wee right up my new floor length curtains.

Many thanks all. This is one of those questions you dont really like to ask out loud!

We will be neutering him but will probably wait until he is around 12 months. Hopefully he will have had time to learn by then!

my DPs had a male 12 yr old and a female 5 year old Jack Russell and she copied him and always cocks her leg- in fact sometimes she'll lift both back legs!

My boy (small) was just 4 months old. He was very macho. Had him neutered 6 months later which calmed him down.

My male lab did it squatting until he went to doggy daycare , around 6 months old, and came back and very proudly cocked his leg against the tree in the front garden. But in the morning or evening (big wees?) he usually squats in the garden. On walks though he always cocks his leg- many times. He was neutered at 12 months. I think it depends if they are over scenting or just letting it all out!

6 month old scottie amazed me last week and cocked his leg in the garden. It's still a mix of squat and cock though.

Mum's 12 month old shih tzu still squats, she was most put out when I told her mine had cocked... leg envy. Weird.

My lab x started cocking his leg at 18 months ( a few weeks ago) but will still squat if he is in a hurry .

My 8 yo dachshund has never cocked. The previous one rarely did.

I can't quite remember as our lab is now 14. He has only ever cocked his leg on walks though, always squats in the garden. Arthritis means it has to be a prime spot to merit the effort of cocking his leg now.