How Do Male Dogs Learn to Lift Their Leg to Pee?

Ever wonder how male dogs learn to lift their leg to pee? Is it nature or nurture? Do they come out of their mother's womb lifting their leg or does papa dog take his male progeny out to the bushes to privately instruct them on the first and foremost symbol of canine macho-hood? In an era of single parent households, is there a need for government funded classes for budding boy-dogs ? Or will it be left to become a dying art, a remnant of more traditional and stable times fast becoming irrelevant due to the disintegration of the intact nuclear family and commensurate changing cultural mores?

Male Dog Learning to Lift His Leg, Qualifications of Researcher:

I am uniquely qualified to address the issue of male dogs learning to lift their legs, as I have, over my lifetime, owned a number of male dogs and, having adopted all of them in young puppy-hood, I have had opportunity to observe and participate in this historical rite of passage for each.

Male Dog Learning to Lift His Leg, Case Study One:

Brandy was a very intelligent and loving Collie puppy, who came home with us when he was seven weeks old. As his adopted family, we remained close to his family of origin, going to visit both his mama dog and his papa dog, although they were, well, "separated". (Turns out, it was a "fling" - Perhaps an early sign of cultural decay even back all those 35 years.)

Time spent with his father turned out to be very critical in Brandy's development and gender identity. I remember very distinctly one day in particular when we took the two to the park to play for the afternoon. I was very aware of how Brandy looked up to his father and seemed to watch him in great awe and reverence as he went around from tree to tree to bush to fire-hydrant to postal worker on lunch break and lifted his leg to pee. As they romped and played, Brandy began his first feeble attempts to emulate his father by trying to lift his leg when he peed, too. (Much to the postal worker's chagrin.) From that day forward, although his technique (and balance) improved with time, Brandy always lifted his leg to pee. Clearly, this interaction with his father was critical for modeling and training this important symbol of transition into canine manhood. (Researchers Note: An apology to the irate lunching postal worker was proffered, along with a wet-wipe from KFC.)

Male Dog Learning to Lift His Leg, Case Study Two:

Willie was a precocious and wonderful Golden Retriever puppy from a happy and successful arranged marriage. He came home with my now ex-husband and I also at seven weeks old. He continued to see both of his birth parents, his brothers, his sisters, his uncles and his cousins for some time after coming to live with us, as he joined them for reunions in the park and at puppy classes. Willie seemed to have no difficulty picking up the behavior of lifting his leg to pee, due primarily, I believe, to this time with his family and particularly his birth-father during his most impressionable years. Further, sometimes early in the morning I could hear my now ex-husband talking to Willie in the master bathroom. I could not hear what was being said (because the fan was on in there, of course), but I would speculate that he was giving young Willie some additional male behavior instruction as well as doing some modeling. Still, it doesn't seem like exactly the same thing to me. But what do I know? I'm a girl. Further research into this question is recommended.

Male Dog Learning to Lift His Leg, Final Case Study Three:

My last (and current) male dog, Andy, is also a Golden Retriever. Andy's parents were also from an "arranged marriage" which, unfortunately, did not last. While his mother raised him lovingly until we adopted him, also at seven weeks, he only met his father once and only for a brief visit in his home. There was no opportunity for mentoring, modeling or fatherly instruction in any area, least of all in the area of how to lift his leg to pee.

This paternal neglect was immediately evidenced in that Andy did not lift his leg to pee for many many months. Apparently, the idea never even occurred to him as he continued squatting "like a girl" and never made any noticeable attempts to raise a limb at all. (At least one anecdotal strike against the hypothesis that dogs lifting their leg to pee is borne of nature over nurture.)

As his single "adopted" mother, I both wanted to do what was right by my little Andy as well as also test whether this distinctly male behavior could be conveyed by instruction from an adopted mother in the absence of a birth father or father figure. So I attempted to make suggestions to teach him how to lift his leg to pee, but the conversations were awkward and did not seem to be well received as he generally ignored me. (It was truly as if he didn't understand a word I said.) Admittedly, as a woman, it was difficult to know how to talk to my young male dog about such a sensitive and personal issue. In spite of my best efforts, Andy must have been somewhat embarrassed by my attempting to help him in this way, as he would often pretend to be distracted by a bird or a squirrel or, say, the Mir International Space Station passing overhead, particularly when I would try to physically demonstrate this most intimate of male actions by bending my elbow and raising it high in the air while exclaiming, "Like this! Like this!"

For many months, Andy seemed to make no progress toward lifting his leg to pee. I began to concede that he may never do so and would always squat like a girl. This further lent to my conviction that the presence of a father or at least a father figure is critical for proper development and gender identification in a young male dog's life.

Fortunately, things would soon change when, at about seven or eight months of age, my human son and I took Andy on a road trip from California to Oregon up I-5. Along that route, we stopped at a rest stop and let Andy out in the pet restroom area. There, quite by accident, Andy saw a male dog just a few years his senior - lifting his leg to pee.

Andy seemed mesmerized. He would go over and smell the rock the dog had peed on, then the bush, then the tree. He would watch him. Then run after him. Then sniff. Then, all of a sudden, up went his leg! It was miraculous, with so little exposure and no real instruction (although, I'm convinced now that my previous demonstrations really were getting through). The only problem ... Andy would run over to a bush, lift the opposite leg, and pee into the air. A rock - lift leg - pee in the air. Fire-hydrant - lift leg - pee in the air. Clearly, casual, non-paternal instruction was helpful, but not sufficient. More would have to be done.

After returning home and over the next weeks, Andy continued to have difficulty understanding the importance of proper aim and direction in lifting his leg to pee. (Although not for lack of practice.) On one occasion, for instance, he went with me to visit a friend who had a lovely back yard garden. As she gave me a tour of her beautiful flowers, Andy ran up to the abundantly blossoming bush before us, lifted the wrong leg, and peed on my friend. This was all right, though, as we really needed to be going anyway.

Fortunately, as he matured (and as I showed him lots of pictures), Andy got the hang of lifting the leg in the direction he wanted to pee. Now, at ten years old, he has completely gotten the hang of it, although, admittedly, his aim still isn't very good and he seldom hits what he's aiming at. (But that's a good thing or our lawnmower would be totally rusted out by now.)

The conclusion that I believe can be drawn from my research to date, though, is that the role of the father in a young dog's life cannot be discounted, particularly when it comes to teaching him to lift his leg to pee.

Final Researcher's Note: In spite of this very convincing anecdotal evidence that it is important for young male dogs to have a father in the home to properly learn to lift their leg to pee, it is clear that further research is needed. I will be applying for a $50 million dollar government research grant, perhaps from the next "stimulus" package. In the meantime, private donations are also appreciated.

Disclaimer: No postal workers were harmed in the making of this article.