Males and Marking

[The Dude and his person, Kristi]

I am on a waiting list for a litter of mini goldendoodles that will be ready to go home July/August sometime.  I live in a apartment with no yard.  I can bring my dood to the office once it's potty trained.  Others bring their dogs as well.  Most of those dogs are female.  A couple of people have brought by their male dogs.  Those dogs did mark....one outside in the yard...but on a plastic tarp covering patio furniture.  One on a chair inside!  Ugh.  Those dogs don't come in regularly.  And I don't think they are well trained.

My question to all of you is: Given my circumstances, would choosing a male puppy be risky?  I'm envisioning a male....but I've got reservations because of the marking issue.  What are your experiences?

Thank you,

Kristi

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I mentioned out old guy didn't begin marking until age 9 and the first time he did it he DID pee on Gordie - while Gordie was still squatting!

[Natasha]

Ask the breeder for a submissive dog and then also learn about the behavior tests that you can use when selecting a puppy. Rouser is two years old and is not a marker - in fact, he almost always squats rather than raises his leg and, while he smells around a lot on our walks, he just does not exhibit any desire to mark. We neutered him at 6 months.

IMHO, it is a lot easier to train a submissive (and food motivated) dog, too.

Also, look for a dog that has confidence and looks to you for guidance. A dog that lacks confidence (whether male or female) may have accidents when they are overly excited or scared (something that could also happen when taking your dog to work).

Stability is an important thing to look for when selecting a puppy (and a breeder). You also want a puppy that isn't going to bark at other dogs or people (and you will need to do a lot of socializing as soon as your puppy has had all of its shots), will be mellow while you are working so as not to distract you or others from doing your work, etc.

Be honest with your breeder, letting her know what you are planning on doing and what type of dog you want because of it. If there isn't a calm, submissive puppy available, wait for the next litter or find another breeder. Once you do get a puppy, you will need to train, train, train (consider trying to pass the CGC - that's a great goal) to have a dog that is office-worthy. Be kind to your employer :)

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I love males....yes, there is always a chance they could mark, but I wouldn't worry about it so much. They won't do it in your house (more than likely). I have a male chihuahua who never marks. He squats to pee. My sister has a male who went through a period of 1 week at age 5 when he marked. He was pissed off at her and was acting out - did it a handful of times at her friends houses.
My parent's cairn terrier marked the bed skirt of my parents bed every few days for 2 months BUT my dad was in the Trauma level of the ER from a bad accident the entire time. So I think these are odd circumstances.
I find males to be a bit more loving, but that is my opinion only. We love our Lady Peri (mini doodle), but had originally been on the list for a male.....not enough males and didn't really care in the end....Perry simply became Lady Peri =)

[Dan, Judi, & Timbow]

I think it can be different with the dog too. Timbow has never in his life lifted his leg to pee or "mark".