Here's a question: when did your boy doodle start acting like a "man"? Webster is almost 9 months old and still squats. He shows no interest in 'marking' or lifting his leg. I don't really care, but I am curious.........
Never. Luca will be 2 in March and still squats. Please don't tell him this isn't manly. I don't think he realizes it and the shrubs, if not the lawn appreciate this.
Most male dogs lift their legs only on objects where other dogs have marked. It's fairly common for them to squat in their own yards, but lift their legs on trees, hydrants, mailboxes, etc. when out on a walk. If you never walk your dog on a leash on streets and sidewalks, you may want to try it...you might be surprised.
Jack was not neutered until a few days before I adopted him, at 14 months old, and he still squats in the yard. But always lifts his leg on walks, even when he doesn't have to go, to leave his "pee-mail".
The one nice thing about "pee-mail" is that they don't get any on their feet; when JD squats in the yard, he does sometimes end up with one foot in the puddle.
It's not that he pees on his feet, lol! But the pee sometimes forms a puddle around his foot. He's a BIG dog, and especially first thing in the a.m., the volume is...well, the word "racehorse" comes to mind!
Believe it or not, I think he could be trained to poop on a toilet...he prefers to have a raised "target" for that, like a small bush or clump of flowers, and backs to it as if he's about to sit down, lol. But knowing him, he would probably be afraid of a hole.
My Mom and Dad's labradoodle does the exact same thing. It's almost like he's being a little modest when he backs up to a bush to do his business. I find it really funny because neither of mine are that particular.