My dog markes his territory

Question
Hello..I have a 2 years old male Rat Terrier that has been neutered for about a year.  Every time i walk my dog, he marks his territory on everything from trees, over other dogs markings, sticks, poles..etc..a walk with him can take forever because he has to smell every dog's scent and mark his territory by lifting his leg and peeing on it.  I would like to walk him without this happening.  Is this possible and how can i go about try to correct this behavior?

Answer
You have a tenacious, intense little breed there and you are seeing that in his marking behavior.  Because a dog wants to mark does not mean his human has to allow every single effort.  Training your dog to a 'come along' is very easy; pat your side, say 'come along' while offering a tiny treat so the dog can clearly see it, and as he comes to your side and walks with you pop the treat into his mouth.  Do this only when you have the dog's eye (not while he's busy sniffing and lifting leg) so that you can assure his immediate response.  At first, your opportunities may seem limited (as he appears to be very busy on your walks!), but as he begins to associate the treat (and praise, don't forget that) with your 'come along', he will soon be watching YOU for the next opportunity.  However, do not make these walks totally without joy for this boy; part of his glee involves making strong statements to all the other males in the neighborhood.  Allow him a reasonable amount of fun.