marking territory

Question
Why does my male toy poodle mark territory in the house?

Answer
He is showing he is the dominate dog. I think why has a lot to do with all the questions I get asking for help, and when I say the first step is to neuter him.  ''No, I can't do that, I am going to breed him.''  Yes, let him pass the defect on.  I have raised a number of intact males for the dog guide school and never had a problem.  I think part of the reason they require their studs to live in somebody's house, is that is they show any sign of such a problem, they will be dropped from the program and neutered.  

For dogs that have a problem, neutering them frequently solves it, although it is no cure all.  Some dogs do it even if they are neutered.  Good leadership helps too.  Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog.  Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones.  You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/  For more on being top dog, see http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm