Peculiar New Bathroom Trend Outside

[crabcake]

Hi, just wanted to thank everyone for their help. I am a first time dog owner, and this site has really helped that transition. Crabcake is now 11 months old, and really couldn't be happier, he is such a sweet guy. About ten days ago, his bathroom habits outside drastically changed. For some reason he went from just peeing in the grass to finding bushes, and peeing on them. He then proceeds to attempt to pee on absolutely every bush in site. I always assume he is empty but he seems to find a way. Before if there were people around he was absolutely obsessed with the attention, but now he will even interrupt being played with outside to go find another bush, even if it is very brief. I noticed the same action at the dog park the last two times where he would get distracted from playing with other dogs, or mainly people to go off and do a tiny pee. I was also taking a mental note, and he definitely was going to the bathroom by far at the fastest rate of any other dog at the park. I don't know if I should be concerned or this is just a natural transition? I figured that any noticeable differences in behavior I should at least recognize and make sure nothing is wrong.

 

[crabcake]

also figured I would attach a couple of photos, he is crazy cute.

 

[Hceril]

He is just marking his territory! He is maturing.
And he is adorable too!!

 

[cefe13]

Sounds like normal dog behaviour. He's telling other dogs he's been there.

Castor takes his marking seriously - there are certain lamp posts, trees, etc in the neighbourhood that he pees on every day, and sometimes he wants to go back to check if his marking was ok or if he need to mark again. As long as he doesn't want to pee on people's doorsteps, I don't hinder him.

 

[Chunky White]

Have him checked for Cystine Stones or kidney infection as a precaution. Chunky did the same and I thought he was marking but he ended up having Cystine Stones which is hereditary in bulldogs and fixable by neutering them and surgery to remove the stones. I hope thats not the problem for you and Crabcake but that was my first thought

Chunky was around 14-16 months when his issues started. He pees on bushes and everything else that sticks above the ground now but he doesn't pee on everything like before

 

[crabcake]

Have him checked for Cystine Stones or kidney infection as a precaution. Chunky did the same and I thought he was marking but he ended up having Cystine Stones which is hereditary in bulldogs and fixable by neutering them and surgery to remove the stones. I hope thats not the problem for you and Crabcake but that was my first thought

Chunky was around 14-16 months when his issues started. He pees on bushes and everything else that sticks above the ground now but he doesn't pee on everything like before

Hmmm that is very concerning, were there any other indications of Cystine stones? Id rather not be that bulldog owner that runs to doctor for every tiny difference in my puppy, but at the same time obviously never want to ignore something.

 

[oscarmayer]

As males mature they begin to mark, moreso if they are in tact. Some do it more than others. IMO, it's relavent to how long they're left in tact, but that's just an unscientific theory. Our guys would go out and take a long pee and then save some in reserve for marking. Then they would sniff around until they found an odor that did not smell like their urine and a single squirt would remedy that. On to the next squirtable area...and so on, until the whole yard is done.

 

[Chunky White]

Hmmm that is very concerning, were there any other indications of Cystine stones? Id rather not be that bulldog owner that runs to doctor for every tiny difference in my puppy, but at the same time obviously never want to ignore something.

He started off peeing often while outside but it got to where he was going in the house and never much when he did. He had been going outside with only an inside incident once every few months at that point. I thought he was marking and just peeing inside because he was mad that I had started working more often. I finally had him checked while at the vet for a scheduled appt