Scent Marking

[Micky Moo]

How old do bitches usually start scent marking?

The reason I ask is that I have a 9 month old Tibeten Spaniel who was sterilised at 6 months old. After alot of hard work and patience I managed to potty train her by the time she was 6 months old. We have the occassional accident, but that is to be expected with any young furkid.
Recently we had a sterilised male Jack Russell come round to play and he marked nearly everything he could reach, I cleaned it up with an enzyme removing cleaner to get rid of the underlying scent. My girl never bothered with the markinsg, never tried to mark over them, even when I take her for a walk she never tries to make anything as we walk, just does a wee once and then spends alot of the time enjoying all the different smells.
Until this evening; the JR had been round yesterday and though I thought I'd cleaned all where he had marked, I'm sure my girl could find where he'd been. Anyway this evening for the first time in 3 months she walked to a corner where I know the JR had peed and she squatted. I caught her in the act, but didn't make a big issue about it, just told her "ah-ah" and took her outside.
Was she marking over his scent or was it just as accident/ laziness on her part?

Another quick question? How can I encourage to evacuate her bowels while out on a walk? She seems to hold it in until we get home and then goes on her "Potty".

[pappups]

Not the complete solution, but you can buy (or make) a pee band for the JR until you can clean up all the marked places and train him not to mark in the house anymore. I've heard vinegar solution works to discourage remarking. On the poop issue, are you using one of the potty park kinda things? I've never used them, I've had dog trainers tell me not to because it makes it too convenient and comfortable for the pup to use that instead of being trained to go outside. I just installed a doggy door and our 5 month old Pap girl seems to have it all figured out but it's taken a while for the concept of going outside to sink in.

[Micky Moo]

Yes I do use a Potty (False grass covered tray) because we live in a small LifeStyle Village and have no yard as such. The Potty is outside and has been from her being a pup. It was the best this I ever invested in. I don't have to worry about picking up poo from around the patio and because I alternate and clean the grass and potty everyday, there is never a smell or flies. It's not for everyone, but works well for me. She was number 2 trained by 12 weeks, and pee trained by 5 months, with the odd accident now and again. We also have a doggy door, which she uses with no encouragement at all.

I was just wondering IF a dog reaches a certain age and hormones kick in and they start to mark their territory or as she's never bothered marking, will she not bother about it t all.?

Micky Moo