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Have you ever noticed your female dog lifting her leg? Isn’t that a male dog behavior? Come to find out, this can also be normal behavior for female dogs! But what causes a female dog to life her leg?
Canines Lifting Their Legs: It’s Not Just for Male Dogs
Many male dogs lift their legs to pee and mark their territory. This is pretty common. When it comes to female dogs, most of them squat. However, not all males lift their legs, and some females lift their legs when urinating! How confusing is that?
In many cases, a dog chooses to lift their leg out of personal preference. It may also be due to the environment. For instance, if the grass is very high in a certain place where a female dog wants to go, she may lift her leg rather than squat. It’s just easier and more comfortable if the grass is taller.
What Else Causes a Female Dog to Lift Her Leg?
Another reason a female dog may lift her leg to pee is to spread her scent. How does that work? Well, it appears that female dogs may lift their legs to pee on vertical things, such as tall grass, a tree, and more. The urine then runs down, covering a larger area than just squatting would do. That’s pretty logical. In this way, the female dog is able to leave behind a greater amount of scent.
In addition, some smaller female dogs may choose to lift their legs to leave urine higher up on an object. Researchers speculate that smaller dogs may do this to appear like a larger dog and to leave more scent behind.
So, these are very logical reasons for a female dog to lift her leg.
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Ask a Vet Live NowIs There Anything to Worry About If My Female Dog Lifts Her Leg?
Fortunately, this is a normal behavior even for female dogs. It’s not something to worry about. Some female dogs may lift their legs all the time, while others do this occasionally. What’s more, some girl dogs may find this is a more comfortable position than squatting.
Summing It Up
So, if your female dog is lifting her leg, chances are this is normal behavior! She just wants to spread more scent or may find the position more comfortable. And that’s OK!
There’s no need to worry if your female dog prefers lifting her leg to squatting!
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Tom
Tom has always loved to write since he was little - he wanted to be either a writer or a veterinary doctor, but he ended up being a professional writer while most of his works are based on animals. He was born in San Francisco but later moved to Texas to continue his job as a writer. He graduated from the University of San Francisco where he studied biotechnology. He is happily married and a soon to be father!
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