Wacky water writer.

Since we got baby dog Izzy, now eight months old and almost fully grown, I've noticed an odd behavior that late junior dog Nipper did not exhibit so much -- overwriting. That is to say, distastefully, that Izzy is determined to pee where Tralfaz has peed. This has become much more obvious in the snowy season, when I can see for myself where previous efforts have been laid out. 

Why does Izzy do this? I asked my wife, who reads endlessly on dog behavior. I was concerned that Izzy was trying to exercise a kind of dominance over Fazzy. The two seem to get along very well, better than Tralfaz did with Nipper, so it seemed strange. 

The Daily Puppy does consider it a possible dominance issue, that "If a dog feels tougher and more 'alpha' than another individual he perceives to be meek and timid, he might communicate that by concealing the other furry guy's pee with his own." But Nipper doesn't exhibit other characteristics one might expect with dominance. You probably can think of some behaviors without me mentioning them. It is true that Tralfaz has been neutered and Izzy not yet, and dogs pick up on this stuff, but again, that doesn't seem to have resulted in any other dominance behaviors. 

The article notes that what I may have been taking as overmarking to actually be adjacent marking: "If he does so nearby but not right over the pee, then he's adjacent marking." The article does not, however, explain the difference. An article in The Bark notes that "Both sexes, whether intact or not, appear to countermark in a competitive manner. Additionally, this study suggests that overmarking and adjacent marking may have different functions." It also sheds no light on what those functions might be.

My wife is of the opinion that Izzy is not trying to be obnoxious, but just trying to make his mark, as it were. He's not demanding top billing, but he wants to be on the bill. Tralfaz has had eight years to make the lawn his own, as it were, and Nipper worked the room for more than four before his untimely passing. Izzy just wants to get his scent up there in lights where the fresh pee is drawing attention. "I'm here, too, world!" he is saying. 

I think that's a good guess, and fits with their otherwise chummy relationship. Izzy studies Tralfaz, especially when outside, and seems to want to learn how to do all the dog stuff from him. Nipper would pretty much go his own way.

Whatever the cause, between the footsteps all over and the yellow spots, I have the least lovely winter snowscape on the block. Frank Zappa would be proud.