Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community  

Go Back   Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community > Chatter > General Discussion


 
 
LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 05-15-2005, 12:03 AM   #1 (permalink)
Currently sour but formerly Dlishs
 
dlish's Avatar
 
Super Moderator
Location: Australia/UAE
why do dogs piss on trees

been wondering about this question for a while.

i was sitting at a set of traffic lights when this dog walks up besides the car, up to a tree, lifts his leg and takes a leak on the tree..then i got a cloud formation over my head and i asked myself, "why do dogs piss on trees?"

i know its not just trees, also poles etc....

trying to work it out, maybe its to mark their territory? not sure.. anyone have any idea?
maybe this may seem silly to those dog owners, but ive never owned a dog.
__________________
An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
- Filthy
dlish is offline  
Old 05-15-2005, 12:15 AM   #2 (permalink)
32 flavors and then some
 
Gilda's Avatar
 
Location: Out on a wire.
You have it exactly right; they're marking their territory. Remember dogs have a much more sensitive sense of smell than humans, and can differentiate between their own urine and that of others.

Cats do the same thing. Have you ever had a cat rub up against you, or watched it do the same with a piece of furniture? Cats have scent glands that are activated when they do that. Hence, when the cat rubs you, it's claiming you as itss property.
__________________
I'm against ending blackness. I believe that everyone has a right to be black, it's a choice, and I support that.

~Steven Colbert
Gilda is offline  
Old 05-15-2005, 03:49 AM   #3 (permalink)
Junkie
 
eribrav's Avatar
 
Location: upstate NY
In dogs it's generally the males that do the marking. Not sure if that holds true for cats.
eribrav is offline  
Old 05-15-2005, 06:00 AM   #4 (permalink)
Tilted
 
Borgs's Avatar
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gilda
Cats do the same thing. Have you ever had a cat rub up against you, or watched it do the same with a piece of furniture? Cats have scent glands that are activated when they do that. Hence, when the cat rubs you, it's claiming you as itss property.
Awww, I thought that it was just loving on me
Borgs is offline  
Old 05-15-2005, 06:22 AM   #5 (permalink)
Born-Again New Guy
 
TexanAvenger's Avatar
 
Location: Unfound.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gilda
Cats do the same thing. Have you ever had a cat rub up against you, or watched it do the same with a piece of furniture? Cats have scent glands that are activated when they do that. Hence, when the cat rubs you, it's claiming you as itss property.
I do the same thing, but it really just doesn't come off nearly as cute.

You don't know how hard it is not to be able to claim you guys...
TexanAvenger is offline  
Old 05-15-2005, 07:24 AM   #6 (permalink)
loving the curves
 
kramus's Avatar
 
Location: my Lady's manor
Tex, if you ever found yourself in this beautiful home with these antiques and such, I would sure appreciate if you allowed the property to remain unclaimed. Really.
__________________
And now to disengage the clutch of the forebrain ...
I'm going with this - if you like artwork visit http://markfineart.ca
kramus is offline  
Old 05-15-2005, 09:53 AM   #7 (permalink)
Junkie
 
Seaver's Avatar
 
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Trees are easy markers to look for as opposed to random grass. It's marking territory and/or posting they've been there. Dogs can tell age/health/verility just by urine smell.
Seaver is offline  
Old 05-15-2005, 10:29 AM   #8 (permalink)
loving the curves
 
kramus's Avatar
 
Location: my Lady's manor
Have you read "Never Cry Wolf" by Farley Mowat? He relates his territorial claim experiment and how many pots of tea it took. Great stuff.
__________________
And now to disengage the clutch of the forebrain ...
I'm going with this - if you like artwork visit http://markfineart.ca
kramus is offline  
Old 05-15-2005, 11:25 AM   #9 (permalink)
Addict
 
lindseylatch's Avatar
 
Location: Seattle, WA
And (unnuetered) males are the ones who usually do it the most, and thus are more noticable, because the more territory they claim, the more breedable females with be within it.
You know how tiger's have territory? Same thing. Only, you know...not as violent.
That's one reason people fix male dogs. Small ones will start marking in the house.
__________________
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him."
"It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong."
-Voltaire
lindseylatch is offline  
Old 05-15-2005, 11:25 AM   #10 (permalink)
Darth Papa
 
ratbastid's Avatar
 
Location: Yonder
Yeah, they're not relieving their bladder. They're sending p-mail.
ratbastid is offline  
Old 05-15-2005, 11:38 AM   #11 (permalink)
Rookie
 
Gatorade Frost's Avatar
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ratbastid
Yeah, they're not relieving their bladder. They're sending p-mail.
Buh-dum-chh
__________________
I got in a fight one time with a really big guy, and he said, "I'm going to mop the floor with your face." I said, "You'll be sorry." He said, "Oh, yeah? Why?" I said, "Well, you won't be able to get into the corners very well."
Emo Philips
Gatorade Frost is offline  
Old 05-15-2005, 01:00 PM   #12 (permalink)
Darth Papa
 
ratbastid's Avatar
 
Location: Yonder
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gatorade Frost
Buh-dum-chh
Thank you! I'll be here all week!
ratbastid is offline  
Old 05-15-2005, 03:08 PM   #13 (permalink)
Young Crumudgeon
 
Martian's Avatar
 
Location: Canada
Cats actually spray as well, for the same effect. It's like tagging, it says 'I was here'.

Neutering a pet won't stop it, although it will reduce the frequency.
Martian is offline  
Old 05-15-2005, 03:53 PM   #14 (permalink)
Tilted
 
Location: Southern California
I always thought it was, just because they are there.
MsNobody is offline  
Old 05-15-2005, 04:39 PM   #15 (permalink)
Currently sour but formerly Dlishs
 
dlish's Avatar
 
Super Moderator
Location: Australia/UAE
thanks guys..quenched my curiosity..it did kill the cat afterall

just another question though..so dogs and cats only piss to mark their territory? so they hold it in, until they mark it out.. i mean i take a leak when i need to go, why wouldnt animal instinct work the same way?
__________________
An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
- Filthy
dlish is offline  
Old 05-15-2005, 11:25 PM   #16 (permalink)
Addict
 
lindseylatch's Avatar
 
Location: Seattle, WA
a little of both.
and actually cats have special pee, I think. Like a special gland that they add to the urine(?) so it smells especially nasty.
__________________
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him."
"It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong."
-Voltaire
lindseylatch is offline  
Old 05-16-2005, 04:42 AM   #17 (permalink)
Addict
 
CandleInTheDark's Avatar
 
Location: Where the music's loudest
I recall hearing a piece of information; male dogs can only piss on verticle objects.
__________________
Where there is doubt there is freedom.
CandleInTheDark is offline  
Old 05-16-2005, 07:03 AM   #18 (permalink)
Darth Papa
 
ratbastid's Avatar
 
Location: Yonder
Quote:
Originally Posted by CandleInTheDark
I recall hearing a piece of information; male dogs can only piss on verticle objects.
Not true! My buddy Ender, a Border Collie (and yes, he's named after the Orson Scott Card character) hunches to pee. His Native-American name is "Pees Like a Girl". And my buddy Samson, a Lab mix, just stands there and pees. No leg lifting for either of those boys.
ratbastid is offline  
Old 05-16-2005, 07:18 AM   #19 (permalink)
Getting it.
 
Charlatan's Avatar
 
Super Moderator
Location: Lion City
Ratbastid... you have girly dogs and should be ashamed to walk them.
__________________
"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke
Charlatan is offline  
Old 05-16-2005, 07:19 AM   #20 (permalink)
Getting it.
 
Charlatan's Avatar
 
Super Moderator
Location: Lion City
Quote:
Originally Posted by lindseylatch
a little of both.
and actually cats have special pee, I think. Like a special gland that they add to the urine(?) so it smells especially nasty.
It isn't pee. It is a gland that sprays another "marking" liquid.
__________________
"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke
Charlatan is offline  
Old 05-16-2005, 09:37 AM   #21 (permalink)
Free Mars!
 
feelgood's Avatar
 
Location: I dunno, there's white people around me saying "eh" all the time
Quote:
Originally Posted by lindseylatch
a little of both.
and actually cats have special pee, I think. Like a special gland that they add to the urine(?) so it smells especially nasty.
I once scared my ex-gf cat and it put out some werid liquid which I assume is a natural reaction to fend off predators. Kinda like what Skunk does, only, it's not so bad smelling.

I'm not entirely sure if that particular liquid is specfically for marking their territories.
__________________
Looking out the window, that's an act of war. Staring at my shoes, that's an act of war. Committing an act of war? Oh you better believe that's an act of war
feelgood is offline  
Old 05-16-2005, 10:11 AM   #22 (permalink)
Getting it.
 
Charlatan's Avatar
 
Super Moderator
Location: Lion City
It isn't for fending off predators...

1) when I was a kid, my friend's cat used to spay his hockey bag on a regular basis... we figure the cat thought the smell was that of another cat trying to claim its territory (i.e. my friend's house). His cat was just asserting his place.

2) When I was at the zoo I watched a full grown Siberian tiger chace a squirell up a tree. Once the squrriel was treed, the cat turned around and let loose with a spray of stuff (seeing that the cat was very big it was very noticeable). It wasn't pee and was clearly coming from the area of its anus...
__________________
"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke
Charlatan is offline  
Old 05-16-2005, 10:36 AM   #23 (permalink)
Tilted
 
Location: The Hammer
Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlatan
the cat turned around and let loose with a spray of stuff (seeing that the cat was very big it was very noticeable). It wasn't pee and was clearly coming from the area of its anus...
Quote:
Spraying is accomplished by squirting a powerful jet of urine backward onto vertical features of the environment--doors, windows, drapes, walls, etc.--about 8 inches above the floor. Both male and female cats, whether neutered or not, can do this. Cats regularly revisit sprayed areas to "freshen up" the scent when it starts to decline. When investigating another cat's urine mark, the cat will display a curious, grimacing pose with its mouth partly open. It is using the vomeronasal, or Jacobson's organ, which is located behind the incisor teeth in the roof of the mouth. This extra sense allows the cat to smell and taste an odor at the same time and sends a powerful signal to the cat's brain activating a territorial response.
I have 3 cats (2 males, 1 female - all fixed) thank god they don't spray! Although when I bring something home that has a good smell on it (ie: another cat has been on or around the object), I do see the "grimacing pose"...
Ambient1 is offline  
Old 05-16-2005, 11:07 AM   #24 (permalink)
Addict
 
lindseylatch's Avatar
 
Location: Seattle, WA
My parents have 4 male dogs, and 3 of them lift their legs to pee, but only two of them actually go around marking territory, and it's the little ones.
__________________
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him."
"It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong."
-Voltaire
lindseylatch is offline  
Old 05-16-2005, 11:44 AM   #25 (permalink)
Comedian
 
BigBen's Avatar
 
Location: Use the search button
Quote:
Originally Posted by kramus
Have you read "Never Cry Wolf" by Farley Mowat? He relates his territorial claim experiment and how many pots of tea it took. Great stuff.
Dude, You are sooooooo Canadian right now...

What reply were you expecting? "Oh, you mean FAR-ley Mowat. Shit yeah, everyone reads him!"

You get a free double-double the next time I see you for quoting him though. I spit my maple sugar candy on my desk when I read that
__________________
3.141592654
Hey, if you are impressed with my memorizing pi to 10 digits, you should see the size of my penis.
BigBen is offline  
Old 05-16-2005, 12:04 PM   #26 (permalink)
©
 
StanT's Avatar
 
Location: Colorado
The only thing "marked" around my house is me. My Newfoundland will come up and sniff me everytime I come home. If I've been "unfaithful" (played with another dog) she rubs against me, sniffs, and slobbers until I'm adequately marked as hers.

I swear it would easier to explain lipstick on my collar.
StanT is offline  
Old 05-16-2005, 02:17 PM   #27 (permalink)
loving the curves
 
kramus's Avatar
 
Location: my Lady's manor
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigBen931
Dude, You are sooooooo Canadian right now...

What reply were you expecting? "Oh, you mean FAR-ley Mowat. Shit yeah, everyone reads him!"

You get a free double-double the next time I see you for quoting him though. I spit my maple sugar candy on my desk when I read that
At least I didn't go off on some riff involving Margaret Atwood or Roberston Davies
__________________
And now to disengage the clutch of the forebrain ...
I'm going with this - if you like artwork visit http://markfineart.ca
kramus is offline  
Old 05-16-2005, 03:20 PM   #28 (permalink)
Getting it.
 
Charlatan's Avatar
 
Super Moderator
Location: Lion City
You could have quoted Margaret Lawrence... doesn't her aged protagonsist squat and take a pee in the woods in the Stone Angel...

I totally missed that Mowat reference the first time around... good one.
__________________
"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke
Charlatan is offline  
Old 05-16-2005, 06:54 PM   #29 (permalink)
Darth Papa
 
ratbastid's Avatar
 
Location: Yonder
Not to bring us back on topic or anything , but:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlatan
Ratbastid... you have girly dogs and should be ashamed to walk them.
Neither of them is my dog, they belong to friends. My dog actually IS a girl, and she pees the proper way for a girl.
ratbastid is offline  
Old 05-16-2005, 07:00 PM   #30 (permalink)
Born-Again New Guy
 
TexanAvenger's Avatar
 
Location: Unfound.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ratbastid
My dog actually IS a girl, and she pees the proper way for a girl.
Technicalities... still a girly dog.
TexanAvenger is offline  
Old 05-16-2005, 07:04 PM   #31 (permalink)
loving the curves
 
kramus's Avatar
 
Location: my Lady's manor
Quote:
Originally Posted by TexanAvenger
Technicalities... still a girly dog.
funny stuff
__________________
And now to disengage the clutch of the forebrain ...
I'm going with this - if you like artwork visit http://markfineart.ca
kramus is offline  
Old 05-16-2005, 07:08 PM   #32 (permalink)
loving the curves
 
kramus's Avatar
 
Location: my Lady's manor
Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlatan
You could have quoted Margaret Lawrence... doesn't her aged protagonsist squat and take a pee in the woods in the Stone Angel...

I totally missed that Mowat reference the first time around... good one.
I just remembered Donald Jack in his inimitable Bandy Papers tells of the time Bandy urinated on a neck wounded soldier while in the desert as part of the medical treatment he was providing. The soldier was not impressed - and eventually he died.
__________________
And now to disengage the clutch of the forebrain ...
I'm going with this - if you like artwork visit http://markfineart.ca
kramus is offline  
 

Tags
dogs, piss, trees


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



All times are GMT -8. The time now is 12:07 AM.

Tilted Forum Project

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2
© 2002-2012 Tilted Forum Project

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76