Show Me Where You Pee, and I’ll Tell You How You Feel

Does the Way a Dog Marks Territory Reveal How They Feel?

For dogs, scent is the basic language of the world. Urine marking is not just “going to the toilet while out on a walk.” It is a social message: who I am, what state I am in, and how much I do — or do not — want to engage.

Recent research suggests that where a dog chooses to leave scent is closely tied to physiology and emotion. Researchers looked at how stress hormones and neurotransmitters shape marking strategies.

Marking Distance and Stress

The study examined male dogs’ responses to the scent of:

• a female in heat,

• and an unfamiliar aggressive male.

One finding stood out: dogs that urinated more than two meters away from the scent source — so-called remote markers — had higher levels of urinary cortisol.

In simple terms, more distance in marking was linked to more tension in the system.

What does that mean in practice?

If a dog investigates another dog’s scent and then chooses to urinate at a safer distance, that may not be random at all. It may reflect:

• elevated stress,

• avoidance of direct confrontation,

• or a need to preserve space.

Remote marking seems to function as a strategy: I am here, but I am not coming any closer.

Oxytocin Does Not Always Mean Relaxation

One especially interesting — and not very intuitive — finding involved oxytocin.

Higher oxytocin levels were found in dogs that marked from a distance and, when sniffing the scent of an aggressive male, showed signs of fear such as widened eyes and ears pulled back.

This suggests that in stressful situations, oxytocin may strengthen the memory of threat rather than simply calming the animal down. In other words: remember, this was dangerous, not relax.

That matters, because it corrects a very popular oversimplification. Oxytocin is not just a “love hormone.” In anxious dogs, it may also support survival strategies and threat learning. Their body is not overreacting. It is working hard.

Neurotransmitters and Intelligent Withdrawal

Dogs that marked from a distance also showed higher levels of norepinephrine and dopamine.

These neurotransmitters are linked to attention, evaluation of the situation, and cognitive flexibility. In other words, the dog is not reacting automatically. They are assessing what is going on and choosing the safer option.

Withdrawal does not always reflect insecurity. Quite often, it reflects social competence.

Testosterone and the Memory of Rivalry

The scent of a female in heat and the scent of another male produced very different hormonal responses. More than that, previous exposure to the scent of an aggressive dog affected testosterone levels in later situations.

The dog’s body remembers difficult encounters and becomes quicker to mobilize.

That is another good reason to give dogs time to recover after stressful interactions instead of immediately adding more stimulation.

Marking Is a Communication System

Territory marking is not some minor detail of a walk, and urination is not just about emptying the bladder. Scent marking is a complex communication system.

The distance at which a dog urinates, the facial expressions they show while sniffing, and their hormonal responses all tell one story — about stress, conflict avoidance, and intelligent coping strategies.

When a dog chooses distance, they may be saying something very clear:

I notice you. I smell you. But I would rather keep the peace.

And that is often a very sensible decision.

---

Quaranta, A., d'Ingeo, S., Minunno, M., Straziota, V., Nolè, M., Ventriglia, G., Ceci, E., & Siniscalchi, M. (2025). Decoding dog communication through the physiology and behavior of urine marking. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-31373-8