Why Do Dogs Pee On Trees

Dogs pee on trees to mark their territory, to let other dogs know they are trying to mate, or over mark another dog's or animal's urine so they know whose boss. 

Dogs pee on trees for three different reasons:

• Marking their territory
• Mating
• Over marking

Dogs pee on trees to mark their own scent. It's an evolutionary urge to mark their own territory so that other animals in the area know this is the dog's territory. They probably don't know they are peeing on your best front yard trees, but they know they are marking their turf.

Mating

It goes double for dogs that haven't been neutered or spayed. Male dogs urinate on trees to mark trees where there are female dogs in heat, even if they aren't nearby. 

Overmarking

Dogs pee on trees that have already been peed on by other dogs or animals to let them know that they are subordinates. Dogs do this to let other dogs know they are above them in the pack hierarchy. This is also why it seems like dogs pee on the same tree. 

The tree is really just a metaphor. We've all seen dogs pee on mailboxes, rocks, fire hydrants, walls - pretty much anywhere the dog is determined to pee, he will pee.

If a dog is peeing in your house, then you may want to doing some research to determine why. The focus of this website is trees. But think about it, if you couldn't tolerate dog urine, do you think a tree could?

Why Do Dogs Pee So High On Trees?

When a dog pees on a tree, the dog piss can soak through the bark of a tree and damage the innards of the tree. Dog piss can literally burn through the bark. Too much will kill trees.

Of course, it would take a lot of piss to do this, so you shouldn't worry too much. But that (among many other reasons) is why trees in cities often look like they are dying at the base of the trunk. There's a lot of dogs in cities, but not many trees.

Not only that, but excess dog piss can create a barrier of salt over the soil at the base of the tree. This barrier makes it difficult for water and nutrients to get to the tree's root system. It's hard to believe that just the salt of the dogs pee can have such a detrimental affect to tree roots. 

How Much Dog Urine Is Too Much

We all know dog pee can kill grass. And yet we are shocked to consider that maybe it can damage trees too.

Listen if you have a fancy, transplanted tree like a magnolia sitting in your front yard, then try to avoid letting Sparky piss on that tree. No reason to take a chance with a beautiful tree you paid to have put in.

As for other trees you might pass by, it probably isn't a big deal. We would also caution you to not let the dog pee on your neighbor's tree, as that could become an issue. Why take the risk?

City Trees and City Pees

If you live in the city, then you know that tree's are few and far between. Tree's in cityscapes really don't have the best living conditions either - lack of soil, fumes from commuters, dog piss, etc.



We aren't dog experts, we are tree people so use your best judgement. Dog walkers in cities probably aren't too concerned with where they let their dog pee, and the dying tree might be one of the safest options. 

You can protect trees from dog urine with dog repellent or a tree pee guard. 

Dog Repellent

You need to protect young trees from dog urine. Young trees definitely need to be protected from dog urine. Excess urine on the base of the tree can cause damage to adult trees, let alone young saplings.

If you are worried, then you can apply a dog repellent to the base of the tree. We have personally never applied dog repellent to a tree but some people have had success. Use something that is animal safe so you can protect both the tree and the neighbor's dog.

Dog Tree Pee Guard

A dog tree pee guard is a metal or plastic structure that wraps around the base of a tree like a cone. The base of the cone spreads out far enough to protect the dog from getting close enough to pee on it.

Take caution when using a tree guard, because if they are too tight to the base of the tree, they can damage the bark. In a lot of cases with dogs and trees, you have to outweigh the pros and cons. With our dogs, if we don't want them to pee on the tree, we simply don't let the dog get close to it. 

Sweet New Earth's Final Word

Dog owners are super protective of their beloved dogs, but are not so keen to protect trees. The trick, as always, is to find balance.



If a dog urinates once or twice on a random tree, it probably won't have a negative affect. But if multiple dogs are peeing on the same tree over and over, you might begin to notice some discoloration. 

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