When you take your dog for a walk around the neighborhood, he will sniff at certain points to check the amount of traffic in his territory. Dogs mark their territory with urine and leave behind information about their identity and rank. It is their way of saying "I was here." A dominant or higher-ranking dog will always urinate over a lower-ranking dog's mark. Females mark using urine to inform other dogs when they are about to come into season. Scent marking with urine, and sometimes feces, is mainly undertaken by males, but many females also mark this way. Many male dogs and some dominant female dogs will urinate in multiple places to establish their scent on their territory.

A male dog lifts his leg so he can urinate on vertical surfaces. Some researchers believe scenting on a vertical surface will generally last longer than on a horizontal surface. The scent is also more at a dog's nose level, so the next dog that comes along will be less likely to miss it. Male dogs do this in response to earlier marks left by unfamiliar males, rather than females or themselves.

This is a very simple trick. Start with your dog standing in front of you and facing you. Hold out a doggie treat and show it to the dog. Stand still and say "Spin!" Lead the dog's nose around with the treat so he walks in a circle. When he comes back to where he is facing you, say "Good Spin!" and give him the treat.

After a couple of training sessions, try it without the treat by just having the dog follow your finger. With a little practice, this can evolve into a simple finger spin hand signal and the word "Spin!" Before you know it, your dog will soon be able to spin around in a circle at your command. Make sure to keep it to one or two rotations to keep your dog from getting dizzy.

Advanced trick--If your dog spins in one direction every time, repeat the steps above to train him to spin in the opposite direction. You can even teach him to spin right or spin left.

Did you know….

Most dogs like to sleep against an object that protects their backs. Dominant dogs, however, avoid contact when sleeping and prefer to lie alone. Only dogs that feel totally secure will sleep on their backs with their bellies unprotected.