I Wonder....

[luckyducky]

why do animals "mark their territory?"

[andy hughes]

It's a remainder from earlier times when dogs and cats in the wild were pack animals. Each pack member would mark the borders of the pack territory, to advise other packs that the area was already 'owned'. This prevented another pack from encroaching on the pack's food source, as well as ensuring that any animals not leaving a recognised scent could be chased away. these days, domestic dogs and cats still makr their own area, but are unlikely to fight to protect it. Mostly it's a case of 'over-writing' the scent of another dog or cat that has marked the area out since the 'owner' last visited.

[New Forester]

Good answer Andy. Of course, "animals" includes more than cats and dogs... Some animals are very territorial, defending a boundary line from others. Some only defend a core area of a territory. Others still just have a home range where they live, but do not try to keep other out. Others just wander. Animals may do different things at different times of year. Territories are usually only defended against the same species, but sometimes also against other competitor species (bears and wolves, for example). Territories generally give the animal (or group) exclusive use of some limited resource, usually food or mates.

[sarahmallera]

I think also when dogs mark an area i don't think that they are always marking there teritory,i think they maybe leaving their scent for another dog and then when a dog meets up with another dog when it's being waliked they might recognise each others scents and put a face to the smell and see what dog it is and figure out what pooch's roam the area aswell. maybe also they leave their scent to say 'im still here!' i would think that the dogs teritory is its home as we are part of its pack, i don't think that they do go around marking things as theirs but more of their silent language to let others know