# Why do dogs pee on tires? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** tires\ **Created:** [March 9, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-dogs-pee-on-tires/62428 "2011-03-09T17:46:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![tomhhh](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tomhhh/32/1667_2.png) [@tomhhh](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tomhhh)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-dogs-pee-on-tires/62428/21 "2011-03-10T19:53:07Z")
Very true. This is why I was hoping for a suggestion that does NOT involve the pellet gun. A little tire pee is an annoyance, not a tragedy. I was just wondering why they seem to target the tires and not the rest of the car. Maybe it is the “Made in Japan” printing. This calls for more research. ---
**Author:** ![DfromSD](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dfromsd/32/1669_2.png) [@DfromSD](https://community.cartalk.com/u/DfromSD)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-dogs-pee-on-tires/62428/22 "2011-03-10T21:02:17Z")
You could buy a set of wheel maskers (body shops use them to keep paint off tires) to cover them while parked at home. Don’t do much for looks but they would be effective. ---
**Author:** ![DrKieran](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/drkieran/32/2200_2.png) [@DrKieran](https://community.cartalk.com/u/DrKieran)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-dogs-pee-on-tires/62428/23 "2011-03-10T21:04:39Z")
You can find some additional information on this very topic by going to the Wildlife and Your Car section of the Car Talk website: [http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/wildlife/index.html](http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/wildlife/index.html) Dr. Kieran, Car Talk Animal-Vehicle Biologist and Wildlife Guru ---
**Author:** ![meaneyedcatz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meaneyedcatz/32/692_2.png) [@meaneyedcatz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meaneyedcatz)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 6:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-dogs-pee-on-tires/62428/24 "2011-03-12T06:02:10Z")
Everytime my dog tries to plant land mines I pull open a man hole cover just before he lands it and dangle him by the leash so I don’t have to carry hand fulls of steamers around with me. If the dog slips throught the leash then I get a new dog. I’ve gone through 7 dogs in 5 years. ( I have not owned a dog in 35 years). ---
**Author:** ![meaneyedcatz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meaneyedcatz/32/692_2.png) [@meaneyedcatz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meaneyedcatz)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 6:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-dogs-pee-on-tires/62428/25 "2011-03-12T06:18:10Z")
I was just wondering why they seem to target the tires and not the rest of the car… Because the dog is not accurate enough tipped up on 3 legs to hit the mirror. It is nothing more and nothing less than marking territory. Sniff, mark tire, sniff, hit sign post, sniff, water tree. Why not the rest of the car? Why would a dog mark territory that cannot be accessed by other dogs? If Spot pee’d a gallon on the roof what good would it do if other dogs could not sniff it. ---
**Author:** ![oblivion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3ab097/32.png) [@oblivion](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oblivion)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 6:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-dogs-pee-on-tires/62428/26 "2011-03-12T06:25:24Z")
Because they can. ---
**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 3:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-dogs-pee-on-tires/62428/27 "2011-03-12T15:02:41Z")
IMO, dogs will pee on any object that’s still. They have no innate natural selection process. That they pee on tires just seems to be the one that irritates you most. I don’t see anyone “standing up” for the trees and hydrants of this world. :=( ---
**Author:** ![bcudamatt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bcudamatt/32/1592_2.png) [@bcudamatt](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bcudamatt)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 3:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-dogs-pee-on-tires/62428/28 "2011-08-10T03:45:45Z")
Dogs peeing on tires is a learned trait that goes back millenia. Peeing on something is a signal to other animals that this is a dogs territory and further communicates this quite effectively to other animals thru urination exchanges. As far as tires go this is the equivalent of sending a postcard or email or text to another dog that says - Hey! I’m smelling you! Reply immediately upon receipt. I am certain that you could find historical references for dogs pissing on royal coaches wheels throughout known history. Growing up in a rural area I have observed this my entire life and to the extreme. As after one ‘trained’ dog will pee on your tires/rims all others will follow suit - inviting others to reciprocate in the communication and ‘training’ others to do so even if your tires are are not marked. Soon your tires and wheels will be marked with sticky pee and coated with dust. Even if you wash the pee off dogs can smell the residual and reciprocate. Therefore the only solution is a solution: Solution: If you Bleach your tires and rims frequently this will reduce the problem - However not entirely, ‘Trained’ dogs will pee as their nature instructs them and pee on tires instinctively thereby repeating the cycle. IF you recognize the repeet (sic-yik) offenders yell, scream, curse, spray them with a hose of water or your own urine (very very good repellent) until they quit. They Will learn to go elsewhere. I have spent Way too much time explaining this but I hope it helps multitudes. Later, Bcudamatt ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 3:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-dogs-pee-on-tires/62428/29 "2011-08-10T15:48:36Z")
Dr. Kieran, the link you gave us provides interesting and useful information, but nowhere does it tell WHY dogs pee on tires. Nor does it tell why they always pick a vertical surface. Do you know the answer? ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 5:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-dogs-pee-on-tires/62428/30 "2011-08-10T17:52:55Z")
My neighbors have a very expensive purebred dog of some exotic breed. This dog will sniff each tire he encounters. However, unless it is a Michelin tire, he won’t pee on it. I suppose he wants to communicate with only upper crust dogs. My own dog is a rescue mutt and to him a tire is a tire. He gets them all. ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 7:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-dogs-pee-on-tires/62428/31 "2011-08-10T19:39:03Z")
My dog says he does it to impress the ladies. It’s all about the bitches. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 10:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-dogs-pee-on-tires/62428/32 "2011-08-10T22:14:50Z")
Perhaps when we’re not looking they drink beer. ---
**Author:** ![bscar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bscar/32/34_2.png) [@bscar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bscar)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 11:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-dogs-pee-on-tires/62428/33 "2011-08-10T23:28:00Z")
because they never learned how to do it while doing a hand stand [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-dogs-pee-on-tires/62428.md?page=1)