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Marking Your Territory
written by: Hart Dowd
Marking Your Territory
Matthew 5:13, 14, & 16: “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men....Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid....Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
The following is about dogs marking their territory; however, we can liken it to ourselves, as Christians. We also mark our territory announcing that we are Christians.
When you walk your dog, be sure to allow him time to walk while not in the heel position. Every dog needs to mark territory in order to communicate normally with other dogs in the neighborhood. Dogs leave messages for other dogs and ‘read’ the messages left by other dogs. To prevent this is, at best, unkind to your dog and will make him anxious and unhappy.
When your dog has sniffed around a tree during his walk, he will usually lift his leg (males) or crouch down (females) and urinate. Your dog is leaving a marker for other dogs who will pass by. He is claiming this territory as his, or leaving a message for a particular dog. If you have a male and a female, the female will usually mark first, and the male will mark over or near where she marked. This says to other dogs, “Paws off my lady friend, she’s with me.”
Many dogs — nearly all males, neutered or not, and even some females — will scratch the dirt with their hind legs after they urinate. Some will even use their front legs at the same time, backing up in order to leave a longer track. This curious behavior makes perfect sense from a dog’s point of view. The dog’s pads sweat, leaving a strong scent for the next dog who comes along to take note of it. By scraping the earth, a dog says, to whomever comes by next: “I am a big tough dog, someone to be noticed and reckoned with. Here is my scent (urine) and here, next to that, is my footprints.” By making vigorous scratches in the earth, the dog shows his vitality, and, presumably, his size.
However, dogs are not above contriving to fool other dogs. Even a tiny dog can scratch the ground, moving backwards, for a long distance. You see a pug or Pekinese leave a track six feet long.
Let your dog leave his mark; knowing that he will be taken note of, is reassuring to a dog.
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We are the only gospel that the world reads. People watch us to see how we react to certain situations. We, like dogs, mark our territory. We are showing to the world who we are, declar
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