It has been a common conversation for years as we wonder why dogs urinate in fire hydrants. Is the fire hydrant a shape you recognize? Is there something about fire hydrants that magnetically attracts dogs to them? Does it have something to do with the fact that the fire hydrants spray water and that makes the dog have to urinate?

While it is true that dogs do urinate in fire hydrants, the reason has nothing to do with the fire hydrant itself. It all has to do with marking your territory. Dogs (mostly male dogs) will urinate on fire hydrants, telephone poles, or just about anything so other dogs will know where they have been. In the wild, dogs will urinate on rocks, trees, or any vertical surface to claim their territory. They lift their legs to show dominance by marking a higher spot.

Because it is in their nature to mark their territory with urine, when dogs are wandering around town along a sidewalk, fire hydrants are the only vertical element available for them to urinate. The hydrant is not special; it is simply more available to dogs. And you know how it is, once a dog has urinated on something, all other dogs have to urinate there too. It’s not that dogs look for a fire hydrant to urinate, like humans look for “toilet” signals when we have to go.

That said, fire hydrants have become iconic symbols due to their popularity as dog urinals. You can hardly search a pet store without coming across some kind of pet item in the symbol or reflecting a fire hydrant.

For example, many stores offer a plastic fire hydrant that is used outdoors as a storage container with a lid for storing Fido’s dog food or toys. Then there’s a gang of plush toy fire hydrants, some that even laugh when your dog plays with them. There are fire hydrant pillows for your pampered pet, dog collars with a fire hydrant design, and a fire hydrant shaped dispenser for dog cleaning bags that attach to your dog’s leash to easily collect feces. while walking it.

So therein lies the solution to the mystery of the attraction of dogs to red fire hydrants.