Does your dog have an embarrassing and annoying problem
of unexplained frequent urination? Does it happen especially if they are scared
or excited? Your pet may be suffering
from submissive or excitement urination. This is not a training issue, but an
involuntary reflex that will need patience to fix.
Signs of Submissive Urination
- History or being shy, timid or anxious
- Urinates when someone (especially strangers) approaches him.
- Urinates when being scolded or fears being in trouble
- Urinates when crouching, rolling over (exposing their stomach) or has their tail between their legs, indicating a submissiveness.
What to Do:
- Take your dog to the veterinarian to rule out medical reasons for the behavior.
- Avoid direct eye contact.
- Get down on their level, not just bending over, but kneel down.
- Try approaching from the side vs. the front.
- Teach them commands that can be used to distract and encourage confident behaviors and then reward them for performing them. For example have them “sit” or “shake” when being greeted. This will help them feel in control of the situation and lessen the anxiety.
Excitement Urination, most often occurs, during playtime or when they are excited to see you. It is most common in puppies and luckily usually improves with maturity. However, it can persist if the behavior is
rewarded with positive reinforcement (even if inadvertently)
What to Do:
- Take your dog to the veterinarian to rule out medical reasons for the behavior.
- Precautions are key, to avoid mishaps, play outdoors or places with easy clean up
- Keep greetings low-key…do not greet your pet with excited tones or gestures.
- Ignore him when he is excited, wait until he calms down.
