Susan C. Daffron

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January 24, 2006 By Susan Daffron

Submissive Urination

Many dogs that urinate "inappropriately" don’t have a housebreaking problem. Submissive or excitement urination are a common problem in dogs and are diagnosed based on the times it tends to happen. Submissive urination occurs when the dog feels threatened in some way. For example, if the dog urinates when you lean over her (a dominant posture) or when she’s being scolded, it’s likely she’s letting you know she knows you’re the boss. Dogs often lower their heads or roll over to indicate her submission. If you scold the dog, you only make the problem worse, since the dog is already "submitting" to your authority. The problem most often occurs in shy or sensitive dogs that are under a year old.

Excitement urination is similar, but occurs at different times. This problem occurs during greetings or other times when the dog gets overly excited, such as during rough play. The difference is that the dog will not duck her head or roll to indicate submission. Frequently, the dog will look sort of surprised to find he’s urinating.

In either case, take the dog to the veterinarian to make sure that there is no medical reason for the urination. "Inappropriate elimination" is a sign of medical conditions such as diabetes, thyroid problems, hormone imbalances, urinary tract infections and many others. If the dog is healthy, you need to work on the behavior. First, never scold the dog for the mistake; it will only make the problem worse! When you come home, keep greetings low-key. Ignore the dog until he settles down. Don’t approach the dog in a dominant way. Avoid direct eye contact and crouch down to the dog’s level rather than leaning over him. Also pet the dog under the chin rather than on top of the head. Try approaching the dog from the side instead of from the front. Teach the dog to sit and make her do so when you approach, so the dog has something to do other than roll and pee on the floor.

Remember that submissive and excitement urination is not a housetraining problem. Many times dogs "grow out" of submissive urination and with patience, you can change this behavior.

Filed Under: Dogs, Pet Tails Tagged With: excitement, pee, submissive, urinate

About Susan Daffron

Susan Daffron is the author of the Alpine Grove Romantic Comedies, the Jennings & O'Shea mysteries, and multiple award-winning nonfiction books, including several about pets and animal rescue. Check out all her books on her Amazon Author page.

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