CAPITAL HUMANE SOCIETY
2320
Submissive and Excitement Urination
Copyright Denver Dumb Friends League and
Humane Society of the
Submissive
Urination
Submissive
urination occurs when a dog feels threatened. It may occur when he’s being
punished or verbally scolded, or when he’s approached by someone he perceives
to be threatening to him. It’s important to remember that this response is
based on the dog’s perception of a threat, not the person’s actual intention. Submissive
urination may resolve as your dog gains confidence. You can help to build his
confidence by teaching him commands and rewarding him for obeying. You should
also gradually expose him to new people and new situations and try to make sure
all of his new experiences are positive and happy.
Your
Dog May Be Submissively Urinating If:
·
Urination occurs when he’s being
scolded. ! Urination
occurs when he’s being greeted.
·
Urination occurs when someone approaches
him. ! He is a
somewhat shy, anxious or timid dog.
·
He has a history of rough treatment or
punishment after the fact.
·
The urination is accompanied by
submissive postures, such as crouching or rolling over and exposing his belly.
What
To Do If Your Dog Has A Submissive Urination Problem:
·
Take your dog to the vet to rule out
medical reasons for the behavior.
·
Keep greetings low-key.
·
Encourage and reward confident postures
from him.
·
Give him an alternative to behaving
submissively. For example, if he knows a few commands, have him “sit” or “shake”
as you approach, and reward him for obeying.
·
Avoid approaching him with postures that
he reads as dominant, for example:
·
Avoid direct eye contact – look at his
back or tail instead.
·
Get down on his level by bending at the
knees rather than leaning over from the waist and ask others to approach him in
the same way.
·
Pet him under the chin rather than on
top of the head.
·
Approach him from the side, rather than
from the front, and/or present the side of your body to him, rather than your
full front.
·
Don’t punish or scold him - this will
only make the problem worse.
Excitement
Urination
Excitement
urination occurs most often during greetings and playtime and is not
accompanied by submissive posturing. Excitement urination usually resolves on
its own as a dog matures, if it’s not made worse by punishment or inadvertent
reinforcement.
Your
Dog May Have An Excitement Urination Problem If:
·
Urination occurs when your dog is
excited, for example during greetings or during playtime.
·
Urination occurs when your dog is less
than one year old.
What
To Do If Your Dog Has An Excitement Urination Problem:
·
Keep greetings low-key. ! Don’t punish or scold him.
·
To avoid accidents, play outdoors until
the problem is resolved.
·
Take your dog to the veterinarian to
rule out medical reasons for the behavior.
·
Ignore him until he’s calm.