Some dogs have a problem wherein they urinate a bit when they’re very excited or feeling submissive. This can be very frustrating for pet owners who often feel that they can’t even say hello to their dog without having to clean up a mess, and to some it may even seem spitefully done, particularly for those dogs who do it when being disciplined.
In order to alleviate this problem, the first step is to understand two things: First, this is not a housebreaking issue, since the dog doesn’t even realize it’s coming out, and second, it is not done out of spite, as dogs don’t have the ability to rationalize and “plan” on “getting you back” for yelling at them.
Once you understand the above concepts, the next step is to move on to implementing specific strategies to solve the issue. If you work on ALL of the following exercises, you should be able to eliminate the problem within just a few weeks.
- Build your dog’s muscle control- Make sure your dog builds up the bladder muscles by having him “hold it in” for at least four hours per day (but not more than a maximum of seven). If you have a doggy door, leave your dog outside, or walk him every 30 minutes, he will not build up the muscles needed to avoid leakage.
- Build up your dog’s self-discipline- By working on some obedience and manners training. If he wasn’t soooo excited when people pay attention to him, he’d be much less likely to sprinkle. Work on basic commands such as “heel,” “sit,” “down,” and “stay,” and manners such as not jumping, and sitting when people come in the door.
- Control yourself- If your dog is submissively urinating, then yelling, hitting, and looming above your dog are all actions that will contribute to the problem, not solve it. If a dog is scared or feeling very submissive, he will instinctually urinate to show that he doesn’t wish to challenge you. Instead, use milder, more positive methods to teach your dog what he should or shouldn’t do. If you don’t know what to do, consider working with a knowledgeable trainer.
- Likewise, if your dog is tinkling out of excitement, don’t contribute to the situation by using a high pitched, happy voice and getting him all worked up. Instead, ignore the dog and avoid eye contact upon arrival, and save the happy voice for after he’s calmed down.
- Build your dog’s confidence- Through obedience training and games. Teaching your dog new things and then praising him when he gets them right are excellent confidence builders. Other confidence building exercises include teaching him some simple agility moves (like jumping onto and off of a bench or other home made object), and thorough socialization with people, other dogs, noises, etc.
By putting in a little effort and implementing all of the above strategies at the same time, you can help your dog to overcome this problem within just a few weeks.
Lori Verni-Fogarsi has been an author, speaker, small business consultant, and Certified Master Trainer for 18+ years. Her novel, “Momnesia,” (contemporary women’s fiction) has been designated a National Indie Excellence Book Awards Finalist, and her nonfiction book, “Everything You Need to Know About House Training Puppies and Adult Dogs,” has been widely acclaimed in its genre. To learn more, please visit www.LoriTheAuthor.com and join Lori on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LoriTheAuthor.
