By Karin Bull, President, BioPaw

Does your puppy urinate when you come home? 

There are times when a puppy may urinate in excitement or fear.  It usually will have nothing to do with forgetting all the house training rules that you have taught. This urination is ‘dog language’ for both submission and excitement. This is generally a phase that most grow out of and it may pass on its’ own. For some it may carry on a lot longer. Correction of this problem involves controlling both excitement and submission.

Dogs normally express their submissiveness through certain behaviour. This can include rolling over, exposing the tummy, and submissive urination. Many dogs that urinate submissively usually do so when they meet someone new or when the owner arrives home. The urination is a message; a way of telling you that he/she acknowledges you as dominant. Submissive urination is very much a normal part of a dog's behaviour, especially when encountering a dominant animal (or you, as owners, which he/she views in the same manner). It is a submissive gesture. It is not an error in housebreaking. To scold when this happens will only make the situation worse. If you become angry and scold, it just confirms in their mind that this is a precarious situation.

When you examine the situation closely, you will notice that this submissive urination will happen when your puppy is being greeted or being scolded (or feels threatened, in some manner). It is important that your dog approach you and any visitors that come to the house (be sure to let them know about this before they arrive). This gives control of the situation to your dog. Your dog may be lacking in some self confidence and is telling you, by the urination, that you are the dominant one. Often, the urination is accompanied by submissive posturing - look for a tucked tail or rolling over and exposing their belly. When your dog approaches, crouch down to meet him/her, extend your hand slowly but do not make eye contact (staring is a form of threat). If your dog appears to start crouching, rolling over, or starts to urinate, immediately back off. Above all, be patient and persistent.

Excitement:

A dog that urinates when excited can be controlled by your own actions in the situation. Usually they are fussed over excessively and owners and family members get excited themselves. To control the excitement factor, owners and visitors should make their arrivals less of an "event". Most importantly, have your pet come to you rather than the other way around. If they come to you already, keep your greetings subdued and with a minimum of excitement. You may even have to go as far as to ignore the dog upon arrival. Go about your business, put your coat away, greet other family members, etc. Once you notice him/her calm down, then give a small gesture of reassurance and acknowledgement. Have visitors do the same.

If there is jumping or barking involved in your dog’s expression of excitement, do not scold. Ignore it and let your body language speak to them that this is not accepted. Develop a new hand gesture that will not be associated with scolding. Use it while ignoring and carrying on with your business and without eye contact. If you stop what you are doing, you will be giving your dog what it is asking for; attention.

Here are some additional points to keep in mind in addressing this problem:

• Just ignore the urination for now. It’s a hurdle you will get over.
• Concentrate on identifying and controlling the submissiveness or excitement.
• Avoid direct, prolonged eye contact. This is interpreted as a threatening/dominating gesture.
• Greet in a calm fashion. Try to avoid being boisterous and excited. This may be either frightening or fuelling the excitement.
• If you sense fear, remember from pup position, around your ankles, you are an imposing figure, no matter what your height. Go down to pup’s level. This may mean that you have to be on your elbows and knees. You want to be perceived as less threatening.
• Approach from the side, rather than directly. If your puppy is coming to you, turn slightly to the side and present a side profile instead. This is less imposing.
• When you pet, do so under the chin. Try to avoid patting from above, such as patting on top of the head. Patting from above is interpreted as a dominant gesture. Establishing dominance is not an issue, that has already been acknowledged with the urination.
• Look for opportunities to tell your dog how good / smart / wonderful he/she is. Praising will raise their level of confidence and it is a good practice for you to be positive.
• Teach your puppy more basic commands. As they know more, it will provide you with more opportunities to praise. It also provides more opportunities for him/her to please you and to elicit positive responses from you. Beyond basic commands, your dog will thrive from constantly learning for many years.
• Expose your dog to more people and situations. Do not let this behaviour prevent you from taking them into social situations. These positive experiences will increase their confidence. As they become more familiar, that equals less excitement or fear which leads to less urination!!
• It is also important to differentiate submissive urination from medical problems that manifest themselves with similar clinical signs. Your veterinarian can determine whether there is a medical basis for the urination, as well as suggest training tips should the problem be behaviour-related.