Submissive Urination

Why he's peeing

Submissive and/or excited urination is an involuntary behavior. Fido isn't making a conscious decision to pee, he may not even know that he is peeing, which is why most owners' efforts to correct the problem fail. When he wets in response to interaction with a person, it's his way of showing submission and telling the person "I know you're the boss". Not exactly the way we'd like him to get his message across, but his instincts tell him that this submissive routine is very flattering to others, so he uses it during exciting or intimidating interactions.

Submissive and excited peeing is common in young puppies and in shy, sensitive, insecure dogs. Some breeds, including Cocker Spaniels, Golden Retrievers and Dachshunds are especially prone to this behavior, but it can occur with dogs of any breed. Many puppies grow out of submissive urination as they get older and develop better bladder control, but for some dogs, the problem continues into adulthood or even develops at a later age.

This behavior can be one of the more frustrating problems to fix, since corrections will intimidate Fido, making him feel even more submissive. Soothing Fido to make him feel better, generally doesn't help, either, because Fido will tend to interpret sweet talk and petting as praise. This only serves to reinforce his overly excited state of mind and makes greetings and other interactions even more emotionally overwhelming for him.

Check his health

If Fido seems to have a submissive urination problem you should have him examined by your vet to be sure that the problem is behavioral. Urinary tract infections and other medical problems can cause frequent little tinkles that can be mistaken for submissive urinating, so make sure to get a clean bill of health before making any efforts to fix the problem.

Turning off the faucet

Once Fido has a clean bill of health from the vet, you can start making some changes that will help to build Fido's confidence and make him less likely to sprinkle. The goal for this training is to eliminate all of the "triggers' that cause Fido to lose control. Submissive urination is a involuntary behavior, so all we can really do is control Fido's mood, his stimulation level and keep that bladder empty. If you can control Fido's environment for a period of months, you should see a dramatic decrease is the number of sprinkles. Once he is out of the habit, you may be able to gradually pay less attention to these triggers, or you may find that it is something you have to manage to some degree for the rest of his life. Either way, knowing how to prevent the problem makes life easier for everyone.

Keep a chart

The first thing you should do is make a chart of all the times Fido sprinkles and what was happening right as he did it. This should let you start to see his patterns. Once you know when to be careful, your training program will be much easier to plan and manage. Another great thing about a chart is that will be able to track Fido's progress. Submissive urination tends to respond slowly and steadily to training. Without seeing the number of sprinkles, it can be easy to miss Fido's progress and focus on the mishaps instead of the success. So, keep that chart updated and check each week against the previous week. You should be able to see the gradual reduction in episodes and the you can reward yourself, your family and friends, and, of course, your hard-working dog.

Watch your body language

Most submissive urinators are especially sensitive to people's body language and vocal tones. Loud, angry voices and happy, squeaky voices both act as triggers. Likewise, imposing body movements and exciting movements can create bladder control problems.

Try to move calmly and slowly around Fido, especially in situations where he is already excited. Absolutely avoid any grabbing movements or positions where you tower over Fido. Many people naturally pet a dog by bending over the top of them and reaching for the head or sides for a nice pat or scratch. But for sensitive dogs this position makes them look up at a person who is huge and towering, making them feel small and vulnerable. Imagine how you would feel shaking hands with a person who was three times your size- you might just pee on yourself a little bit too.

Instead of bending over, try crouching or sitting with your body slightly sideways to Fido. In this position, the greeting isn't so overwhelming and Fido gets to make the overture by coming closer to get attention. When you do stand up to walk around, try looking past Fido instead of directly at him and walk to his side instead of straight to his front. These subtle changes make an amazing difference for most dogs.

Now that you understand and see the difference, try to convince all family members and visitors to follow these same "rules of engagement". The calm greeting thing can be hardest for kids, who just can't seem to help themselves from squealing with glee when they get home after school and see Fido. Time for some kid training! Make it a game or contest with your kids to see who can go 3 minutes without looking at, talking to or touching Fido or give your kid a specific task that he has to complete before greeting Fido, like putting his backpack in his room or going to the kitchen for a snack.

Keep him on empty

The first lifestyle change is making sure to get Fido out for a potty trip before putting him into a situation that is known to bring on the sprinkles. If his bladder is full, he'll have a much harder time controlling himself, so the emptier, the better. This generally means a potty trip before company or family members come into the house, a potty trip before playtime and a potty trip before any other kinds of exciting events. Check your chart and plan your potty trips around it, revising as needed.

Minimize greetings

Greeting Fido calmly is the most important thing you can do to minimize his submissive urination. Of course it's tempting to fuss over him, but nothing turns on the waterworks more quickly than a big, dramatic greeting from a human. If you come home to a dog who is in a crate, leave him in the crate for a few minutes after you get home to give him some time to get over the initial excitement of your homecoming. Then take him out of the crate without any greeting (don't look at him or talk to him) and take him straight to his potty area. Eliminating the exciting greeting routine is an enormous help for most submissive urinators. Once he is empty, you may calmly say "hello", but only if it doesn't cause him to sprinkle. For some dogs, you may need to wait until you are home for 20-30 minutes so that Fido is totally calm and able to control himself.

If you come home to a dog who is loose in the house, walk right past him without saying hello. Wait until Fido isn't pestering you and then take him calmly to his potty area to empty out. If you need to put a leash on him, make sure you really watch your body language. This is a prime time for Fido to let loose if you intimidate him with your movements and postures. Make sure you do not reach over his head or grab his collar quickly. You could try sitting in a chair so that Fido comes to you to put his leash on, that way you are less likely to bend or reach over him. You could also concentrate on keeping your shoulders back while reaching under his chin for the collar. Once you get Fido out and he completes his potty, you may calmly say "hello", but only if it doesn't cause him to sprinkle.

How to Determine Whether You're Making Progress
(without getting pee on your shoes)

Doggie diapers or belly bands can be helpful when you're in the process of trying to resolve a submissive urination problem. We're not suggesting them as a permanent solution, but it can be helpful to use them if you're trying to avoid getting urine on your floors, since you can just check the diaper or wrap to see if Fido's improving. You should find that the diapers are wet less frequently as you go along, and you can eliminate them once you're finding that they're consistently dry. This is also a good solution for determining progress if you're trying to resolve your male dog's marking (leg-lifting in the house) issues.

Teach Fido some obedience exercises

One of the best things you can do for a dog that lacks confidence is to obedience train him on your own or with the help of a trainer. Teach Fido to do lots of commands and tricks so you have plenty of chances to congratulate him for being a smart fellow, which will help him to feel more sure of himself. You should work with Fido on obedience training regularly so he knows what's expected of him.

Be sure that your training method emphasizes rewards. Especially with sensitive dogs, obedience training should focus on the positive. Training with food rewards helps submissive dogs by keeping his focus off the person, so use plenty of treats in the early stages of your training.

Although you should not be harsh when training Fido, fair corrections actually tend to increase most submissive dogs' confidence, so don't be afraid to correct, just make sure you're doing it properly. Gentle leash corrections will tend to work the best; avoid corrections where you yell at Fido or move towards him quickly. If he's urinating in response to discipline, you're likely being too hard on him or correcting him in a way that is overwhelming for him. Consider consulting a trainer if you're not sure what's appropriate for Fido.

Once your obedience training is moving along, use his obedience commands to give him something specific to do when he's greeting people or in other situations known to be triggers. A really good exercise for submissive urinators is "place" or "go to your bed". The place command teaches Fido to go to his bed and stay there until you tell him he is done. It is perfect when people come through a door, because it moves Fido away from the people and gives everyone time to calm down before any greetings take place.

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