submissive urination

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moncline
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2012 10:33 pm

submissive urination

Post by moncline »

Hi there,

Our Standard Poodle, Coco, will be 2 years old this month. She still does submissive urination and it has increased in the last month. I'm not sure what has caused the increase in submissive urination. She usually does it when my husband greets her. He greets her by looking at her and patting her head or back in a gentle way, but then she squats and urinates. She also does it when new people greet her in an excited way. I've told our guests to ignore her until she has calmed down, but when they start to pet her (after she has calmed down) she squats and urinates. Now she is doing it when I catch her with something she should not have, like a piece of paper or anything that is not a toy. She brings is to me and urinates on the way. I'm now sure how to handle this in a positive manner. I've just tried saying "uh-uh," which she knows means "no" and she tries to stop. What can you suggest I do?

Monica
Sarah83
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Re: submissive urination

Post by Sarah83 »

The worst thing you can do is draw attention to it. They honestly can't help doing it, it's an involuntary response. Your husband is greeting her in a very threatening way though. Has he tried not looking at her and stroking under her chin rather than on top of her head or over her back? If possible do all greetings outside so that it doesn't matter if she pees, if it's frustrating you then she will be picking up on that no matter how hard you try to hide it and the worry will contribute to the problem. What exactly do you do when she has something she shouldn't have?

Oh, has she been checked by a vet to make sure there isn't a medical reasons such as a UTI lurking behind the problem?
moncline
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Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2012 10:33 pm

Re: submissive urination

Post by moncline »

I have had the vet check her and she is fine. She believes that Coco will grow out of it, but it seems to be happening more often.

She used to just pee for my husband. All he had to do was approach her with his hand out-stretched and she would squat and pee. Now we just try to ignore her when we come home until she relaxes. We don't crate her since she behaves pretty well and we like her to have the freedom to go outside through the doggy door. She is crate trained though.

Lately she has been getting into some things at home while we are gone and she brings it to us when we arrive. She knows she shouldn't have it so when I say "Coco" in a disappointed tone she starts to squat and pee. Sometimes I don't even mind that she has a piece of scrap paper, but since she knows she shouldn't have it she brings it to me and pees.

My first thought is that perhaps I need to exercise her more. We don't walk her daily, although she spends a lot of time in our back and side yard. I know she needs more exercise on a daily basis and plan to do that for her starting this week.

How should I handle her having things she should not have? Currently I say "Coco, no. Bring it." After she gives it to me I show it to her and say "leave it."
When I greet her I tell her to sit and then I pet her, but she still pees.

Monica
wvvdiup1
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Re: submissive urination

Post by wvvdiup1 »

You're doing good in not approaching her in a direct way, however, when it comes to saying something like "Coco, no. Bring it. Leave it.", you must keep your voices low and/or keep the tone of your voice soft and sweet. :wink:

It will take a little time before she quits submissive urination, but right now, she has to trust you first so that her fears will dissipate, or go away. :wink:
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Sarah83
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Re: submissive urination

Post by Sarah83 »

If it's something safe then quite honestly I'd ignore the fact she has it. If you absolutely have to get it off her then I'd offer her a treat or toy rather than asking her for it as that seems to be causing her some anxiety. I also wouldn't say anything if you come home and she's gotten into something. I've just taken on a new dog and he seems to have to have something in his mouth to greet us. The first time I met him he brought me a glove. Does she have toys lying around when you leave? I'm wondering whether she's feeling the need to offer you something when you come home, apparently it's quite common with retrievers and if I'm not mistaken Poodles were originally used for that purpose. Spencer also pees when we come home but he's only 9 months old and has only been with us since Thursday night so I'm not worrying about it yet.

And yes, I would say more exercise is needed for Coco :) A daily walk at the very least to get her out and about and give her new things to see and smell. There's also a thread on mind games somewhere, things you can do to give a dog mental stimulation.
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Nettle
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Re: submissive urination

Post by Nettle »

moncline wrote:since she knows she shouldn't have it .

Just a little change of mindset here - she doesn't know she shouldn't have it because she is a dog and dogs have no concept of our take on possessions. To a dog, what is in its mouth belongs to it, and she sees your body-language as confrontational, no matter how careful you are with your voice. Therefore she pees as a supplicatory and slightly fearful gesture.

SO - from now on when she brings you something say in a sweet happy voice Thank You Coco, and give her a tiny titbit while you take the item. This should be your reaction whether it is a useless piece of paper or one of your Jimmy Choos.

And if your husband changes his greeting to - calling Coco quietly outside before he comes in, crouching down with his head turned away and no steady eye contact, and when she runs to him, scratching her chest gently with an underarm movement rather than tapping her head with an overarm movement (both head-patting and overhead looming are very scary to dogs) she will be less fearful of him too.

That and proper walks will show you a different dog :) stay with us and we'll help you all the way through. You clearly have a sensitive dog who is desperate to please, so all you need to do is help her to know what you want her to do.
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moncline
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Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2012 10:33 pm

Re: submissive urination

Post by moncline »

Your posts are very helpful and positive. I never stopped to think that she is bringing us something when we get home, but that makes sense. She usually brings us a stick, bone, or other toy. Perhaps she couldn't find her toys and just brought us whatever was handy. I'll let you know how it goes.

Monica
wvvdiup1
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Re: submissive urination

Post by wvvdiup1 »

Moncline, here's an article for you to read about submissive urination and I will be posting it under the "Dog Training Articles" thread in this forum.
Fixing Submissive/Excitement Urination in Dogs
From PetMD.com, Jenna Stregowski, RVT

While dog might be man’s best friend, that puddle on the floor sure isn’t. If your new housebroken puppy or rescued dog occasionally pees on the floor for no fathomable reason, then you might have a dog with submissive/excitement urination issues.
So what should you do if you think you have a dog with an excitement or submissive peeing problem? First off, take your dog to the vet to rule out other reasons for the inappropriate peeing. If you receive the all clear from your vet, how do you know which problem your dog has?

If your pooch doesn’t pee when you’re in a dominant position (i.e., looking your dog directly in the eye, bending from the waist, greeting your dog face on), then chances are your dog is suffering from an excitement issue. If the dog does pee when you arrive home, when you’re in a dominant position, or when it is in trouble, then it’s probably a submissive issue. Either way, the situation can be remedied.

Submissive Peeing

Submissive dogs pee when they are greeted, when someone approaches, when they are punished, and when there is a history of rough treatment or punishment after peeing; this is common in rescued dogs. This is also a common reaction with shy, anxious, and timid dogs. To fix this problem, avoid scolding or yelling at your dog after it has peed. Instead, try building its confidence by teaching it simple commands (sit, stay, come), and reward your dog after each success. The same applies with teaching simple tricks (roll over, fetch); go with the reward and praise route.

You will also want to approach your dog in non-dominant postures. Avoid direct eye contact, approach from the side, and crouch down to your dog's level. When patting your pooch, go for under the chin rather than the top of the head. Keep all greetings low key, and when the dog does pee, simply clean it up without fuss and go away. Do not forget to reward and praise your pup when it pees in the appropriate place.

Excitement Peeing

The good news for you is this usually happens to puppies under one year of age, and they will usually grow out of it. The bad news is it’s not going to happen overnight. These are the dogs that pee while playing, when you come home, or when people visit.
To help your puppy with this issue (and save that very expensive rug you just bought), try keeping all playtime outside, or on a specially prepared area of newspaper and puppy pads. This way, if there is a little accident due to over-excitement, it doesn't have to be a big deal.

When there is an accident, just as with submissive peeing, do not reprimand or punish your pup. Simply clean it up quietly and leave the puppy (or dog, if this is happening with an older dog) alone. Give your puppy treats when it pees in the correct place, and keep all greetings to a minimum. You may even want to ignore the dog when you arrive home. Does this seem cruel? It's not really, as it gives your pooch a chance to calm down on its own. Ask guests to do the same.

When the dog pees while out on walks, give it praise and treats. The same goes for when the dog pees in designated areas (which is not the rug or the designer bedspread). All these things should not only help your pooch break its habit of peeing when excited, but will also help you to cultivate a calmer, more confident dog.

So good luck with your dog. And remember, patience and perseverance will always pay off.
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http://dogs.about.com/od/dogtraining/qt ... _petmd.htm
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"Common sense is instinct. Enough of it is genius." -author unknown
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