Submissive and Excitement UrinationSudden and unexpected urination is an unpleasant problem to have to deal with, whether you have brought a new puppy into the home, rescued an older animal, or noticed this behavior in a dog that has been with you for years. There are many reasons why this is happening suddenly and apparently for no reason and it is important to discover the cause. Remember that a puppy urinating because he has not yet been house-trained is different from the behavior that we are describing here. There are many different reasons why a dog might urinate and one of them is to show submission. In the wild, that would be to the leader of the pack, and in a human family, that would you as his owner. While it is important to have your dog recognize his low position and your comparatively higher one, it is important to teach him that there are appropriate and inappropriate ways to show this. When dogs are in a position where they are aware that someone has dominance over them, their instinct is to make sure that the other being recognizes this and does not perceive them as a threat.Dogs will also do this when they are overly excited. For instance, when you come home after what seems to you to be a short absence, you may find that your dog is greeting you enthusiastically while at the same time urinating. In this way, your dog is reaffirming your respective positions; it is reminding you that it is aware that you are in charge. If you are in the middle of scolding or punishing a dog, this stress might also cause it to urinate; once again, this is a sign of submission to your will and not a sign of defiant or malicious behavior. While this behavior is most common in puppies, are always at the bottom of any pecking order involving adults, this behavior can be found in all canines. It is more common in female dogs and in smaller breeds, but it is certainly not uncommon in larger adult males. If you have adopted an adult or an adolescent dog from a shelter, it can be seen as a sign of prior abuse. Because of the conditions that surround this problem, there are a few things to remember when you are trying to eradicate this behavior. For instance, scolding the dog further will only create a more stressful situation. As far as your dog is concerned, it has done nothing wrong. In fact, he might feel that you are unsatisfied with his response and seek to "improve" it, making your situation even worse. Similarly, techniques like rubbing the dog's nose in the mess or hitting him with a rolled up newspaper will only increase the stress reaction. For a dog whose urination is triggered by over-excitement, it will be confused with scolding. A dog that is happy to see you should certainly not be punished for this behavior. One of the most important things you can do is isolate the cause. When is your dog urinating? What do you think might have caused it? Dogs are surprisingly sensitive to their surroundings and some dogs will submissively urinate in response to things like two members of the family raising their voices to each other. Take a moment to take a look at you own behavior and see if you have been projecting stress or anger; remember that they aren't great for you either! Another thing you can do is modify the situation. One of the easiest cures due to over-excitement is a change in scenery. If your dog always gets overexcited when greeting people, the best way to handle this is to take the greetings outside. Similarly, when you are playing with your dog, head out of doors. Remember that if you noticing your dog randomly urinating, you will also want to take it to the vet to make sure that it is healthy; sudden urination for no cause can be a sign of serious kidney issues. When you are dealing with a behavior like submissive urination, remember that there is a solution. Be creative and above all, be attentive to your pet!
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