Submissive Peeing Dog? Scared Dog?
September 27, 2009 by admin
Filed under Care & Training Q&As
My one year old cockapoo is fully house trained but every now and then when someone bends over and touches him (including me) he pees. It is getting annoying since he does it at different times. For example he will jump in our bed on his own and if I touch him sometimes he pees on the covers. Of course I don’t want him in the bed now.
I spanked him one time with newspaper because he was tearing up the pillows on the couch, but it wasn’t hard or anything. it was just two simple taps. Now everytime I come home he runs in the cage and comes out when he wants and then comes to me and jumps on me and asks for kisses. Which I give him. I don’t know what to do, he doesn’t do that to my girlfriend when she comes home only me. He jumps up and gets excitied when he knows she is outside, but I don’t get the same in return. Help please?
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What it sounds like is a confidence problem in the dog. Dogs are genetically programmed with the “pack mentality”, and most of them will accept the human as the leader of the pack. However, some dogs have self-esteem or confidence issues, and they tend to be extremely submissive, and they urinate when excited or when a human leans down to pet them.
My suggestion would be to ignore the dog for at least five minutes when you first come in the door. No matter how much he wants to be petted and loved, don’t lean down at touch him. Give him a chance to settle down and get rid of that excitement before you even acknowledge his presence. Before you pet him, let him out to urinate, and praise him lavishly when he urinates outside. Pet him and love on him all you want at that point, but don’t do it in the house until you’ve taken him out to pee first. The praise for doing something right is what builds his confidence, and over time, it will help him overcome the super-submissive attitude.
If he jumps onto the bed, don’t pet him. Either nudge him back off the bed, or just ignore him until he settles down. The trick is to eliminate any excitement from the situation, since excitement is what tends to cause accidents.
Don’t lean down over him when you’re petting him. Squat down to his level, and rub him under his chin instead of on his back or head. This will curb the urge for him to “get low” and squat, which will lead to urination. Keep your voice quiet and calm, or don’t talk to him at all while you’re petting him. Keep the excitement to a minimum until his confidence gets built up some.
Don’t yell at him or spank him if he does have an accident, because that will only reinforce the super-submissive behavior in an already submissive dog, and it will usually make the problem worse.
First, make sure this dog is okay physically. He may have a problem. Make sure to let him out often. You may want to give him water only at certain times before he can be let out.
Second, are you going over his head? Try approaching from the side in a non confrontational way. Also, let him come to you. Do not let him decide when he gets attention. He must earn it.
Have him checked out by a vet just to be sure. I had a dog who would get nervous & pee a little and I thought it was just his disposition. Turned out he had stones & some other health issues in addition to anxiety Good luck!
Well I Don’t Know what to tell you maybe it thinks you abused it! (which of course you didn’t) Except That Once Hapenned To My Cat When I Was 17 I Waited A Week And It Stopped
dats wat my dog does and i cant figure it out! Sorry!
This is too complex for me … perhaps if you don’t get the answer you are looking for you will speak to the vet and/or an animal trainer about it. I’d start with the vet to make certain there is no health reason for the peeing. Your dog is still young and may by like my English Springer Spaniel had been … slow to develop strong bladder control under stress.
Since you are the masculine partner in the house, and have probably yelled at the dog (goes to reason if you had to take a swipe at him with rolled up newspapers that you would have yelled at him first), he may be intimidated by you … also love you alot as evidenced by him coming to you after you are home a bit, and settled down into a sitting position.
One thing I know, dogs never forget a fear they have once experienced. My own sweet was also driving me to distraction when he was a pup and wouldn’t obey when I called him …. and someone I trusted advised that once I caught him to give him a good shake or a spank … which I did … fool me.
From that moment on and even 15 years later my dog was always wary around me if I raised my voice or acted like I was going to be rough on him. Yet when I was quiet and calm in handling him he let obediently and willingling let me handle him in any way I needed to … as long as it was gentle and I spoke soothingly to him. It was all in my approach to the animal that the dog was reacting to.
Be gentle with the dog, You know, it’s fun to take dog training lessons together and is a good bonding tool.