Dog Pees When Excited: Quick Solutions to Change the Behavior
Oops, my dog just leaked urine on a guest’s shoes! Don’t worry, it happens and can certainly be prevented next time. This is a common dog behavior that happens when a dog gets overly excited.
Some experts call this behavior submissive urination, but I disagree. Don’t let the word “submissive” fool you. Dogs don’t voluntarily or involuntarily urinate to show respect or dominance to humans. As we know, the dominance myth between humans and dogs was dispelled years ago.
When healthy potty trained puppies or dogs involuntarily urinate, there’s a reason. Excitement and fear are usually the causes of dog peeing. Identifying the exact trigger is the first step in changing your dog’s behavior. If you suspect fear causes your dog to urinate, check out this article for details.
Quick Solutions
A full bladder and excitable greetings just don’t mix. As a dog matures, her muscles learn to hold urine within her bladder. If something happens to disrupt this process, urine can leak out. Check out these quick solutions.
If you have a puppy
Younger puppies and dogs pee when excited until they learn bladder control. By six to eight months of age, a younger dog should be able to hold her pee when excited. Until then, take your puppy out to potty right before guests arrive and provide potty breaks every 20 minutes or so.
If your dog pees during greetings
If your dog leaks urine during greetings, it’s best to take her potty before guests arrive. Keep greetings fun, but controlled. Ask friends to reward your dog for “sitting” or “touching” on cue. Not only will this eliminate your dog from piddling on your guest’s shoes, but it also provides positive socialization opportunities and teaches good manners around guests.
If you’re at the vet’s office
Sometimes, dogs get so excited at the vet’s office, they pee. As best practice, arrive 10-15 minutes before your dog’s vet exam. Walk her around the area, so she can completely empty her bladder before meeting new and exciting people. Male dogs take a bit longer to completely empty their bladders, so walk them near plenty of trees and bushes for lots of pottying opportunities.
Bring plenty of treats, and reward your dog for “sitting” as veterinary staff members approach your dog. This will redirect your dog’s attention, and prevent your dog from jumping up or peeing when excited. Additionally, this teaches your dog that vet visits are super fun and rewarding.
What Doesn’t Work
Punishment doesn’t work, and will make the dog behavior much worse. Remember, your dog is involuntarily urinating, which means she’s unable to control this behavior. Never scold or physically correct your dog for this behavior. Just grab paper towels and clean up the mess. Next time, remember to provide plenty of opportunities for your dog to empty her bladder.
Remember….
Dogs peeing when excited is temporary, and will improve by following a few best practices. When in doubt, make sure your dog’s bladder is empty before meeting new people. Don’t forget to reward good behaviors, such as “sit” and “stay.” Punishment never works. 🙂
