Submissive Urination?

**Kfamr** · 02-12-2008, 08:25 AM

Does anyone know how to deal with this? I've never dealt with such a submissive puppy before.

(and it doesn't matter how often she goes outside to potty - she still submissive urinates.)

**emc** · 02-12-2008, 11:14 AM

The best way to deal with it is to ignore it. If you try correcting the puppy it will make it worse. Most puppies will eventually outgrow it. If this is happening when the puppy gets excited, such as when someone comes home, ignore the puppy for the first 10 or 15 minutes until the excitement of you getting home wears off.

Paws In Art

**erinzillaud** · 02-12-2008, 11:37 AM

good advice!

I hear when acclimating a new dog, you are not supposed to scold the first few days if they urinate inside. Thoughts on this? What if the breed is notoriously hard to potty train, like a Papillon? Should you get them into the habit right away? Or still give them time?

**wolf_Q** · 02-12-2008, 06:11 PM

When Michele adopted Cisco he would submissively urinate all the time. You could hardly pet him without him peeing. It just took some time for him to gain confidence/grow up and he stopped. He will still do it on rare occassions if he's really scared, but nothing like before. I think it will just take time for her to get acclimated to a new environment/gain some confidence, though she may not grow out of it entirely.

**critter crazy** · 02-12-2008, 06:35 PM

Originally Posted by wolf_Q

When Michele adopted Cisco he would submissively urinate all the time. You could hardly pet him without him peeing. It just took some time for him to gain confidence/grow up and he stopped. He will still do it on rare occassions if he's really scared, but nothing like before. I think it will just take time for her to get acclimated to a new environment/gain some confidence, though she may not grow out of it entirely.

Brutus is the same way. He has been with us for 4 months now, and is slowly getting out of the habit, as it happens less frequently, but it still happens. I dont scold him, I just ignore it. Sure it is frustrating, but there realy isnt much you can do.

**Cinder & Smoke** · 02-12-2008, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by emc

The best way to deal with it is to ignore it.
If you try correcting the puppy it will make it worse.
Most puppies will eventually outgrow it.

If this is happening when the puppy gets excited, such as when someone comes home,
ignore the puppy for the first 10 or 15 minutes until the excitement
of you getting home wears off.

EXCELLENT ADVICE!!!

Cinder started to submissivly urinate *every time* I left her alone for any length of time when
she was first adopted at age 6 months. PRE-Pet Talk, I screamed, I hollered,
I put her in the basement, I fussed, I fumed ... and she *pee'd*!

Pet Talkers told me the *IGNORE HER* when you come home trick ...
within a week she'd learned to *wait* for me to walk right past her without
so much as a glance in her direction as I went upstairs into the house.
If she remained quiet for 5 minutes, I'd come down and speak very softly to her ...
if NO pee and she stayed calm, she got turned loose from her in-the-corner tether.
Life returned to a NO *pee* state within a month.

THANKS AGAIN, Pet Talkers!!

TRY IT, Kay - the *IGNORE HER* trick WILL Work!!

/s/ Phred - with a *nod* from Cinder

**emc** · 02-12-2008, 08:54 PM

Originally Posted by erinzillaud

I hear when acclimating a new dog, you are not supposed to scold the first few days if they urinate inside. Thoughts on this? What if the breed is notoriously hard to potty train, like a Papillon? Should you get them into the habit right away? Or still give them time?

Submissive urination isn't the same as a puppy not knowing where its not suppose to do its business. Potty training should start the same day you bring your puppy home. If you catch your puppy doing it where its not suppose to, scoop him up quickly and take him to the potty area to finish, while he's in the potty spot give him a lot of praise and show him how please you are with him.

Paws In Art

**binka_nugget** · 02-12-2008, 10:31 PM

In addition to the excellent advice already given, I thought I'd throw in another suggestion. When you do give her attention, try sitting down and getting closer to her level (although I guess that's sorta hard since she's a young pup!) and petting her from her chin and chest and not from above her head. You know how dominant dogs try to make themself bigger than the other dog? It's the opposite.