dog urinating greeting guests

Question
I have a two year old soft coat wheaton terrior.  She is great except ever since I have had her, when someone comes to the door and I let them in---she's excited and urinates.
She does not mess in the house-----just when someone comes over.  How can I stop this!!!  I'm at my wits end!

Answer
What you are describing is called submissive urination. It's normal greeting behavior from a lower ranking dog to a higher ranking dog, and a very, very common problem with puppies. Most outgrow it but a few need a little extra help. First thing is when it happens, don't make a big deal of it. That only makes her more anxious and makes the problem more likely to occur. Greetings should be unemotional. No high squeeky voices, no bending over the dog, heavy petting - nothing exciting. It's actually best if the new person can ignore the dog until she's had a chance to get over her excitement about them coming in. Another alternative, which doesn't really get her over the problem, but makes it less of an issue, is allowing her to first see new people on leash OUTSIDE where a little dribble is no big deal. Combine those two and you're on your way to eliminating it. Good training, clear rules and a clear routine also tend to make a dog less anxious and more confident. And asking her for behaviors she knows like sit, down, shake, when there's a new person present will change her focus as well. You can even make sitting and offering a trick be the greeting ritual instead of stuff which will wind her up. If that's not working, you might talk to your vet about whether an anti-anxiety medication might take the edge off. Sandy Case MEd CPDT www.positivelycanine.com