Pup pees itself

Question
I am sitting for a Bull Terrior. She is 7 months old. When she gets scared, startled, or really exited she will pee. I watched her play with my dog, she seemed to be having fun, but I saw her pee on herself. Do you think this is a bladder issue or do you think it is an abuse problem ?  I would appreciate anything.  I would really like to help this dog she is precious.  Thank you, Pat

Answer
Pat -

I do not think you should worry too much, though it is possible that it's a medical problem - and it could be abuse related if someone is being too harsh with her (see what I talk about next)

By far the most likely explanation is that she is submissive peeing.  By peeing she is showing the other dog or the person that she is taking the lower status and they don't need to be any more assertive with her.

Building her confidence through obedience or other training is the best option for resolving this problem. It is also likely to subside with time since she's just a baby. Once she's older, she won't need to be the lowest dog on the totem pole.

Unfortunately, if someone is being too harsh on her, she is likely to keep doing it in an attempt to appease them. I'm not saying that she should be mollycoddled or babied too much, but she obviously can't be handled with a "heavy hand"

Best of luck with her - she sounds like a doll.

-Beth