Yorkiepoo

Question
Hello, I have recently got a Yorkiepoo, from a friend of a friend. He is a little over a year,she keep the poor baby out side. But he was house traind. Now in the last week sometimes when we go to get his leash to take him out he starts to pee right there in the floor. It is starting to happen more and more. What can I do... You can tell he knows it is wrong. I know sometimes when we come home we are happy to see him, I guess he is also happy to see us and will pee then also. How can I change this. Thank you  

Answer
Hi Shari,

Some dogs will urinate when they are very excited, or when you come home. It's called "Submissive Urination", and it's actually not a house training problem. It has to do with some normal canine behavior patterns that you can and should deal with in a positive way.

Dogs are instinctively programmed to accept the authority of creatures (animal and human) that they consider to be superior to them. They seek the approval of their superiors and are eager to please them.
Some dogs are more submissive than others. Very submissive dogs, shy dogs that lack self-confidence and often young pups will urinate when in the presence of more dominant dogs and humans. It's their instinctive way of telling the superior "You are my Supreme Master. Your wish is my command. Please don't hurt me!"

Your task is to take the excitement and stress out of the periods that trigger submissive/excitment urination. Get cooperation from all members of the family. When you want to take the dog out, don't make a big deal about it, just put on the leash and try not to get the dog excited. When you first get home, you can anticipate that the dog will get excited and urinate so you need to minimize the excitement. Instead of an enthusiastic greeting to your dog, quietly walk in the door and go about your business. Let him outside to pee as usual, but without any fanfare. If you talk to him at all, just say "Hi Rover" in a calm, casual tone of voice. Don't make eye contact with him or pet him. After he settles down, very gently crouch down to his level presenting to him sideways (this makes you very non-threatening), then calmly and quietly praise him and tell him he's good. Be sure to tell your family and visitors to do the same.

Here is a website on the subject that has additional information:
http://www.sspca.org/Dogs/Urination.html

It's also possible that your dog has a bladder infection, so if this problem continues, you should have your dog examined by your vet. It's a common ailment that's easy to treat.

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,
Patti