Shih Tzu – How To Solve Submissive Urination

Problems with inappropriate urination are some of the most
commonly encountered by shih tzu owners and dog owners of any
breeder. As a matter of fact, inappropriate urination and
defecation is the most frequently cited reason that owners
surrender their animals to shelters.

Before you can address problems with inappropriate urination, it
is important to understand the basis of the problem. There are
several reasons why shih tzu lose control of their bladders, and
it is important to know the root cause of the problem before it
can be properly addressed.

Problem #1 – Excitement Urination Shih Tzu often urinate when
they become overly excited, and shih tzu that are otherwise
perfectly housebroken sometimes show their excitement by
dribbling urine when greeting you excitedly. It is normal for
some shih tzu to urinate when they get excited, and this can be
a particular problem for many older shih tzu.

A lot of excitement induced urination occurs in young shih tzu
puppies, and it is caused by a lack of bladder control. The shih
tzu puppy may not even know he is urinating, and punishment will
simply confuse him. Becoming angry with the shih tzu puppy will
quickly cause excitement urination to morph into submissive
urination, thus compounding the problem. As the shih tzu puppy
gets older and develops better bladder control, this type of
excitement urination should disappear.

The best cure for excitement urination is prevention. Preventing
your shih tzu dog from becoming over excited is the best way to
control this problem behavior. If your shih tzu dog is excited
by a particular stimulus or situation, it is important to
repeatedly expose him to that situation until it no longer
causes excessive excitement.

Problem #2 – Submissive Urination Submissive urination is a
natural part of pack behavior among animals like dogs and
wolves. The submissive member of the pack shows his or her
submissiveness by lowering itself and urinating. Since shih tzu
are pack animals, they may show their submissiveness to their
owner, who they regard as the pack leader, by exhibiting this
submissive urination.

Shih Tzu who exhibit submissive urination are usually showing
their insecurity. Unsocialzed and previously abused shih tzu
often exhibit submissive urination. These shih tzu need to be
shown that there are more appropriate ways to express their
submissive status, such as shaking hands or licking the owner’s
hand.

The best way to deal with submissive urination problems is often
to ignore the urination. Trying to reassure the shih tzu can
give the mistaken impression that you approve of the behavior,
while scolding the shih tzu can make the submissive urination
worse.

Correcting problems with submissive urination should be directed
at building the shih tzu’s confidence and teaching him other
ways to show his respect. Teaching the shih tzu to lift his paw,
sit on command, or similar obedience commands, is a great way to
direct the shih tzu’s respect in a more appropriate direction.

Problems with urination are not always easy to deal with, but it
is important to be consistent, and to always reward acceptable
behavior on the part of the shih tzu. When urination problems do
occur, it is always a good idea to first rule out any medical
conditions that could be causing those problems. Medical issues
like bladder infections can be the root cause of problems with
unwanted urination.

After any medical problems have been ruled out, it is important
to determine what is causing the problem, and treat it
appropriately. While it can be tempting to punish the shih tzu
for inappropriate elimination, doing so will only confuse and
further intimidate him.