How to Train Your Dog to Stop Submissive Peeing

How to Train Your Dog to Stop Submissive Peeing
Hard difficulty iconHard
Time icon1-12 Months
Behavior training category iconBehavior

Introduction

You adore your dog, she's the center of your world, and yet she has this upsetting habit. It's not a major problem, but it irks you none-the-less because you recognize it means she is submissive, and therefore potentially anxious. The last thing in the world that you want is for the fur-friend you love and adore to feel anxious or fearful around you. 

So what is this problem? Submissive peeing!

It's what happens when you come home. The dog runs to greet you, rolls over, and pees on the floor. In itself, it's not a major problem but it's the implication that your dog is submitting to you in such a way. Plus there's the hygiene aspect, which is less than ideal. And then there's what happens when she meets strangers and lets go a veritable fire-hydrant of pee.

It doesn't have to be like this. By understanding the psychology of what makes the dog pee, you can tackle the issue at its root cause, so that both you and the dog are happy.

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Defining Tasks

Submissive dogs urinate as a means of appeasing a person or dog that they perceive as a potential threat. Key to preventing this problem is to bolster the dog's confidence so that he no longer feels the need to give an appeasement signal such as urination. 

This is done by using a combination of tactics, such as using reward-based training to bolster confidence, avoiding confrontational circumstances, and by keeping things low key. 

Dogs of all ages can show submissive urination, especially puppies. However, many pups do grow out of the problem by the time they are a year old and their bladder control improves. If at any stage you suspect the dog is incontinent, rather than showing submissive urination, then check in with a vet. 

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Getting Started

You need no special equipment, other than treats, in order to retrain the dog. What matters most is your body language, how you act around the dog, and taking time and patience to build the dog's confidence.

Helpful items include: 

  • Treats and a training bag to keep the treats in
  • Cleaning equipment to deal with those 'spills' in a no-drama way

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The Increase Confidence Method

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1

Understand the idea

Building the dog's confidence gets right to the heart of the problem. When he no longer feels a need to appease because he no longer feels threatened, then the problem will stop.

2

Use reward-based training methods

Reward-based training uses the principle that he is encouraged to learn by giving a reward when he does something well. In this context, the dog is rewarded when he acts confidently.

3

Give the dog an alternative action to perform

The dog wants to appease you and show he is no threat. Work on training the dog to 'sit'. When you come home, quietly ignore the dog and when he approaches, use the 'sit' cue. By giving the dog an alternative action to perform, this distracts him and channels his need to obey into something less wet than peeing.

4

Distract the dog

When flashpoints are likely, such as greeting strangers or when you arrive home, distract the dog. This could be throwing a favorite toy for him to fetch, or by using that 'sit' command he learned earlier to offer you a more appropriate behavior.

5

Give the dog a goal

At the core of submissive urination is a dog that wants to please you. Work at training the dog to do an activity, such as going to a mat to lie down or fetching an object. This way the dog has a displacement activity he can perform rather than peeing.

The Keep Things Low-Key Method

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Understand the idea

Submissive dogs become anxious or fearful when challenged. Anxiety increases the risk of submissive urination. By keeping greetings low-key and understanding the body language cues that signal dominance, you can help reduce the dog's anxiety and cut back on submissive urination.

2

Ignore the dog on coming home

A flashpoint for submissive urination is when you come home and the dog greets you. This is best avoided by ignoring the dog and waiting for him to grow calm. It's fine to acknowledge the dog in a low key way, such as saying "Hi, Rover, I see you,", so that the dog understands you have seen him but aren't choosing to greet him right now.

3

Greet the dog calmly and quietly

Once the dog is calmer, then greet him. But keep things quiet and understated, with a gentle stroke along the body or under the chin. Speak to him softly. Avoid overly enthusiastic greetings and if the dog rolls over, then walk away.

4

Avoid confrontational behavior

Actions such as approaching the dog head on or staring into his eyes are seen by challenges by a dog and make a submissive dog anxious. Instead, approach the dog in an arc so you come round to his side, and either watch him from the corner of your eye or focus on a distant part o his body such as the tail.

5

Speak to your vet

If your dog lacks confidence and this submissiveness is disabling, then consider speaking to your vet. They may be able to suggest a medication to reduce the dog's anxiety while he undergoes training to build his confidence.

The What NOT to Do Method

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Never punish the dog

A submissive dog that urinates is doing so out of anxiety and as an appeasement activity. If you scold the dog this will make him more anxious and more the behavior more likely to occur. Not only does this make the problem worse, but it risks the dog becoming increasingly distressed and unhappy.

2

Don't use dominance training methods

Out-dated dog training methods use the principle of dominating the dog, to show who's boss. However, dominating a submissive dog only increases anxiety, which could even result in the dog becoming aggressive because he is fearful....and the dog may still urinate.

3

Don't push the dog outside his comfort zone

Owning a submissive dog can be frustrating, as he doesn't cope well with visitors or changes in his routine. It can, therefore, be tempting to force the dog into situations he's not comfortable with (such as making him greet strangers) in order to 'get him over it'. However, this is liable to backfire and only make the problem worse.

4

Don't loom over the dog

Leaning over the dog to greet him or stroking the head are both gestures that reinforce your dominance and can be perceived as a threat to the dog. Instead, try kneeling or sitting down and letting the dog come to you, and stroking him under the chin.

5

Don't overlook medical reasons

If you are really struggling with the dog's problem, then get him checked by a vet. It might be he has a medical problem which needs treatment, that is exacerbating the submissive urination.

Written by Pippa Elliott

Veterinary reviewed by:

Published: 11/13/2017, edited: 01/08/2021

Training Questions

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Training Questions and Answers

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Birks

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Border Collie

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3 years

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Question

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We (Sharon and Andrew) rescued Birks roughly 6 months ago knowing from a great rescue organization that Birks had a rough go in the kennel system and had issues with submissive peeing. Over 6 months, we have employed many of the tactics mentioned in the article above and we have definitely seen improvements but we feel that there is still a long way to go. Given that this is an "older dog" than some in the other Q&A we were wondering if it would be in our best interest to have a personalized training session to help with the issue? Or what other tips might help us with our 3 year old collie

Feb. 4, 2024

Birks's Owner

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Luna

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German Shepherd

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Five Months

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Sometimes she become nervous when we put her in her crate and not only pee,she right after start licking her pee. Shes being doing this from when we have her and even now she is house trained and we almost have no accidents inside the house,it seems that this is the thing she cant get rid off. Is there anything we can help her with or what we do wrong and needs to correct Thank you

Dec. 13, 2022

Luna's Owner

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Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer

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1133 Dog owners recommended

Hello, First, I would clean the crate thoroughly with a cleaner that contains enzymes, because only enzymes will break down the pee at a molecular level to remove the smell to the level where a dog's nose can't still smell it. Avoid cleaners that contain ammonia in and around the crate, since ammonia smells like urine to a dog and can encourage accidents due to smell. Second, check out the Surprise method from the article I have linked below. It wouldn't hurt in this situation to practice all three of the methods listed there to break the negative crate association. She doesn't have to love the crate at this age - most dogs don't until they are adults, but you do want her to not be afraid of it. https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate I would also teach her "Room" or "Crate" - to go into her crate on command, to avoid you having to pick her up and put her in there or grab he or her collar to get her inside. The touch can increase submissive peeing, especially if it's somewhere she doesn't want to go. If she will go in there on her own, it can help her feel more relaxed about it. Use favorite treats, like real chicken to practice this. To start, have the door to the crate open and practice just tossing a treat into the crate, at first at the front of the crate so she can just reach in to get it without having to climb in yet. Say "Room" or "Crate" (whichever command you choose to use, just pick one and use that one always) while you toss the treat in. Allow her to come back out on her own at first. After she is inside the crate fully getting the treat, when she gets to that point, then drop an additional treat through the top of the crate wires, perhaps even a third treat if she stays inside longer. Practice over a couple of weeks every day until she will go in the crate when you say "Room" or "Crate" before you toss the treat, anticipating that treat being dropped from above. At this point, the training should coincide with the rest of the training from the Surprise method from the article I have linked below, where you have been practicing closing the door and rewarding quietness, allowing you to tell her to go into her crate, then rewarding quietness while she stays inside it. If the peeing and distress is really persistent, you may need to purchase a second crate and crate her in her current crate when you leave for now, while practicing the "Crate" command and "Surprise method" in the new crate, until she does well enough in the new crate that she can be left in the new crate for as long as needed, not exceeding her bladder capacity, without distress. Again, she may not love being in the crate but you want to get her over her fear and nervousness surrounding it, so the crate can be relaxing and boring. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Dec. 13, 2022


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