Dogs Marking Vs. Nervous Peeing

Pups urinate indoors for a number of reasons, including the desire to mark their territory and out of fear, which is known as nervous or submissive urination. These are two very different conditions, each of which has its own specific causes and triggers. To deal with your pup's inappropriate elimination issues, determine which condition your pup suffers from before taking the proper steps to treat it.

  1. Urine Marking

    • A dog usually urine marks in places he considers part of his territory, such as your home, yard and other areas he frequently visits. You may notice your pooch lifting his leg and depositing his urine on vertical surfaces, although some dogs also urine mark on horizontal surfaces and objects. Urine marking is an instinctual behavior that may be triggered by the presence of other dogs, anxiety caused by changes in your dog's environment and the desire to mate. While female dogs urine mark, the behavior is more common in males and usually only occurs in dogs over 3 months old.

    Submissive Urination

    • Submissive urination occurs when your dog perceives either a person or another pooch as being intimidating or superior to him. This is a common condition in puppies and shy, timid or previously abused adult dogs. Most pups who urinate submissively will do so during greetings, physical contact with people and other dogs, or when you scold or punish your pup. In addition to emptying his bladder in these situations, your pup may also display submissive behaviors. These behaviors include cowering, tucking in his tail, flattening his ears, licking his lips, raising his front paws or displaying a submissive grin.

    Training Methods

    • If your dog urinates submissively, it's important not to punish him, because this can worsen the behavior. Instead, praise and treat your pup when he urinates outside during potty breaks. If Fido fears a particular person or animal, give him treats in their presence to teach him that they are something good, not bad. If Fido urine marks, interrupt him while he marks by clapping your hands twice and bring him outside to potty; reward him when he does. Spray a synthetic canine pheromone inside your home to discourage your pup from urine marking and calm him. Keep him away from areas he's previously marked or place sticky tape in the area to discourage his behavior.

    Considerations

    • Bring Fido to the vet to rule out a medical cause for his inappropriate urination issues. If Fido is healthy, your vet can also prescribe anti-anxiety medication, which helps to treat conditions like urine marking. Have Fido spayed or neutered because those who are fixed tend to mark less than intact dogs. When interacting with a dog who urinates submissively, avoid eye contact with him, approach him from the side and pet his chin, not the top of his head. This won't intimidate him and will keep him calm. For either urine marking or submissive urination, take your pup out for regular potty breaks to keep his bladder as empty as possible.