A dog who is prone to the occasional nervous tinkle is not a naughty dog. This type of urination can be the result of nerves, excitement, submissiveness or fear, and will probably stop when a dog matures or feels more secure and confident. Even a house-trained dog may leave small puddles of urine on the floor when greeting you. Fortunately, there are many ways to help your dog overcome spontaneous urination. Patience, consistency and compassion will go a long way towards solving nervous urination problems.
Things You'll Need
- Treats
- Tape recorder
- Cleaning supplies
- Drop cloth
- Pee pads
- Doggie diapers
Instructions
Nervous or Submissive Peeing
Expose your dog to new people and situations, and try to insure that new experiences are positive and lead to happiness, not stress.
Don't greet your dog upon entering a room; instead, ignore her until her excitement level has decreased. All family members should practice refraining from any verbal or physical contact with the dog until she settles down. Then you can invite her to come to you to be greeted calmly.
Try kneeling down to your dog's level. Towering or leaning over a puppy or dog may make him feel threatened and lead to nervous peeing.
Avoid direct eye contact and never approach your dog with dominant postures. Approach from the side, rather than from the front, and present the side of your body, rather than the front which can seem more threatening.
Pet your dog under the chin or on the chest rather than on top of the head.
Help build your dog̵7;s confidence by teaching and rewarding positive behaviors. Calmness, confidence building and consistency are especially important, especially if you have a nervous dog who, according to veterinarians Dr. Susan Aiello and John A. Bukowski, "takes a submissive posture, such as holding its ears back, avoiding eye contact, cowering, lowering its body, or even turning onto its back. ... While a dog is earning praise and treats by obeying simple requests like 'come here,' 'sit,' 'shake hands,' and 'settle down,' it is developing self esteem and confidence." (See References 1)
Avoid loud noises. If your dog pees in response to everyday noises, try desensitization exercises with him. To desensitize, record the noise, then play it back at a low volume and give the dog a toy or treat. When the nervousness subsides, increase the volume and start the process again until your dog is no longer fearful.
Do not punish or yell at your dog for peeing as this will only exacerbate the problem.
Peeing in the House
When an accident occurs, don̵7;t make a big deal about it while your dog is present but clean up even the smallest dribble as soon as possible after each nervous tinkle.
Protect your carpet or floors by placing a plastic drop cloth or pee pads in the entryway and other locations where accidents occur. You can also purchase ̶0;doggie diapers̶1; at any pet supply store.
Remove the odor, using products especially made for eliminating urine smells from floors, carpets and furniture. A dog's sense of smell is far superior to a human's, so even if you do not smell it, if you don't get rid of the odor, your dog is likely to urinate on that spot again and again.