Anxiety And Urination

Dogs experience anxiety for an array of reasons, based on breed, age, gender, training, confidence levels and a history of abuse. Canine anxiety leads to symptoms such as urination, which manifests when a dog feels confused, intimidated, scared or excited. Canine anxiety and urination decrease with reconditioning methods and modifications of owner behavior and responses.

  1. Separation Anxiety Urination

    • Dogs can experience separation anxiety when an owner leaves the house for short or long periods of time. A dog associates daily human behaviors and sounds such as car keys with being left alone. A canine exhibits anxiety symptoms by pacing or whining and depression symptoms by owner avoidance, hiding or holding its head low to the ground. Dogs urinate, defecate, bark, dig or chew objects when suffering from separation anxiety. The response occurs as a result of distress, fear and boredom.

    Excitement Urination

    • Excitement urination happens when a dog urinates at the sound of knocking or a doorbell, as guests or owners arrive at the home or as a response to demonstrative greetings. Excitement urination is accompanied by tail-wagging, jumping, licking and running in a non-submissive dog that is anxious and happy to greet people.

    Submissive Urination

    • Submissive urination typically occurs in puppies and young adult dogs and is predominant in females. Timid dogs exhibit submissive behaviors toward humans as they would in a pack such as lying on the back or side, avoiding eye contact or urinating when confronted with a threatening situation or dominant individual. Dogs can interpret reprimanding, noises, excited or loud greetings, head petting, eye contact and hovering as confrontational. Shy dogs urinate to exhibit an understanding of owner dominance.

    Observing/Diagnosing

    • Diagnosing the reasons for anxiety and urination requires observing canine behaviors and ruling out other circumstances for urination such as disease or decreased awareness resulting from old age. Veterinarians, animal behavior specialists and dog trainers can assist in determining and treating the cause or anxiety. Treating canine anxiety through training measures can condition a dog to respond to positive reinforcement, building its confidence. Medication is prescribed for severe cases of anxiety. The goal of treatment is to soothe a dog and limit nervous behaviors such as urination.

    Treatments

    • Training measures to help rectify anxious urination include increasing a submissive dog's confidence through play, avoiding dominant gestures or harsh tones, exposing the dog to other places and people and complimenting the dog for exhibiting self-assured behaviors. Greeting dogs calmly or ignoring the dog for a short period of time when first entering the home decreases excited urination. Treating separation anxiety by exercising a dog prior to leaving the home, providing him with an article of clothing carrying the owner's scent, crating and leaving toys helps comfort the dog.