Excitement Urination in Dogs

Excitement urination in dogs is sometimes known as submissive urination. Excitement urination tends to happen only in dogs under two years old. Just like a small child can sometimes have trouble controlling his bladder when excited, so can a puppy or young dog. Excitement urination can happen to all breeds and both sexes.

  1. Causes

    • Events that get puppies very excited, such as meeting new people or new dogs, meeting people and dogs that they already know or the presence of a favorite toy, can lead to excitement urination.

    History

    • Submissive urination is also seen in the behavior of the dog's ancestor, the wolf. A wolf lower in the pack pecking order will urinate as a silent body signal to acknowledge the supremacy of pack leaders (see Resources).

    Time Frame

    • According to veterinarian Race Foster, urinating due to excitement usually stops by the time a puppy is six months old. However, sometimes it can happen when a dog is a year old.

    Treatment

    • If you know when your puppy is most likely to become so exited that it will urinate, be ready to clean up an accident. If meeting a person is a cause, always have the meetings outside.

    Warning

    • According to "The Dog Bible," punishing a dog for excitement urination will cause the dog to become fearful and thus urinate more often.

    American Cocker Spaniels

    • "The Dog Bible" also states that American Cocker Spaniels have the most problems with excitement urination.