How to Stop Your Dog From Going Pee When You Greet Him

If your dog urinates when he is greeted or in active play he may have excitement urination. If your dog urinates and displays submissive postures and looks "guilty" when you approach him or scold him he may have submissive urination issues.

This can be a perplexing and annoying problem. Submissive urination is sometimes confused with a house training issue. This is a separate behavioral issue, and there are several steps you can take to make the problem stop.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Have your dog examined by a veterinarian to rule out health problems such as a urinary tract of bladder infection.

2. Make sure that all people who greet your dog do so in a calm manner. No high pitched voices or sudden movements.

3. Reward your dog for confident body postures such as keeping his head and tail up rather than crouching. Looking at your face. Dropping treats on the ground near him without a lot of verbal feedback is a good way to reinforce confidence without causing your dog to resort to submissive greeting behaviors.

4. Train your dog to do other behaviors such and laying down or shaking hands so that he may have another behavior to offer upon greeting. Submissive dogs seek approval and will exhibit behaviors that he knows will please you. Teach him what pleases you.

5. Avoid approaching your dog in a way that he may think is dominant. No direct eye contact, look at his tail. Rub his chest or chin rather than petting the top of his head. Do not bend over the top of him from your waist to interact with him, instead lower your body to his level.

Tips & Warnings

• Ignore your dog when he is excited
• Stay calm when you greet your dog
• Greet your dog and play with him outdoors until the urination problem as been resolved
• Be sure to rule out health issues as the cause of the urination issue
• Do not pet your dog if he is in a submissive posture, ignore him and move away
• Do not scold your dog or punish him when he displays submissive or excitement urination. This will only make it worse as he tries to express his submission to you in the only way he knows how.