Does your puppy or dog urinate when someone greets her or when you come home or when you speak to her?
Some dogs have very submissive or ‘bottom of the pack’ temperaments. This is part of their nature and is nothing to be alarmed about. They are truly subordinate dogs and they often feel unworthy of the attention or adulation that is being paid to them. A dog of this temperament would not receive any kind of ‘regard’ in a wild dog pack as they know they are at the bottom of the pecking order. The same applies to puppies, as they have yet to mature and become confident enough to jockey for top positions. They are usually ignored or reminded of their place by the other adult dogs.
As a result of them wanting to acquiesce as much as possible, they grovel and avert their eyes, and wet themselves…and you clean up.
Some puppies outgrow this submissive peeing as they become more confident.
To speed up the process, here are a few tips:
- When you first come home, don’t regard your pup in any way. This means no looking, no talking, and no touching him.
- Don’t rush to him to let him in or out if he has been outside or crated.
- Instruct any visitors to pretend he is not there when they first come in. This includes looking at him! A look can be very threatening and your pup cannot handle this kind of focus.
- When he no longer feels the pressure of regard, he will come to check things out. Do not attempt to pet or talk to him! Allow him time and space.
- Don’t make it a goal for visitors to ‘meet’ your dog. Respect her soft nature and allow her to decide when she feels secure enough to make a gesture—or not.