April 19, 2011
My dog has a serious problem with submissive urination. It urinates even with the slightest voice command. What can I do?
Full Question:
Hi Ed,We recently adopted a 2-year old female husky mix from a local shelter. Denali displays submissive urination whenever she is verbally corrected (not screamed at). This usually happens with me, and not my wife or older kids.
While working on obedience training, any type of correction (verbal or physical with choke collar) causes her to urinate. I praise her consistently and keep her in my company as much as possible to strengthen our bond. I'm planning to purchase your Basic Dog Obedience video, but I'm wondering if the SU problem should be addressed first, and just how to go about it. I've read many articles on SU, and have taken the steps necessary to correct the problem, or so I thought. Your expert opinion is greatly appreciated!
Regards,
Adam
Ed's Answer:
This is a result of weak nerves. It's a pain and requires patience to correct. Constant praise etc etc works to an extent. But unless the work is correct it is never a solution.
But the bottom line is that a dog like this gains confidence by doing what it knows is the right thing to do. So it MUST go through a obedience program. Train the dog outside - it solves the clean up problem. Don't pet the dog until 30 minutes after you come home. Use a dog crate and all of your interaction with this dog should be done outside.
If the obedience is correct and the praise is correct and the corrections are fair the dog will learn. When the dog learns what is expected of it then it's confidence goes up. Then the pissing stops.
Dog training is not rocket science - dogs like this respond to correct obedience with corrections. They learn quickly because their nerves are so weak that they seek the path of least resistance. They don't want to feel stress so they do things that eliminate stress. You just teach them that you can be a stress maker if they don't mind you. In other words the training must be clear - it must be black and white. In other words - do what I ask and I will praise you - disobey me and I will correct you and stress you. Dogs will learn this very quickly. The key is being consistent.
But the bottom line is that a dog like this gains confidence by doing what it knows is the right thing to do. So it MUST go through a obedience program. Train the dog outside - it solves the clean up problem. Don't pet the dog until 30 minutes after you come home. Use a dog crate and all of your interaction with this dog should be done outside.
If the obedience is correct and the praise is correct and the corrections are fair the dog will learn. When the dog learns what is expected of it then it's confidence goes up. Then the pissing stops.
Dog training is not rocket science - dogs like this respond to correct obedience with corrections. They learn quickly because their nerves are so weak that they seek the path of least resistance. They don't want to feel stress so they do things that eliminate stress. You just teach them that you can be a stress maker if they don't mind you. In other words the training must be clear - it must be black and white. In other words - do what I ask and I will praise you - disobey me and I will correct you and stress you. Dogs will learn this very quickly. The key is being consistent.
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