My dog is now 3 1/2 years old and submissively pees whenever he gets excited. Everybody said, "he'll grow out of it..." Well, he's not!
It's mainly when we come home and when guests come over that makes puts him in that excited state. My husband and I just ignore him for the first hour we're home, but with new people coming over, it's just soooo frustrating! The first thing I say to people when they come in the door is, "Ignore him! Or he'll pee on you!" ...then I say, "Welcome!"
Even if we don't allow him to greet the guests til he calms down, as soon as he's able to sniff & greet them....all they have to do is look down at him and say something and he pees.
And sometimes, he even pees even after he's been around them for a while! It's the most annoying behavior b/c I can't train him out of it! Can I?
He knows all the basic commands, sit, stay, re-call, leave it, and others, so I don't know what to do. If anybody has any ideas, I would really appreciate it!
Thanks

After reading older posts, I think excited urination is the better term for my dog's behavior.

At three and a half,
IMHO, no, there isn't a lot you can do except manage the situation. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think so.

One, I wouldn't allow any interaction with quests and the dog at all. Even if it meant telling my friends, leave the dog alone. No eye contact, no petting, no nothing. Completely ignore the dog. I'd insist on it.
Two, I'd teach the dog a place command. It'd be able to be in the same room as everyone else but it has it's place and that's here he/she stays. Period.
Any one person or animal forgetting the rules gets rebuked in an appropriate manner.

Sorry, I think management is your only recourse.

Yes, I had a feeling that was my only answer....how annoying!

...perhaps punishment for breaking the "no contact rule" is cleaning the pee up themselves!!!!! Too much maybe??? I might feel bad making my Grandma scrub the floor on her hands & knees!!!! LOL

Thanks

Hang about Amy,
Maybe someone else can come up with something better for you. Lot's of people here, lot's of ideas.

If my dog it's learning, I'm doing something wrong.
Randy

Have you tried wearing him out really well before people come over as well as making sure he has a short walk or some potty time to make sure he is empty before they show up?

Is he a timid dog at all? If so maybe more exposure to people would help or confidence building things like obedience games or playing on the playground equipment when no kids are around.

Mine did this as a tiny pup all the time, now he only does it when he is really really excited, like when we pick him up from the kennel, or when Chad gets on to him for something.

 Quote: amy_daws

I might feel bad making my Grandma scrub the floor on her hands & knees!!!! LOL

Nope. 100% consistency in rule enforcement!

It might help a little if he is "drained" outside and exercised before anyone who is expected gets there (although I believe that male dogs always keep an emergency reserve) so that at least he does not have a full bladder and maximum excitement energy.

Also, I truly believe (100%) that excited and submissive dribbling are not something that the dog can control. I don't think I would even attempt to train it away because I think that could even exacerbate the problem.

I had a slightly different challenge with a senior, gone now, who was unable to hold it in some situations, and some would dribble down her leg onto the floor. After determining that there was no UTI or other fixable issue, but just a slight sphincter problem, one thing that helped me was to simply modify my life a little around it so that it never caused me irritation or frustration. (It certainly was not her fault, and I didn't want negative emotions to surround the situation). So I kept rags folded in a pile in places where it might happen, and I kept a small covered diaper-pail-type bucket in the nearest bathroom for the rags so there was no urine odor.

I also kept baby wipes around for her occasionally-damp back leg and paw. (See? You don't even have to worry about that part! :grin

IOW, I turned it into a non-event.

LOL! Jennifer and I were typing together.



Mine is a long answer, I know. I guess I just miss that dog and here was a reason to talk about her.

I had a similar issue with a foster

If someone came in she would pee while wiggling her butt she was so excited. At first, I started by making sure she went out for a 15 min walk before anyone came over so she could get all her pee out.

Then when people arrived I made sure I had her on a leash. While I was teaching her the "place" command and until I knew she would not break it, I would make her sit beside me while I greeted the guests, no touch, no talk, no eye contact from them at all during the visit. I kept her on her leash beside me laying down during the entire visit, I never did let her greet the guests at anytime during the visit.

Now that she knows her place command, I put her on her blanket in the living room and go answer the door. She has got it so in her head that when guests arrive they are just going to ignore her so there is no excitement there anymore. I still do not let anyone make contact with her until they have been there a little while and even then when they say "can I pet your dog?", I reply with "yes, but only when she is calmly sitting nicely". If for any reason she starts to get excited, she goes back on her place until she is calm again. I still do make sure she has just been for a pee anytime I know we are having people over, so we can just avoid the pee as much as possible.

My brother's 8 month Basset Hound pup is this way and they're hoping she'll grow out of it. She is submissive and gets very excited to see people so she has a bad habit of rolling over on her back while still peeing. It's bad news for everyone around!

They do the same thing every one else said, have the guests ignore her (they also ignore her when they come home because she pees for them too) and keep her in her place (on her bed) until she calms down. It was hard teaching three young kids to do it but they managed. Good luck!