My sister's dog is the same too much excitement or scared and he pees but is not something to correct for he has no control over. correction can make it worse.

Look up submissive urination. And then go find that newspaper, because it sure sounds like you gave your dog a correction for something he had absolutely NO control over.

How old is your dog? Some dogs will grow out of submissive urination, as they grow older and also have ample opportunities to empty their bladder before "trigger" moments.

I agree with Melissa - correcting submissive urination works.

When a dog urinates submissively, basically he is telling you "I give...", "I'm not a threat" type thing. So when you come back at him with a correction, what you are telling him is to be more submissive, so next time he is going to pee it is going to be a greater amount, in an attempt to show you he is submissive to you.

So at this point what I would work on is getting him to see the leash as a VERY good thing. So I would use marker training and start stationary, just getting him to willingly touch the leash with a paw or nose, then move to clipping and unclipping the leash (again stationary) and getting him used to hearing the sound. Each time marking and reinforcing that sound. I say to do it in a stationary position to take out the variables of having you moving in and out from him and the pressure this can put on your dog.

Once that is good, make sure that it is not his "in" command that is causing the issue. Perhaps his previous home punished him for not knowing how to "come" and now he has an aversion to it. I would play a lot of shaping games that mark him running towards you, getting him to run back and forth between your legs is a great one! (make sure you turn around too, so that when he is running to go through your legs he is facing you)

To answer your original question on how long a correction should last.

Obviously the correction in this thread lasted much longer then is suited or productive to your temperament.

What happened? You shut down and stopped learning. Get my point?




I prefer the term excitement urination to submissive. Pepper did this, it had nothing to do with anything except when she was happy or excited she peed. It was not a training issue, it was not a nerve issue, it was not anything.

Correcting for this will only make it worse. Getting angry over this will only make it worse.

Pepper I learned what her triggers were. My brother was a biggie. She just loved my brother to death and would run up and yes, pee.

I learned to walk her outside as much as possible before she saw my brother.

Learn the triggers and work around it. Google will give you a lot of information.

And next time you post asking for help, the more information you give initially the more apt we will to understand what you are asking. I wasn't even sure if you were referring to a house breaking accident.

 Quote: betty waldron

I prefer the term excitement urination to submissive. Pepper did this, it had nothing to do with anything except when she was happy or excited she peed. It was not a training issue, it was not a nerve issue, it was not anything.

Correcting for this will only make it worse. Getting angry over this will only make it worse.

Pepper I learned what her triggers were. My brother was a biggie. She just loved my brother to death and would run up and yes, pee.

I learned to walk her outside as much as possible before she saw my brother.

Learn the triggers and work around it. Google will give you a lot of information.

And next time you post asking for help, the more information you give initially the more apt we will to understand what you are asking. I wasn't even sure if you were referring to a house breaking accident.

There are many many threads here on both submissive and excitement urination. You will see no correction mentioned, ever, in dealing with it, this being an involuntary action of the dog's.

Betty's post is succinct.

I'd be happy to look up more threads via "search" if you like, too.

PLEASE don't correct for involuntary body functions. (I hesitate even to use the word "correct," because there's no way the dog associates "rubbing nose in it" with the action the owner is now inexplicably angry over; then it becomes punishment, and punishment that the dog does not understand.)

Let me know if you want me to find some threads on this. It's not at all uncommon, and more so in puppies and in recently acquired dogs.

He's a year and a half and you havent had him very long, right? I think you want to keep everything calm and un-eventful. Whether its submissive or uncontrolled excitement, give him a little more time to settle in.

Yes your right steve about the age and time having him. I got him probably a little over two months now. And the past few post were what I was looking for in his teaching as well as mine when trying to deal with this issue since bringing him home. Like I said the first week maybe week and half it was bad but since no issues until last night and I am trying to nip in the bud the correct way which is why I came him. Not to be scolded. If I could sum it up what happens is when grabbing the leash the first week and then last night when going to clip him he circles around with his head down and then eventually pees and drops to the ground. I tackled it some what the past month and half by teaching him to sit and looking at me in order to go through a door and has worked perfectly just had a slip up last night.

 Quote: joseph eubank

If I could sum it up what happens is when grabbing the leash the first week and then last night when going to clip him he circles around with his head down and then eventually pees and drops to the ground. I tackled it some what the past month and half by teaching him to sit and looking at me in order to go through a door and has worked perfectly just had a slip up last night.

So you ARE making progress, Joseph. I won't harp on you about how the dog should not have received a correction for this accident on his part. I think you've received plenty of information about submissive/excitement urination from some very experienced and knowledgeable people.

Fifteen years ago or so, I had a young dog that did the same kind of thing. She would pee all over the floor whenever somebody came to the door! Of course, she was going excitedly in circles all over the room while peeing. Really made clean-up fun!

That was the first time I had learned about this particular phenomenon and that it is NOT a house-training issue. The good news is my girl did grow out of it, and I suspect your boy will, too, with the passage of a little more time AND a consistently calm, patient manner on your part, in all your dealings with him.

I think many of us who are "of a certain age" remember that "putting their nose in it" was a commonly accepted way of house-training once upon a time. Thankfully, dog training methods have evolved into a more enlightened philosophy where we don't just try to bend the dog to our will and punish for any transgressions; but, rather, we treat them with kindness, patience and understanding and learn to communicate with them in a language they will understand.

"When we know better, we do better."

 Quote:

"When we know better, we do better."

My favorite quote is:

 Quote:

Their perception is our reality

What I mean with that Joseph, is that everything your doing with him could be completely happy and non-threatening in your mind, but to him it could seem like your beating him. Just the way you lean down to open the crate can be overwhelming in his mind. Be patient and as unemotional and neutral as you can. Nothing too happy and don't get angry, give him some time.

What you describe in your last post, doesnt sound like excitement to me.

 Quote: steve strom

 Quote:

"When we know better, we do better."

My favorite quote is:

 Quote:

Their perception is our reality

What I mean with that Joseph, is that everything your doing with him could be completely happy and non-threatening in your mind, but to him it could seem like your beating him. Just the way you lean down to open the crate can be overwhelming in his mind. Be patient and as unemotional and neutral as you can. Nothing too happy and don't get angry, give him some time.

What you describe in your last post, doesnt sound like excitement to me.

No. It sounds like submissive urination. " .... when grabbing the leash the first week and then last night when going to clip him he circles around with his head down and then eventually pees and drops to the ground."

Correcting for submissive urination scares the dog more, increasing the chances for submissive urinating ....

(Correcting for excitement peeing is similar, in that it exacerbates the problem.)

If you could be careful of posture, so as not to loom, or be abrupt, or appear threatening...

Try to appear calm and even-voiced ....

I'd set all corrections aside right now.

(NO in a loud voice is not a negative marker. I forget whether you have seen marker videos or not, but if there's another thread or you want to start one, I know I'd be happy to show you free marker-training info and streaming video.)