Dog Obedience Training - Submissive Urination

Submissive urination in dogs and puppies is actually quite a common problem especially with young puppies and dogs who have been abused or badly treated. The reason why dogs and puppies display this behavior is because they are showing respect and defensive behavior to what they consider a higher ranking male i.e. an 'Alpha Male' or 'Pack Leader'.

There a numerous reasons why your dog or puppy will display submissive urination...

1. A dog or puppy that has been abused in the past may display this behavior - mainly because they have little or no confidence and it is their way to show that they don't mean any harm (very sad).
2. Rescue dogs and puppies may display submissive urination for the same reasons, such as low confidence and lack of obedience training from a young age.
3. Another reason why young dogs and puppies exhibit this behavior is because they have not been shown that there are other more acceptable ways of showing that they are pleased to see you and want to show respect such as licking your hand, face or simply a wag of the tail.
4. Another cause of this problem is when someone (a neighbor or friend) visits and comes through the front door and leans over the dog or puppy causing your pooch to urinate out of fear and/or possible over excitement.

Curing Submissive Urination

One of the biggest mistakes that owners make when they think they are trying to cure the problem is to either say 'No' in a really loud voice or even shout at their poor dog or puppy. This is of course not acceptable at all in any stage of dog obedience training - especially if you already have a dog or puppy that has a lack of confidence. You need to start building up your dog or puppy's confidence over a period of time.

• Don't shout, acknowledge or even reassure your dog or puppy after they have peed on the floor - you need to pretend that you haven't even noticed it.
• If you have people that come round to visit and you notice that your dog or puppy pees on the floor - start by asking your visitors not to lean over or appear bigger or more 'Alpha Male' than your puppy - (can you imagine how you would respond if a big giant leaned over you)! If your dog or puppy gets really excited when someone visits and then urinates on the floor - ask your visitors to completely ignore your pooch - wait until your pooch has calmed down and then a simple hello - without getting your pooch over excited. The more your visitor responds to the submissive urination the more it will reinforce this behavior.
• Start building up your dog or puppy's confidence by rewarding good behavior and ignoring bad behavior.
• Start puppy socialization from an early age - the more experiences your puppy gets introduced to the more confident he will become.
• Start training your pooch with very basic training techniques such as sit, come and fetch as this will strengthen your bond and increase your puppy's overall confidence.

Tobias Charles writes on all aspects of dog obedience training, puppy training and dog health care. For more information visit his website for the best dog obedience training tips, health care advice and recipes for homemade dog foods for more great tips and information.

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