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How to Treat Submissive Urination in Dogs
Submissive urination is your puppy's way of showing respect to someone of a higher rank.
That "someone" could be another dog whom your puppy perceives as more dominant, or it could be... you.
A dominant dog will appreciate this kind of behavior. You, on the other hand, need to teach your puppy to express his respect in some other ways.
This behavior has nothing to do with the need to urinate and even housetrained dogs can exhibit signs of submissive urination. For some puppies, this behavior extends into adulthood.
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What are the Causes of Submissive Urination?
In adult dogs, submissive urination is a sign of insecurity. It's also common with dogs that have been abused or mistreated. In puppies, it signals that they have not yet learned other means of showing respect.
Submissive urination can also be a sign of an unsocialized or an overly sensitive dog. Puppy socialization is not complicated and will help you raise a well-adjusted dog. This dog behavior and obedience training guide will help you train an overly sensitive dog.
Here is a short video that discusses submissive urination...
Learn more about How to Treat Submissive Puppy Urination
Overcoming Submissive Urination
Here are some tips you can follow...
- Don't scold or reprimand your puppy if he urinates as a result of his submission. If you do, your puppy will show even more of the same behavior to please you, and as a result, will urinate even more.
- When you come home, say hello to your puppy, and… keep on walking. Don't stop to pet him, because if you do, you give him an opportunity to squat and urinate.
- If you lean over your puppy's head when you pet him, he will perceive it as a dominant position and may urinate. It's better to lean to your dog's side. Even better, lean down so that two of you are on the same level.
You may also teach your puppy several commands like "shake hand" or "kiss". Then, instead of crouching on the floor and urinating, your adolescent puppy can raise his paw or lick your hand when greeting you. Teaching your puppy different command is all part of obedience training.
Meanwhile, until your puppy overcomes this nasty habit, consider buying an effective dog urine remover.
There are a lot of urine removing products on the market. Some are good, others… let's just say "not good". Some may even encourage your puppy to urinate and defecate in the same spot, over and over.
A good urine remover works not only on the stain but also on the odor which signals to your puppy that it's his toilet area.
Bo, my German shepherd, is fully housebroken, but I still have an unfinished bottle of GET SERiOUS! Pet Stain, Odor and Pheromone Extractor. An accident can happen, even with the best-trained dog, and I want to be prepared if it happens in my house!
So, what is GET SERiOUS?
First, like you would expect from any good dog urine cleaner, it works not just on a stain but on an odor as well.
It's an award-winning product with a super-effective formula that works in less than three minutes.
It does not leave any stains and… you can even use it to remove stains and discolorations left by other cleaners.
To learn more about GET SERiOUS! and urine removers in general, visit dog urine remover page.
And even if your fully trained puppy does not suffer from submissive urination (or is it you suffering from his urination?!), there may be other reasons why he may decide to go potty inside your house. Better be prepared to deal with it if it happens.
Visit frequent dog urination and territory marking pages to learn why your dog may be urinating more than seems natural.
Submissive urination is an annoying, but treatable behavior.
The best way to eliminate it is to play it down. A punishment that is too harsh will only scare your puppy into even more submissive urination. Too much reassurance, and you puppy will think that you are praising him and will urinate even more to please you.
To treat submissive urination, focus on building your puppy's confidence and teach him that there are other ways to show his respect.
The Secrets to Dog Training can help you train a dog with any behavioral problem, including submissive urination.
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