You return home after a long day, and your puppy greets you at the door—his body curled, tail tucked, and eyes filled with adoration. Then, suddenly, a yellow puddle forms at his feet. At eight weeks old, this behavior may seem endearing, but as it persists, it becomes frustrating.
Submissive and excitement urination in puppies is often a temporary annoyance. Most puppies outgrow it, much like a bedwetting child eventually stops. However, in some cases, the behavior continues, and in a small percentage of dogs, it begins during adolescence. While harder to address in older dogs, it remains manageable.
To tackle this issue, first consider why the behavior started and how your actions may contribute. When a puppy rushes to you in excitement, the typical response is to bend down and match their enthusiasm. This posture places the puppy in a submissive position, as you loom over them authoritatively, praising them as a “good puppy.” This reinforces their lower status, prompting urination to signal submission. Initially, you might be surprised but not overly upset—it’s just a puppy, after all. However, scolding them often increases their submissiveness, leading to more urination, creating a vicious cycle.
Effective Responses to Puppy Behavior
How should you respond? When you arrive home—whether from work, school, or a brief errand—ignore your puppy completely. If that’s not feasible, pick them up, take them outside, and avoid speaking or engaging. Place them on the grass and continue to ignore them. If they urinate submissively, walk away. If they squat to relieve themselves normally, praise them and move on.
Ignoring the puppy may seem harsh, but it mirrors canine communication. Consider a head wolf returning to the pack after hunting: excited pups clamor for attention, licking his jaw, yet he ignores them, reinforcing his leadership. The pups don’t urinate submissively; they show respect and resume their activities. Similarly, if a pup accidentally nips the leader, the wolf may react sharply without making contact, prompting the pup to roll over and urinate in submission. The wolf then resumes ignoring them, and the pup quickly recovers.
Humans often misinterpret canine language, encouraging inappropriate behaviors or overreacting to normal puppy actions. This confuses the puppy, who, unsure how to appease you, resorts to submissive urination. To break this cycle, humans must adjust their behavior.
Acting like the alpha or top wolf remains important as the puppy matures. If a dog learns that submissive behavior or urination elicits a favorable response, they’ll continue it to please you. Instead, ignore inappropriate actions like submissive or excitement urination and reward confident, self-assured behavior. This approach fosters a happy, well-adjusted relationship with your dog.
The next time your puppy greets you with submissive posturing, walk past them. Only engage when they’ve calmed down and are behaving rationally. With consistency, submissive and excitement urination will cease, keeping your carpets pee-free.
