Submissive Urination.....it's not a housebreaking problem!

Q: My dog is housebroken and crate trained but he's still having accidents all over the house! He pees when we come home from work, when we pet him, when we have guests, when he's excited, when he's scolded for something and sometimes even when he's just given a simple command. He never has an accident in his crate or when we're gone. This is driving us crazy and ruining our home. Is there anything we can do? We're desperate!

A: Believe it or not, this is not a housebreaking problem. It has to do with some normal canine behavior patterns that have gone awry. Let me try to explain:

Dogs are instinctively programmed to accept the authority of creatures (animal and human) that they consider to be superior to them. They seek the approval of their superiors and are eager to please them. This attitude has been enhanced by selective breeding to produce dogs that want to serve people. A dog that is submissive to people and eager to please has a desirable temperament. They usually make the best workers and pets.

Some dogs are more submissive than others. Very submissive dogs, shy dogs that lack self-confidence and often, baby puppies, will urinate when in the presence of more dominant dogs and humans. It's an instinctive canine way of telling the

superior, "You are my Supreme Master. Your wish is my command. Please don't hurt me!" Baby puppies usually outgrow this behavior as they mature. Dogs that are naturally shy, insecure, extremely submissive or that have been severely abused may continue to act this way even as adults. "It is generally an involuntary, subconscious reflex", says Anne McGuire, a longtime

Golden Retriever breeder and trainer. "The dog isn't deliberately trying to do it." Anne goes on to say that the dog may not even be aware that he's doing it at the time.

Most pet owners mistakenly believe that "submissive urination" is a housebreaking problem and try to correct it with discipline. To their dismay and frustration, instead of improving, the dog gets worse! Because the message he's sending is misunderstood by the owner, the dog is caught in a vicious circle - his instincts tell him to urinate to please his superior by showing submission but when he does, he is punished. He then tries harder to please by urinating even more! This results in more punishment and still more urination. After a time, the dog may become so confused and insecure that he urinates at the mere sight of a human being or another dog.

If discipline won't solve the problem, what will? Veterinarian Dr. Irvin Herling advises that your task is to take the excitement and stress out of the periods that previously triggered submissive urination. He stresses that you must get cooperation from all members of the family. He recommends that when you first get home, you can anticipate that the dog will get excited and urinate so you need to minimize the excitement. Instead of the enthusiastic greeting you normally give your dog when you come home, quietly walk in the door and go about your business. If you talk to him at all, just say "Hi Dog" in a calm, matter- of-fact tone of voice. Don't make eye contact with him or even pet him. "After the dog settles down", Dr. Herling suggests, "very gently, crouch down to the dog's level, presenting yourself to the dog sideways (this makes you very non-threatening), then calmly and quietly praise him and tell him he's good. You must tell your family and visitors to do the same."

"Do everything you can to boost the dog's self-confidence", suggests Anne McGuire. "As the dog becomes more confident, it may feel less of a need to display extreme submissive behavior. Basic obedience training does wonders for a dog's confidence! The untrained dog is frightened because he doesn't know how to communicate with people or how to behave whereas the trained dog understands what's expected of him and those words that people say to him. He's more confident because he has tools for communication with people. Needless to say, the more good social experiences you can give the dog, the better!"

Training also gives the dog a more appropriate way to please you than by urinating. Responding correctly to commands earns him the praise and acceptance he craves. Obedience commands like "sit", "down", "stay", and "fetch" can be incorporated into your daily life and easily made a part of your routine. Learning and obeying commands gives the dog something to focus on besides his insecurity. Don't overdo the praise for a command well done. Praise given with too much enthusiasm often results in a puddle! A simple "good boy!" in a pleasant tone of voice is usually enough.

On the other end of the scale, discipline, scolding and punishment can produce puddles as the dog does his instinctive best to apologize. To reduce the need for discipline, look over your dog's life and pick out the things he does that most often result in a scolding. While you can't let your dog get away with murder, it's very likely that by using your head, his number of mistakes can be minimized. For example, does he get into the trash, steal your children's toys or chew on your expensive sneakers? By simply putting a lid on the trash can and requiring your family to pick up after themselves better, these situations can be eliminated. The easier you make it for him to do what you want, the quicker he'll learn and his confidence will grow.

Anne touched on a very important factor - socialization. Socialization is the process of teaching a dog to accept and cope with the various stresses he'll encounter in everyday living - new people, strange places, children, traffic, loud noises, etc. For a very shy or submissive dog, socialization is especially critical! It builds confidence which, along with training, will help solve the dog's urination problems. Take your dog with you whenever possible. Take him for walks in public places. Let him see and get used to the world. If he's afraid, ignore it. Don't baby him or try to soothe his fears. For some reason, this has the opposite effect - he'll become even more frightened and insecure. Instead, encourage him with a happy, confident, cheerful voice. As he sees that you are not afraid, he'll gradually realize that he shouldn't be afraid either. Public obedience classes are inexpensive and excellent opportunities for socialization! Contact your local kennel club, veterinarian or animal shelter for a referral to a qualified class and instructor.

Dogs, especially shy or submissive ones, are very sensitive to body language and tone of voice. Bending over a dog is a "dominant" posture that may provoke an unwanted accident. Instead, get down to the dog's level by crouching or kneeling. These dogs are often intimidated by direct eye contact as well.

Practice looking at your dog's face while avoiding looking directly into his eyes. Anne McGuire offers another helpful suggestion: "If you are expecting guests, take the dog for a walk and get his bladder emptied ahead of time. Also, restrict water consumption for an hour before the guests are to arrive."

When speaking to your dog, use a calm, confident, moderate tone of voice. Avoid very high or low extremes in pitch. Don't "coochy-coo" or babytalk to your dog either. These tones of voice can create excitement that results in submissive urination.

Once again, do not scold or punish your dog for urinating submissively. It will only make things worse! He can't be held responsible for something he doesn't understand or even know he's doing. Instead, use the methods we've described to get at the root of the matter - his basic insecurity and lack of confidence. When he's made progress in those areas, the problem often disappears on its own.

How long will it take? Every dog is different and it's impossible to say for sure. With most dogs, following our directions will show a visible difference within a short time. Solving the problem altogether depends on your hard work, patience, consistency and willingness to stick with it. Good luck!

This article was written by Vicki Rodenberg and published by

The Chow Chow Club, Inc.'s Welfare Committee.

For more information about Chow Chows, their care, training, and

Chow Chow Rescue, contact the committee at

The Chow Chow Club, Inc. Welfare Committee

9828 E. County A Janesville, WI 53546

Chow Welfare Hotline 608-756-2008

e-mail: thunderhil@aol.com