Announced peeing is never something you want your dog to do, especially when you or an activity including you is the trigger. Why does my dog pee when excited? There are multiple explanations to this phenomenon.
Some have a direct physical connection, while others are caused by the mental state your dog is in. I look at these as opportunities to broaden your knowledge about dogs, regardless of their origin.
Today’s article should open your mind to understanding the mechanics behind peeing while excited, and add a few more rationales you might not have considered. Welcome to excited peeing support.
Age And Mental State Are Pee Exciters
Big factors for a dog peeing when excited usually include its age and state of mind. Although adult dogs can do this as well, puppies are much less in control of their bladder. Their bodies can get very tense when overly enthusiastic, so leakage is possible.
Puppy potty training regression is a thing, so your dog might develop excitement urination even after successfully completing potty training. It is no big deal as I have the article explaining how to get back on track and avoid potty inside the house.
Taking age into consideration, even puppies that are not excited can pee themselves while awaiting playtime or food. This is not something unheard of, so you can take comfort in the fact that dogs around the world are peeing out of excitement as you read this.
Owners can mistake submissiveness and communication with excitement. This comes from a lack of knowledge about how important urination is in scent-related interaction with other dogs.
Insecure dogs will also be prone to peeing because they are frightened by the prospect of coming in contact with a dog, person, or object that triggers a fearful reaction. So, how will you know what is the case with your dog? Here are the main points.
1. Excitement Urination Can Be Difficult To Fix
Realizing that particular items or actions lead to peeing on the spot should be a clue that you need a solid plan on how to stop this undesired behavior. It happens mostly in puppies, so playtime, greeting you, or a favorite toy can be pee-starters.
Expecting improvement in a matter of days is not realistic, so the best initial reaction should be to bring whatever is triggering urination in the yard. Doing potty outside means less cleaning, which reduces your level of stress as well.
Your leadership and excitement control abilities will be tested if your presence causes your dog to become excited and do the number one on the spot. The solution to this one is to practice staying calm and not be excited. Lead by example.
Obedience and impulse control work is excellent for teaching your pup to put a paw down on the over excitement. Commands that keep your pup or adult dog, such as stay, crate, and calm, will take some time to stick, but the training process itself is easy.
Once you see the dog is in a relaxed state of mind, you can give affection, treats, or toys as rewards. Make sure to reward immediately after the desired behavior happens to clearly show relaxation is the desired behavior.
2. Developing Puppies Are Still Not Able To Fully Control Their Bodies
Although behavioral science has not yet found a definitive answer to why puppies cannot control their bladder when faced with their favorite person or activity, it is clear that excitement stimulates urination.
The peripheral and central nervous system in a puppy are still developing, and it takes a while to learn how to decouple bladder activity with an excited state of mind. If this problem occurs frequently, do not think you are doing something wrong in terms of housebreaking.
Noticing the behavior only when something exciting is about to happen indicates that the reason is of psychological origin rather than physiological. Luckily, as the pup develops and grows into an adult, the problem should gradually disappear.
If peeing when excited, your puppy might have health problems, such as a bladder or urinary tract infection. A precautionary visit to the veterinarian might be a good idea the first time you notice these symptoms.
Ruling out health conditions will allow you to focus on fixing the source of the problem, which in this scenario means being patient and not getting angry over a completely natural body response from a growing puppy.
Also, try establishing a potty schedule, so that the puppy establishes a body rhythm according to when it ate or after finishing playtime. Dog diapers can make the adaptation period much easier for both dog and owner. These nine indoor potty options are excellent as well.
3. Submissive Urination Is Normal, But Not Desirable
Small dogs, young dogs, or frightful dogs can be insecure every moment of their lives. All these factors, size, age, and state of mind contribute to the dog feeling like it is constantly dominated.
While it is true that a dog should be the lowest ranking member of your family, that does not call for frightful and stressful behavior. A good follower should have a balanced and calm demeanor, guided by the leader, i.e., the owner.
That important role of leadership and guide means you will need to properly socialize your puppy. Meeting unfamiliar people, dogs in the dog park, or interacting with different household and outside objects is crucial for a puppy to experience the world positively.
Nothing works better than working on a dog’s physical strength and problem-solving skills to raise their confidence. Agility courses, obedience training, hiking, and exploring a new outdoors area will engage the sense of smell, hearing, and sight.
A key aspect of dealing with submissive urination and mind-related peeing business requires keeping your calm and not resorting to punishment or negative reinforcement. This is especially important with puppies, since negative experiences become embedded in their memory.
4. He Said What?
Canine urine contains pheromones that are chemical messages left for other dogs. Its main role is to let dogs know how many visitors peed on a particular tree, curb, or bush. Dogs can tell the age, sex, health status, and breed just by smelling the urine.
The higher the object being peed on, the higher the chance of it “spreading the word” through pheromone molecules through the air. The submissive urination is also motivated by the need to communicate that another dog, or you, are the alpha.
Being a good leader is not easy, especially when you are a first-time dog owner. To help you hone your leadership skills, we created this seventeen-step guide to becoming an alpha. Use it to your advantage.
Whatever your dog is trying to tell through urine, it is natural, but should be done outside instead of inside the house. Associating this behavior with your backyard, a patch of grass, or a piece of bare ground, can help instill the habit of expressing submission or messaging outside.
Conclusion
Do not ask yourself “Why does my dog pee when excited?” but “How do I fix it?”. For every reason, there is a solution. Ultimately, it will be your job to discover which scenario applies to your dog.
If you are finding it difficult to pinpoint the culprit, do not hesitate consulting a dog behaviorist or certified dog trainer. They have probably seen dozens, if not hundreds, of similar cases, and taught the owners how to handle it.
Finally, be relaxed and calm when it happens. Anger will only worsen the reaction, and your dog might start peeing whenever it hears raised voices or feels you are upset. Your behavior will show the dog how to behave in every situation, so take it seriously.