To visualize a submissive dog's position in life, think about a group of people in a parade...
The Leaders and the Middle Majority
The most confident members lead the parade, absolutely certain in their leadership abilities. They barely notice that anyone is following them. Marching behind them is the the content middle majority - the sociable cheerleaders.
Trailing at the End... the Submissives
The shy members bring up the rear. They're not sure why they're in the parade but many are delighted to be invited. Always the bridesmaid but never the bride.
Some of those shy members, however, are terrified. They're certain that a horrible mistake has been made and they're not supposed to be there.
In the human parade, the terrified submissives are sweating profusely, hoping the ground will open up so they can dive in. In the dog parade, the terrified submissives are lying down, rolling over, and urinating.
The World Needs all Types, But Some Types Need Assistance
In human society, there is no reason to force a person to change his view of himself unless it's causing a problem for him or others. In reality, it's the same for a dog.
Dogs who are naturally submissive - happy to be the bridesmaids - are often a good choice for first-time dog owners. They generally don't cause problems for themselves or others.
It's the terrified submissives who urinate spontaneously - submissive urination. They're the ones who need assistance.
Understanding Submissive Urination
This behavior is thought to originate with a puppy's earliest experiences with his mother. Puppies view mom as a powerful leader since she doles out nutrition, affection, and the first lessons in obedience training. Her stature can be frightening to overly-submissive pups.
She's also in charge of coaxing her pups to urinate and defecate. She prompts elimination by nudging each pup's flank with her nose. Normally, a puppy accepts this action as perfectly reasonable and has no more need for mom's reminders after the first few weeks.
Some puppies, however, for reasons not entirely understood, see the nudging as deeply meaningful and highly emotional. They're simply unable to disengage and continue responding to stimulation that somehow reminds them of mom's nudgings.
Submissive urination is most often seen when the dog is excited, feels insecure, or intimidated. It's often accompanied by dropping to the floor and rolling over to expose the belly. Sometimes the dog licks its lips frantically.
This Isn't a "Bad" Dog, This is a Stressed Dog
A submissive urinator is a dog who lets fly as a response to a number of situations but it's most common when the dog is approached by another person or dog. Some are so sensitive, they can be affected by a simple glance.
The submissive dog is not being "bad," nor is he "punishing" anyone. He's reacting, on a very deeply emotional level, to stimulation that causes feelings of submission. He's waving a white flag that says, "I have no idea what I've done wrong. Please don't hurt me. I'll show my small, helpless stature by peeing right here on the carpet."
Identify the Triggers
Think of the occasions when the dog has submissively urinated. It's probably happened when the human or another dog...
- Greets or approaches the dog.
- Physically towers or leans over the dog.
- Makes eye contact that lasts beyond the dog's comfort level.
- Scolds the dog.
In order to control submissive urination, the human needs to modify his or her own behavior to help smooth or eliminate those triggers which, in turn, will help build the dog's confidence.
How to Eliminate Triggers
Greeting or approaching: curb the enthusiasm! Greet with a calm voice and approach in a crouched or lowered body position, angled away from the dog. A small human is much less frightening than a big human, especially to a submissive dog who sees any approach as a full frontal attack.
Towering or leaning: think small. The submissive dog sees a formidable giant, so hunker down but avoid leaning over him.
Eye contact: picture an altercation between two people. Without using the words, the person who holds eye contact is often perceived as the stronger of the two. Dogs place a great deal of importance on this. The submissive dog translates the stare of another dog as a challenge and that's his cue to urinate. With a submissive dog, avoid direct eye contact.
Scolding or berating a submissive dog will only fuel his stress. The dog needs time to build confidence. Achieving that goal can't be accomplished quickly in a human, and it's true for dogs, too.
Depending on the severity of the problem and the human's level of skill, it could take several weeks to see the results of confidence-building. When the dog feels safe in basic situations such as those outlined above, he'll be more apt to feel confident in more difficult situations.
De-Sensitizing is Key
While the human is aware that he or she is practising new methods to eliminate the triggers, the dog doesn't know what is happening. Go slowly and watch for tell-tale signs (such as a lowered back end) that the dog is going to urinate. When approaching the dog, for example, back away immediately when he begins to lower his back end. Before he gets the chance to urinate, say "Good boy," gently and calmly. If he urinates, ignore him, and clean it up later.
Praise him when he does it right. Ignore him when he does it wrong.
This is a de-sensitizing exercise that can be applied to all triggers. Repeat a few times daily until the dog learns there is nothing to fear. If possible, ask other people to run through the exercise to further enhance the dog's confidence.
If anything happens to reverse positive results, go back to the beginning and start again.
A veterinarian and/or dog behaviorist or trainer can provide further information and additional exercises.
Jacque Newman - Jacque Newman is a freelance writer with a specialty in family pets of all kinds. She is the founder and former publisher of ...
