# Help! New issue with 15 week old pup.



## shenando (Jan 28, 2006)

Parker is 15 weeks now and just yesterday he started peeing when strangers (to him) come in the house and pet him. He has never had a problem with this before. We're just not sure that he can even help it. Is there anything that we can do to stop this in the future? He will just dribble a little bit and be fine until they pet him again and he'll do it again. My grandparent's dog has done this since day 1 and has never stopped. She's probably 4 years old now and I just don't want to have to worry about this forever. I don't want to have to tell people not to pet my baby when they come over. He's too irresistable! Any suggestions?


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

Do a search on this forum for Submissive Urination. There's a great post about this problem!


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## shenando (Jan 28, 2006)

Thank you so much for the help! That thread was very helpful. Hope it works :crossfing


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

The border collie down the street was like this til about 1 1/2. Kayla would go over on her back and tinkle on herself while you petted her. After my Dad had died, and then the last of his hunting dogs was gone, i got Mom a little brown fluffball mix puppy and she did the same thing. Chelsea did stop at about age one. She was such a sweetie, great compainion for Mom even if she did end being a 75 pound dog.


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## Buffy & Abby's Mom (Nov 27, 2005)

Buffy did this as a puppy whenever my husband would come home from work, whenever our son would come over (he's an adult) and basically whenever anyone would come to the house, stranger or not. She finally quit it gradually over a period of time til about 2 years old. She would still do it for our son. She just loves him to death even though they never have lived with one another. We've always thought it strange that she's so attached to him even though she doesn't see him that frequently, every 2 weeks or so. He now lives in CA so we haven't seen him for 6 months. BooHoo!


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## Goldndust (Jul 30, 2005)

Most don't even know there doing it when it happens, the best way to help it along is to simply ignore it when it happens and just go clean it up. *Do NOT punish for this!* If you do, it will only get worse.

A good way to help it along and too do things with your puppy that will build confidence.


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

I thought this was a common puppy thing, and that they outgrow it in most cases. At least according to several books I've read...

Is that not right?


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## sr570 (Jan 31, 2006)

In the dog world, amother dog shows dominance over the other by towering over the submissive dog. As humans we do the same thing when we lean over to pet a dog. Sometimes a puppy will view a much larger human as someone who is showing their dominance, thus scaring the puppy. Have the people who want to pet your dog, kneel down to get on the dogs level, and let the dog come to them. Also play games of confidence with your puppy and ALWAYS let the puppy win!!! Tug of war is a great game to do this. Hope this helps.


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

sr570 said:


> In the dog world, amother dog shows dominance over the other by towering over the submissive dog. As humans we do the same thing when we lean over to pet a dog. Sometimes a puppy will view a much larger human as someone who is showing their dominance, thus scaring the puppy. Have the people who want to pet your dog, kneel down to get on the dogs level, and let the dog come to them. Also play games of confidence with your puppy and ALWAYS let the puppy win!!! Tug of war is a great game to do this. Hope this helps.


How do we draw the line between teaching our dog confidence and teaching them to be dominant? Cuz we don't want them dominant, do we?

Rick


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## timberwolfe (Apr 15, 2005)

You are right Rick. We don't want to teach them to be dominant. Submissive Peeing is normal and doesn't need to be corrected in most cases. Do as Golden Dust suggested. Ignore the behaviour and just clean it up. Do not punish, and do not go and baby the dog. Dogs will grow out of this behaviour.


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## sr570 (Jan 31, 2006)

Obviously a missunderstanding, no we do not want a dog to be dominant. However we do want a dog that is confident. I was saying that so many people stand over a dog and then lean over to pet it, scaring it, which is wrong. We need to build a puppy's confidence, so that it will be a well rounded dog. At no time did I say to punish the dog, which would make things worse. I was once told by a professional trainer, that a puppy doesn't do anything wrong, it just hasn't been taught how to do things right. Disipline should always be coupled with love. In this situation it sounds as if the puppy has a confidence problem, and needs to build it's confidence. Guess I won't be offering any more advice.


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

That is usually a submissive thing (dog feels threatened because you're leaning over him) but sometimes it can just be excitement. Boo peed on my leg once because he was halfway in my lap and an old lady with a high-pitched voice started petting him, he was just excited. Try having the strange people ignore him for a few minutes so he hopefully gets his excitement under control, and then when they do greet them have them sit on the floor so they're not as big and threatening. If he does tinkle, don't react and just clean it up. It will go away with time.


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## timberwolfe (Apr 15, 2005)

sr570 said:


> I was once told by a professional trainer, that a puppy doesn't do anything wrong, it just hasn't been taught how to do things right. Disipline should always be coupled with love. In this situation it sounds as if the puppy has a confidence problem, and needs to build it's confidence. Guess I won't be offering any more advice.


I agree with the Puppy hasn't been taught to how to do things right. That is why I like clicker training. There is no punishment and the puppy learns how to do things properly instead of being punished for doing things wrong. So that advice is good.

But I'm not convinced this puppy has a confidence problem. Submissive peeing is a very normal behaviour. They do it when they are happy too.


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## shenando (Jan 28, 2006)

I personally don't feel like Parker has a confidence problem. He is always playing with other dogs (whether they like it or not,) while playing, he almost always wins the games we play...he has never had this problem until recently and since these couple episodes, it seems that it is only men that he has a problem with. I really think that this one friend of Jeremy's scared him and he just needs for men to show him that they aren't going to hurt him. He seems to have no problem with any women...he'll run right up to them and want to play, but he stays away from men.


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

sr570 said:


> Obviously a missunderstanding, no we do not want a dog to be dominant. However we do want a dog that is confident. I was saying that so many people stand over a dog and then lean over to pet it, scaring it, which is wrong. We need to build a puppy's confidence, so that it will be a well rounded dog. At no time did I say to punish the dog, which would make things worse. I was once told by a professional trainer, that a puppy doesn't do anything wrong, it just hasn't been taught how to do things right. Disipline should always be coupled with love. In this situation it sounds as if the puppy has a confidence problem, and needs to build it's confidence. Guess I won't be offering any more advice.


Don't say you won't be offering anymore advice. Your advice was as good as anyone elses. Besides, it's differing opinions that makes these forums as good as they are. It's the different opinions that help others make informed decisions.

And your advice was as good as any.....I was just saying that there's a fine line between confidence and dominance. But in no way was I saying your opinion was wrong.

Just wanted to say that.

Rick


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## VeronicaLovesHerGoldens (May 27, 2005)

Our dog Nugget used to have a problem with submissive urination - we just all got into the habit of sort of ignoring him for a bit when we walked in the house until he calmed down and then we could pat him with no tinkling.


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## Goldndust (Jul 30, 2005)

shenando said:


> Parker is 15 weeks now and just yesterday he started peeing when strangers (to him) come in the house and pet him. He has never had a problem with this before. We're just not sure that he can even help it. Is there anything that we can do to stop this in the future? He will just dribble a little bit and be fine until they pet him again and he'll do it again.  My grandparent's dog has done this since day 1 and has never stopped. She's probably 4 years old now and I just don't want to have to worry about this forever. I don't want to have to tell people not to pet my baby when they come over. He's too irresistable! Any suggestions?


Well, now your confusing me because this is what you first asked. Now your saying it's only with men. The above statement you made is of what a submissive pup will do, gaining confidence through training and socialization and such will help him along.

There could be something else going on, could be medical and that would have to be weighed out first by your vet. But, going by your first post question...that sounds very typical of a submissive dog.


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## heidi_pooh (Feb 9, 2006)

Ignoring the bad is definately the right way to go but you have to remember that *praising the good *is more important. When you have your dog outside and he does his business, let him know how great he is. Treating your dog will only make him want to do things for treats. Goldens are always wanting to please so they do not need treats. That is actually how a lot of goldens become overweight.


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

It could be submissive or just overexcitement. Unless he's rolling on his back (which would obviously be submissive) I don't think there's anything to help you differentiate between them. I would recommend treating both, have strangers ignore him for a few minutes until he calms down, then have them sit on the floor and let him come to them, don't walk up to him looming over him.


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