This most instinctive behavior is often reinforced by owners who do not understand that their dog is paying them the highest compliment in dogdom. All the owner sees is yet another mess to be cleaned up. The owner has scolded and punished, and the problem only gets worse. That is because any acknowledgement of the act convinces the puppy or dog that he has not been subservient enough, and he will lower himself further to the ground and urinate again.
If any punishing is to be done, seek out the breeder, the puppy mill, the pet shop, or the overzealous trainer who failed to give your dog the socialization it needed to develop into a confident individual who trusts that the world is a benevolent place, and punish them. Even just weaning puppies too early and separating them from their mother deprives them of essential development time. Sometimes, however, the mothers, raised in puppy mills, have become lifetime submissive urinators themselves, and have passed this lesson on to her offspring.
This problem is particularly difficult to recondition for the novice owner, as often times, the dog's fear instinct that causes submissive urination has progressed to the point of perpetual shyness and possible fear-biting. Great care must be taken in reconditioning this dog, to keep the proper balance between building up his confidence and setting firm rules for what behaviors will be tolerated.
Many people find this suggestion impossible to follow, but it is essential to eliminate all emotional reactions to the submissive dog during the reconditioning phase, which could last for anywhere from a month to a year or more, depending on how ingrained the behavior is. During that time, the owner must take care of all of his dog's physical needs as if he (the owner) was a Vulcan. That means, the owner applies logic and reason in his care for the animal, but no overt emotion is allowed.
This may be difficult in families with small children but the dog must be shielded during this reconditioning time. The harsh fact of the matter is, if you will not, or can not keep young children in check around the dog, the dog will likely not recover from this disability. And yes, this is a disability -- a psychological disease, so to speak. Perhaps if you think of it in that manner it will help your resolve to do what needs to be done for the dog.
A dog with this temperament should be pulled from any breeding program.
1. Avoid making direct eye contact. Direct eye contact is a challenge. Use your peripheral vision to watch your dog. In extreme cases, I have had owners actually back up to the dog (the back is less threatening) to snap on the leash.
2. Physically handle your dog as little as possible.
The feel of his beloved master's hands on him is usually too much for most puppies. It invariable triggers urination in the submissive puppy or dog. When contact is unavoidable, such as for walking, grooming, etc. keep your movements slow and deliberate. Avoid eye contact. When absolutely necessary to speak to your dog, do so in a modulated tone. Think: neutral.
3. Ignore Your Dog For The First Twenty Minutes After Your Homecoming
Being reunited with the owner or family is another big trigger for submissive urination. By ignoring the dog entirely for 20 minutes, he will have time to settle down and adjust to your presence.
4. Build Up Your Dog's Confidence
After the first few days of implementing this program, you can begin to engage your dog in low-key play. Tug of War is excellent, provided you let the dog win, and you keep it low-key by obeying the non-emotion, no eye-contact, no unnecessary speaking to your dog while you are playing. Again, you need to be aware of what you are doing so that you don't allow the dog to rebound into aggression.
5. Continue Your Obedience Program
But put yourself in neutral. Understate all praise and try to avoid having to correct. href="http://www.teleport.com/~helix/Keeper/"> clicker training would be particularly effective with a submissive dog.
6. Ignore All Incidents of Submissive Urination Remove the dog to another room while you clean up, and clean up the spots with a chemical made for removing the odor. Don't forget to follow the regular housebreaking routine.
7. Be Patient! If you are working with a very young puppy there is a good chance you can rehabilitate it, and move back into a more normal relationship. The older the dog is, however, the longer it will take to recondition him. And the sad fact is that some dogs, particularly those born of a puppy mills, and raised in the pet shop, will never overcome this obvious statement of unstable temperament.