Imagine this,
When you’re returning home from a vacation, excited to meet your dog. You bring new gifts, hoping they will love them, and seeing them, they give you a warm hug.
You witness exactly what you’ve mentally imagined. Exactly the same, puppies come near you and greet you, and you give gifts. At that moment, You witnessed the most happy pet ever.
But later you find your puppy has done something you’ve never witnessed i.e. peeing while sitting.
This is called excitement urination.
Although excitement urination is common, especially in dogs with over-excited behavior, many pet parents are not aware of it. Some may be surprised to learn about it from the title of this blog, and with curiosity, opened it. So, let’s start with:
Table of Contents
Understanding Excitement Urination in dogs
What is Excitement Urination?
Dogs getting excited is a normal part of their life. Whether it’s their favorite foods or person or plays, they start wagging their tails. But while wagging their tails, they involuntarily pee without knowing it. It is considered as excitement urination.
These issues are commonly seen in those happy, hyper, and young dogs who don’t have control of their bladder. This problem won’t see the gender or age group, rather every dog could go through an embarrassing situation. With time, the dog will prevent this mistake. It often occurs when:
- Greeting owners or new people
- During playtime
- In situation that are emotionally overwhelming for the dog.
However, some dogs may continue this behavior into adulthood in case of ignorance to prevent it.
Why Does My Dog Pee When Seeing Me or Geting Excited?
This involuntary issues has not particular reason, but pet experts believe the major cause can be immature bladder control, emotional responses or lack of training.
As mentioned, it’s common in puppies due to an immature bladder system. No wonder they’ve weaker bladder muscles and may not be able to hold pee for a long time, and of course, not during high-excitement moments.
Similarly, emotional state also affects this involuntary urination. For different emotions such as happiness, anxiety, or overexcitement, puppies may not be able to handle the pressure of an emotional state, and as a result, an accidental pee. Sometimes, puppies may go through separation anxiety when you’re away from home, and when seeing you, they may be extremely excited about your presence.
Good news! These excitement and emotional responses can be overcome with the help of proper training and exercise.
But, many pet owners frequently ask Is Dog Excitement Urinating Normal Behavior?
Surprisingly, excitement urinating is a normal behavior, especially in puppies and young dogs. With proper training and patience, most dogs will grow out of this behavior by the time they reach one year of age.
How to recognize the sign of excited peeing in dogs?
Although it’s hard to recognize the exact sign of excited peeing, there are some behaviors that pet owner must consider to know their dog is getting excited.
For excited peeing, a dog doesn’t need to lift leg or squat like usual, rather they can pee while standing, walking, or even jumping (sometimes). The only way to know the chance of an accident is to predict the excitement level of dogs.
Mostly excited dogs wag their tail normally than usual while holding higher, wag their whole body, and hold their head up. It’s applicable if they have past peeing incidences.
How to Stop Excitement Urination in Dogs
Before attempting to control the excitement urination issues of dogs, pet parents must be aware of a trigger of it. Although, it depends upon emotional responses, but sometimes can be a medical cause. With clear cause, they can take further steps. This could be:
Stay Calm During Greetings
Whenever you return to your home, never greet your excited dogs. It’s hard to ignore, but this is the only effective strategy.
Unless your dog is fully mature enough to hold their bladder and is well toilet trained, never interact with them during greeting situations. They may show some aggressive behavior like pawing, barking, or biting in the case of ignorance, but in the end, they’ll be calm with the situation. When they show calm behavior, then only greet them back. If they start getting excited, start again to ignore them and let them calm down.
Ask guest or outsiders to follow the same approach to prevent this excitement.
Along with it:
Train Dog with Controllable Behavior
Teaching commands like “sit”, “stay” and “no” can prevent this exciting behavior. These obedience training can serve as a powerful tool to redirect dogs in stimulating situations.
For instance, when a dog excitedly comes near you, ask them to sit or command “no”, until they calm down. This will shift their attention from the excitement of greeting to completing the command. Regular practice in low-distraction environments can give a better outcome.
Add rewards with treats or praise when they remain calm in the situation and encourage the dog to low-greetings. Once they learn to control their behavior, these involuntary peeing will be stopped side-by-side.
Ignore the Behavior
As earlier mentioned, ignoring behavior is an effective strategy for preventing this behavior. If dogs display excitement urination, responding immediately can negatively reinforce this behavior, instead avoiding immediate attention can be preferable.
Action such as petting, speaking to, or scolding them can make this situation even harsher, so consider stepping away and allowing them time to settle down.
Once they settle down completely, then only interact with dogs. This will teach them calm behavior leads to attention and interaction, not excitement.
Avoid Punishment
Punishment never redirects positive behavior, instead increasing their anxiety and making the situation worse.
It’s understandable to become frustrated and angry with peeing behavior, but still, never scold or punish physically to dogs. This will add a submissive or fear component to the dog’s inappropriate peeing, which even breaks the relationships with dogs. Better, trained them to correct the situation and use positive reinforcement to strengthen the bond.
Previously, pet owner used spanking, yelling, and even rubbing their nose into pee or poo, expecting to change the behavior, instead dogs are negatively reinforced with such activity. Pet even started to submissive peeing if the owner talked in a loud voice.
Practical Tips to Manage Excitement Urination
Besides stopping excitement urination completely, there are some practical tips to manage it. It’s not a matter of one night, it requires patience and consistency. With proper technique, you can manage it and these techniques are:
Provide Regular Pee/Potty Breaks: Since young puppies are deprived of full control of their bladder, it’s the owner’s responsibility to provide ample opportunities to empty their bladder throughout the day. Taking outside more often for breaks, particularly after meals, drinking water, or naps, to prevent accidents.
Keep Greetings Low-Key: Oftentimes dogs urinate when they become extremely excited. In such situations, keeping greetings calm and low-key can help dogs manage their emotions and prevent excited urination. For this, you can ask everyone to react normally to avoid excited greetings. Direct eye contact and loud voices can increase excitement or nervousness in some dogs, so better to avoid this too.
Clean up Accidents Properly: We’re very aware of the sensing capacity of dogs. It means they could find particular spots time-to-time, and associate that area with bathroom behavior. That’s why it’s recommended to properly clean those accident areas so that dogs won’t return to the same spot to urinate again.
FAQ
1. What Causes Excitement Urination in Dogs?
Excitement urination in dogs is commonly caused by excessive excitement or overstimulation during greetings or play. Especially, young puppies often do this as they have not yet gained full control of their bladder, and it’s a response to their emotions.
2. Can Excitement Urination Be Trained Out of a Dog?
Yes, excitement urination can often be reduced or eliminated through training. Teaching your dog calm greeting behaviors, practicing regular obedience commands, and gradually exposing them to exciting situations can help them gain better bladder control.
3. At What Age Do Dogs Typically Stop Excitement Urination?
Most dogs grow out of excitement urination by the time they are about 1 year old, as they mature and gain better bladder control. However, some dogs may take longer, and training can speed up the process.
4. Can Excitement Urination Be a Sign of a Health Issue?
While excitement urination is usually behavioral, it can sometimes be linked to underlying health issues like urinary tract infections or incontinence. If the problem persists or is accompanied by other symptoms, it’s best to consult a vet.
5. How Can I Build My Dog’s Confidence to Prevent Excitement Urination?
Building your dog’s confidence through positive reinforcement training, desensitization to stimuli, and rewarding calm behavior can reduce excitement urination. Avoid punishment, as it can create stress, and encourage your dog to remain calm in excitable situations.
Conclusion
Excitement urination in dogs is a natural and common response, particularly in puppies and young dogs. Even though it’s a temporary phase for many puppies, it’s important to address the behavior early to help your dog overcome it as they mature. With calm greetings, proper training, and positive reinforcement, you can gradually teach your dog to control their bladder during high-energy moments.
