You walk in the door, your dog spins in circles, jumps, wags its whole body, and leaves a small puddle on the floor. Or a friend visits, bends down to say hello, and your puppy dribbles all over their shoes. It is frustrating, but it is one of the most common problems puppy owners face, and in most dogs it fades with time.
Your dog is not doing it on purpose, and scolding will not help. A few changes to the way you greet your dog usually make a big difference.
Why it happens
When a dog gets very excited, its body is flooded with signals that make it hard to hold urine. Puppies have small bladders, and the muscles that keep the bladder closed are still developing. A rush of excitement, such as greeting a favorite person, starting a game, or hearing the leash come out, is enough to make those muscles relax for a moment.
This is called excitement urination. It is an involuntary reaction, much like a person who laughs so hard that they leak a little. Your dog may not even notice it is happening.
Excitement peeing or submissive peeing?
There is a second, closely related problem called submissive urination. The two can look similar, and some dogs have both, but they have different causes and need slightly different handling.
Excitement urination happens when a dog is happy and wound up. The dog usually looks bouncy and wiggly, with its tail wagging, and it often pees while jumping, spinning or playing.
Submissive urination is driven by worry or fear. The dog pees to show that it is no threat, often when someone stands over it, reaches for it, speaks loudly or scolds it. It often comes with:
- Crouching low or rolling onto its back.
- Ears flat and tail tucked.
- Looking away and avoiding eye contact.
- Licking the lips or showing a submissive grin.
Submissive peeing is most common in young, shy or timid dogs, and in dogs that have been treated harshly in the past.
Will my dog grow out of it?
Most puppies do. The American Kennel Club notes that many dogs outgrow excitement urination as they reach physical maturity, somewhere between about 1 and 2 years old. Some stop sooner. A few dogs keep doing it into adulthood, especially if greetings at home stay very wild.
Submissive peeing also tends to fade as a dog gains confidence, particularly with calm, gentle handling.
How to stop excitement peeing
Keep greetings calm
This makes the biggest difference. When you come home, walk in quietly and ignore your dog for the first few minutes. Do not talk in an excited voice, do not make eye contact, and do not pet it. Once your dog has settled, greet it calmly. Ask visitors to do the same.
Greet outside or take your dog out first
If you know a visitor is coming, take your dog out to pee shortly before they arrive. When you get home, go straight outside with your dog, let it relieve itself, and save the hellos for after. Greeting in the yard also means any accident lands on the grass.
Change how people approach your dog
- Crouch down to the dog’s level or sit, instead of bending over it.
- Turn your body slightly to the side.
- Pet under the chin or on the chest instead of on top of the head or back.
- Avoid hugging, lifting or reaching over the dog during greetings.
These steps help both excited and nervous dogs, because they make the greeting less intense.
Teach a greeting behavior
Give your dog something calm to do when people arrive. Many trainers teach a sit at the door, then reward it with a treat tossed on the floor. Sitting is hard to combine with spinning and jumping, and focusing on a task helps a dog stay in control.
Never scold or punish
Yelling, rubbing the dog’s nose in it or other punishment makes the problem worse. This is especially true for submissive peeing. A handout from the UC Davis veterinary school explains that a dog punished during submissive urination will keep peeing, because to the dog, peeing is its way of calming the threat. Clean up quietly and move on.
Use the right cleaner
Clean accidents with an enzyme cleaner made for pet urine. These products break down the substances in urine that cause the smell. Avoid ammonia-based cleaners, because urine also contains ammonia, and the smell can draw a dog back to the same spot.
Manage while your puppy matures
Belly bands for male dogs and washable dog diapers for female dogs can protect floors and furniture while your puppy grows out of the habit. Puppy pads near the front door can also help.
When it might be a medical problem
If an adult dog starts leaking urine when it never did before, see your vet before assuming it is behavior. Possible causes include:
- Urinary tract infection. Signs include peeing more often, straining, licking the genitals, strong-smelling urine or blood in the urine. Read more in our guide to UTI symptoms in dogs.
- Bladder stones. These can irritate the bladder or partly block the flow of urine.
- Spay incontinence. Some spayed female dogs develop a weak urethral sphincter, the muscle that holds urine in. It usually causes leaking while the dog is lying down or asleep. Studies estimate it affects somewhere between about 5 and 20 percent of spayed females, and it is more common in dogs over about 45 pounds. A medicine called phenylpropanolamine, sold as Proin, is approved by the FDA to treat it.
- Nerve or spine problems, and some hormone conditions that make dogs drink and pee much more.
Your vet will usually start with a urine test. If the cause is medical, treatment often solves the leaking quickly.
Signs it is time to call a professional
Call your vet if the leaking happens when your dog is not excited, if your dog is drinking much more water than usual, or if you see blood in the urine. If the peeing is clearly tied to fear, such as crouching, shaking or hiding, a certified trainer or veterinary behaviorist can help build your dog’s confidence. For very fearful dogs, vets sometimes suggest calming pheromone products or medication alongside training.
