Why Do Dogs Pee When They're Excited or Fearful?

If your house-trained puppy or recently rescued dog pees on the floor when people come over or when you come home, then you might have a dog with a submissive or excitement-based urination issue. Any inappropriate urination, regardless of how or where it occurs, could signal an underlying health problem, so it's worth knowing what submissive or excitement-based urination looks like—and when something more serious may be going on with your dog.

For older dogs, occasional incontinence is not uncommon, but you should have your dog evaluated by your veterinarian in case of a health problem. For house-trained puppies, it often takes some sleuthing to find the root of the problem.

We're here to help you distinguish between submissive and excitement-based urination in your dog and learn how to address it.

What Is Submissive and Excitement-based Peeing in Dogs?

Dogs (especially puppies) will sometimes pee when they are in an exciting or overwhelming situation. It may appear to be involuntary, and it often leaves a puddle at their feet or you may find lots of little drops of urine on the floor as they walk or run around the area. This is not the same as dogs who are having urinary accidents in the house or lift their leg to mark.

Why Do Dogs Urinate When Acting Submissive or Excited?

There are a few different reasons why your dog might pee when they are excited or scared, including simply showing they are not a threat or due to their excitement. It is always important to consider your pup may have an underlying health problem causing the problem too.

Showing They Aren't a Threat

Dogs who urinate while exhibiting submissive behaviors are typically trying to send a signal that they are not a threat. These dogs may pee when someone approaches, stands over them, or uses a loud voice. Ironically, dogs may urinate submissively if there's a history of rough treatment or punishment after inappropriately peeing as the more they are yelled at or scared, the more they urinate as they try to further minimize the threat. This is sometimes seen in rescued dogs and dogs who are shy, anxious, or fearful. Other signs of submissive behavior they may show at the same time include cowering with their tail tucked and ears back and/or rolling over onto their backs to expose their bellies.

Excitement

Excitement peeing usually happens in puppies, and they sometimes grow out of it. However, they're not going to lose the habit overnight. These are the dogs that tend to pee when they get excited: while playing, when you come home, or when new people and/or dogs visit. Patience and understanding will go a long way toward training a puppy out of this behavior and you may have to make some modifications to your routine in the short term to help prevent these accidents.

Health Problem

Inappropriate urination is not always caused by submissive or excitement-based issues. There are a number of health problems that can affect your dog's urinary habits and bladder control, including urinary tract infections, bladder stones, and cystitis, or inflammation within the bladder. In addition, kidney disease, diabetes, nerve damage, or spinal cord injuries as well as other physical disorders may cause inappropriate or excessive urination. Some dogs also have conditions that may cause them to leak urine or urinate without any awareness, known as incontinence, and this can be congenital or something that develops later in life.

It is important to note that male dogs who are intact will mark, or lift their leg and intentionally urinate on things. This is a normal behavior for male dogs, although ideally they restrict this activity to outside of the house only. If your dog is neutered, that usually resolves the behavior completely or at least reduces how much they mark quite a bit. If the behavior continues long after neutering, speak with your veterinarian about ways to work on modifying the behavior and ruling out any underlying medical problems.

How to Stop Submissive or Excitement Urination

Before trying to address submissive or excitement-based urination, it's essential to take your dog to the veterinarian to rule out any health problems. A urinalysis will test your dog's urine for common problems including infection, which can be treated with antibiotics. Other diagnostic tests like x-rays and an ultrasound can look for problems within the urinary tract including bladder stones, cystitis, or certain kidney problems. In addition, your vet can do blood work to check for any indications of metabolic, endocrine, or organ disease. Many conditions that cause dogs to pee excessively or uncontrollably can be treated medically, although some may require surgery.

Submissive Urination

To treat submissive peeing, do not hit, scold, or yell at your dog after they have peed. Instead, attempt to build your dog's confidence by teaching basic cues (sit, stay, come), using positive reinforcement methods. This is the same reward-and-praise process used to teach simple tricks (roll over, fetch). You'll also want to modify how you interact with your dog using the following non-threatening postures:

• Avoid direct eye contact, approach your dog from the side, and crouch down to your dog's level.
• When petting your dog, go for under the chin rather than reaching over the top of the head.
• Keep all greetings calm and take your dog outside to pee as soon as you get home.
• If your dog pees in the house, simply clean it up without making a fuss or yelling.
• Reward and praise your pup when they pee in the appropriate spot.
• Remind guests to follow the same approach when they greet your dog, and consider having your dog meet new people and dogs outside in case of an accident

Excitement-based Urination

To help your puppy with excitement-based urination, maintain a calm, quiet demeanor and be consistent.

• Try keeping all playtime outside or in a specially prepared area with newspapers or puppy pads to protect the floor. This way, if there is a little accident due to overexcitement, it isn't a big deal.
• When there's an accident, just as with submissive peeing, don't reprimand or punish your pup. Simply clean it up and don't draw attention to it.
• Be sure to clean up any stains thoroughly, preferably using an enzymatic cleaner, so the dog is less likely to pee in that area again.
• Give your dog treats when they pee in the correct place and keep all greetings to a minimum. You may even want to ignore your dog when you first arrive home. This gives your dog a chance to calm down on their own. Ask your guests to do the same.
• When your dog pees while out on walks, give praise and treats. The same goes for peeing in designated areas.
• Consider using a crate to create a safe space for your dog, as well as a space you can use when you cannot carefully supervise your pup. This will reduce the risk accidents in your house and help create a consistent routine for your dog.

All these things should not only help your dog break the habit of peeing when excited but will also help you to cultivate a calmer, more confident dog.

Seek Professional Help

When you've tried everything but your dog continues peeing when excited or submissive, you may need to consult with a credentialed animal behaviorist. Sometimes, getting a professional point of view on the problem can help—a specialist may be able to see patterns in your puppy's behaviors that you're missing and create a custom behavior modification plan.