My Tinkle Queen

[TwoKats&Pup]

My 4-month old lab is super excited to meet new people and when she does, she tinkles everywhere. My friend told me it's because when we have her on her leash and we keep it tight to keep her off of people she senses we are being submissive towards others. So she shows her submissiveness by tinkling. But my problem is; we have stopped the tight leash and she had stopped for a while. But my mom came over (who Honey is use to) and she tinkles whenever she sees her now. And my uncle came over and she did the same thing (never met him before).

I am at a lost of what to do, I try to make sure that Honey understands that it's okay to greet people and not worry but I can't stop the tinkling. Help please!

[Mutt Manners]

Hello -

I am an canine behaviorist and thought I would help you understand your puppies behavior. She is not urinating due to a tight leash, but rather you are seeing submissive urination when she gets excited. This is a common problem in puppies. She will most likely grow out of it, but here are ome things you can do in the meantime to help curb the problem. When you come home or when people come over tell them not to pay attention to her right away. Allow her to calm down first. Say hello to her but don't pet her, talk nicely but not in an excited tone. Do everything to help calm her down. After she has had a few minutes to relax a bit and the newness has worn off the new person tell them to talk to her first and see what she does. If ok then try a few pets on the head, still ok then pet more. But don't talk in a high pitched excited tone and pet her at the same time right when you get home. Those things will only excite her more and create a puddle on the floor.

Good luck.

Julie

[Codykins]

Mutt Manners is right she will grow out of it eventually.

Other tips:

It is definitely submissive behavior and very common in puppies. Dealing with this situation will take time and patience. It is very important not to punish your dog for this behavior or to bring too much attention to it. Your top priority is to raise your dog's level of confidence.

Avoid petting your dog on the top of its head or leaning over its back and head - a dog regards these gestures as dominant and will be more likely to submissively urinate. Instead, pet your dog on its chest when greeting it. When friends are entering your house, your best bet is to not greet or look at the dog for 5 minutes after coming home. It may seem mean but once the problem is fixed, you can greet right away. After five minutes, kneel or sit on the floor and rub the dog under his chin. Never lean over them or put your hand on top of their head. My dog stopped this behavior in about a month.

Know that sometimes, your dog just can't help it. Try to have new people greet her outdoors.