Effective Treatments for Dogs Urinating When Excited

One: Causes of Dogs Urinating Out of Excitement

Puppies, with their developing bodies and stillforming nervous systems, often find themselves in a state of confusion. The vagus nerve can misinterpret various brain signals, and the muscles in their urethra are also in the process of maturation. This makes them prone to urinate out of excitement. Therefore, being too young is a common reason for a dog to experience incontinence, which tends to improve as the dog grows older and matures.

If your dog continues to leak urine even after it has grown into an adult, it might be suffering from submissive incontinence. This occurs when a dog perceives itself as threatened and urinates as a sign of submission to another dog. In simpler terms, it's "scared to pee." Many owners have noticed that their dogs urinate out of fear and stress when strangers enter their home, alongside their excited barking. This is actually a response to fear and anxiety.

When dogs exhibit submissive incontinence, they may have darting eyes, ears pulled back, and even a body that involuntarily retreats. Of course, adult dogs can also experience incontinence due to overexcitement. While a dog's incontinence tends to improve with age, dogs that lack socialization or have been mistreated may continue to struggle with this issue.

Two: How to Address a Dog's ExcitementInduced Incontinence

1. Identify and Reduce Stimuli: Determine what causes your dog to become overly excited and minimize those triggers. For instance, when owners return home and attempt to play with their dogs, the affection can lead to an overflow of excitement. To mitigate this, owners should remain calm upon arrival, avoiding any interaction with the dog for the first few minutes. This helps prevent further stimulation and allows the dog to calm down over time. Essentially, owners need to learn to ignore their dogs during their peak excitement moments.

2. Practice Separation Training: Dogs that are left alone for extended periods can become overly excited upon the owner's return. To reduce this excitement, owners should train their dogs to get used to their absence. This can be done by gradually increasing the frequency of short outings, such as taking out the trash, grocery shopping, or picking up packages. Each time the owner leaves and returns, the duration can be slightly increased, helping the dog to become accustomed to the routine of coming and going.

3. Increase Physical Activity: If possible, owners should engage their dogs in outdoor activities, playtime, and walks to burn off excess energy. This can help prevent the dog from becoming too excited.

4. Conduct Obedience Training: When a dog is excited, commands can be used to redirect its attention. Owners should teach their dogs simple commands to help manage excitement. For example, when a dog is overly excited, the owner can ask it to sit down, praise it, and reward it with a treat. Over time, the dog will learn that it doesn't need to resort to incontinence to show submission.

While excitementinduced incontinence is not a disease, if a dog suddenly starts urinating without a clear reason, owners should be vigilant about potential urinary system issues. For adult dogs, especially senior dogs, sudden incontinence should prompt a visit to the vet.