It is embarrassing for dog owners and “victims” when their dog pees on strangers. The phenomenon is called “submissive urination” in the English-speaking world and means something like “submissive urination.” This term already gives an idea of what peeing is all about, namely submission and not – as most people probably assume at first – some attack from a cheeky dog.
Submissive urination occurs primarily in male dogs up to one year of age. The good thing: Four-legged friends usually quickly discard this dog behavior independently. The bad: You can’t prevent submissive urination because it happens more or less unconsciously. However, you can avoid it a certain way or ensure that the awkward phase passes quickly.
That’s why the dog pees on other people.
You unsuspectingly walk down the street with your dog and meet your neighbors on the way. While talking a little, Wuff sneaks up to the neighbor’s suede shoes and lifts his leg. What at first glance looks like a brazen insult is, in fact, just the opposite. The four-legged friend submits through submissive urination.
The reason for this lies in the psyche of the fur nose. As a rule, dogs pee on other people because they are shy and insecure or do not have a lot of self-confidence. They are constantly trying to signal to both people and their peers that they are well-disposed towards them and want to subordinate themselves to them. It is a strange signal for us, humans, to show this by peeing on – for dogs, it is a clear sign of subordination. As the dog owner, you mustn’t punish your dog in such a situation – even if the person peed on by the dog often does not understand this.
Submissive urination: don’t punish the dog!
If you admonish or punish your dog for peeing, he cannot understand this because, from his perspective, he is not doing anything wrong. Scolding him can reinforce unwanted behavior as your dog loses even more confidence. Strictly speaking, submissive urination is, after all, good. Your dog is submissive and might even deserve praise. However, you cannot (and should not!) praise your four-legged friend for peeing on the friendly neighbor or his dog. Punishing does not work either, as it can reinforce the behavior, as I said. So what to do?
How to behave properly
It’s essential to build your dog’s confidence to avoid getting others wet. If your Sofawolf has peed on someone else, it is best to get them aside immediately and do something with them that will boost their self-confidence. Ideally, you will give him a sense of achievement, for example, through a successful foot, down, or sitting exercise. Afterward, praise him profusely. Of course, this may seem very odd for the “victim” of peeing, but it will help your dog build confidence and quickly give up submissive urination.
Prevent peeing: boost self-confidence
A lot of praise, reward, and joy will ensure that your dog will not submit to peeing so often in the future and eventually not at all. It would help if you boosted his self-confidence not only after a pee action but also before and in everyday life in general. A good measure for this is, for example, dog training, especially obedience training with the dog.
On the other hand, check your behavior as a dog owner. Do you perhaps unconsciously incorporate things into dog training that damage your animal partner’s self-confidence? Is your tone too strict? Do you value obedience too much? Try to find a good balance so your dog can build healthy self-confidence. If in doubt, you can ask an experienced dog trainer for help.
