Why Does My Dog Pee When I Pet Them? Vet-Reviewed Tips, Signs & Reasons

Dogs peeing when they become excited is not an old wives' tale; it's a natural phenomenon that can frustrate owners to no end if they don't understand why it's happening.

Here, we will discuss some common reasons why your dog may pee when petted.

The 2 Possible Reasons Your Dog Pees When You Pet Them

1. Submissive Urination

Submissive urination refers to a dog's urge to urinate to show a deferral of dominance between itself and a dominant figure. By doing so, your dog is deferring to you as the pack leader and showing you respect in dog language.

Dogs who urinate submissively may do so whenever they feel anxiety, fear, or shyness. This could be triggered by being greeted by you (the pack leader), a new person, or a loud noise. The urge to urinate submissively is an evolutionary communication behavior critical to canine packs.

If you notice that your dog is urinating in response to fear, excitement, or anxiety, they likely have a problem with submissive urination. Submissive urination can be caused by incomplete housetraining, fear of past experiences, or separation anxiety, among other things.

Submissive urination is most common in dogs younger than 12 weeks and equally common among the sexes. Many young dogs grow out of submissive urination, but the behavior can still be frustrating for dog parents while it's occurring.

How to Train Your Dog Not to Urinate Submissively

Training your dog is one of the core facets of being a dog owner, and luckily, submissive urination is a behavior that dog parents can teach their dogs out of. The key to training your dog not to urinate submissively is understanding submissive urination from a dog's perspective and working from there.

Submissive urination is a communication technique dogs use to show that they have yielded control to another creature, usually a dominant dog. Showing your dog that you want them to do something else to show their submissiveness to you is key to getting them to stop urinating submissively.

Identify Signs of Submissive Urination

Dogs follow some general behavioral tics when they have the urge to urinate submissively. These behavioral displays show the other dog (or person) they're trying to communicate with that they've yielded control.

Intervene

When you see your dog displaying these behaviors, you'll want to intervene and show them how you want them to act. Dogs want to please the people they view as their pack leaders. So, if you teach your dog how to work, they'll do so to please you.

For starters, when your dog starts showing signs that they feel the urge to urinate, bring them outside submissively. This will help them learn that urination is meant to be done outside, even if it's done submissively, and help reinforce housetraining.

2. Health Issues That Can Cause Inappropriate Urination

If your dog isn't experiencing a submissive urination problem, you may have an issue with your dog's health. Getting them checked by a veterinarian can help clear any worry about health problems causing your dog to urinate inappropriately.

Still, here are some other signs that your dog might have a health issue that's making it hard for them to hold in their pee.

If you suspect your dog might be suffering from underlying health issues, you should contact your vet.

Final Thoughts

Inappropriate urination is a frustrating topic for any pet owner! Our pets can't speak with us. So, we can't explain when and where they should urinate; we only train them with non-verbal communication.

Luckily, submissive urination is a relatively easy fix for most dog owners. It just takes a little bit of hard work and consistent training to get your dog acting correctly. It shouldn't be hard to correct your dog's behavior, and you'll have a prim and polite pup in no time!

See Also:

• Why Does My Dog Pee on My Child’s Bed? (5 Possible Reasons)

• Why Did My Dog Pee On Me? 5 Possible Reasons and Solutions

Featured Image Credit: Parilov, Shutterstock