Puppy peeing when gets excited!

Betsy18

Hi Guys,

Wanted to run this by you all and would appreciate advice on it! My 4 mth old shih tzu has started to pee when she gets excited. she isn't too bad when we come in as we run straigt outside with her and she then pees but its embarassing when visitors come in and she jumps up on them and pees on their shoes etc. i have noticed lately that when i go to lift her she pees on the floor as i have my hands on her to lift her. i thought maybe she was afraid but her tail wags like mad and she loves being cuddled so i dont understand why she pees like that.

is this normal puppy behaviour?(she's my 1st pup!)

thanks!

TooManyDogs

Yep, normally puppy behaviour! One of the things I do is to completely ignore the dog when I come in, I don't acknowledge them at all, this gradually stops the mental excitement. So ignore the dog and lead them out to the garden for a wee, then after they've done the wee there you can talk to them.

Very very important to get all visitors to do the same, so you can calmly get her out for a pee. Telling them if they don't ignore her she'll likely pee on their shoes will more than likely go a long way to helping

morganafay

One of my dogs was the same. Whenever she saw us she'd pee while running over, but she eventually grew out of it.

Betsy18

thanks guys! will try to ignore her from now on when i come in and until she has peed!

have either of you ever come across the issue with her peeing when you go to lift her or try to grab her for her bath etc? i try and calm her and then lift her but she knows and pees on the floor before i get a chance to lift her off the ground! i thought she was frightened off me but her tail is wagging and she knows she will get a cuddle when i lift her so not sure why she is peeing!

magentas

hey betsy I have a puppy that does the very same! every day when I come in he gets so excited jumping up on me tail wagging away and a little trickle of pee runs out!
I just try to keep him outside for min or 2. I'm sure other posters here are wiser than I, but it's so hard to ignore him when I arrive home and come on he's only a puppy!!!
We're actually very strict with him in terms of establishing hierarchy and training etc. but we asked trainer about this and he said it's common for puppies and he'll grow out of it.

TooManyDogs

magentas wrote: »

I'm sure other posters here are wiser than I, but it's so hard to ignore him when I arrive home and come on he's only a puppy!!!

It is hard to do initially and I imagine it can sound cruel to some people. When I was first adviced to ignore my lot it felt very weird but now that I have 6 it's a god send! It means I can take in the groceries, or make a cuppa or organise the baby without having 6 hyper dogs jumping all over me. The 10 mins of ignoring means I can get myself organised and they're calm, then I can say hello to them. There's also the principle of ignoring bad behaviour and rewarding good, I don't like to be jumped up on so I ignore them, I like it when they're calm, so I reward that by petting them.

Don't forget it's only rude to ignore someone in human society....

belongtojazz

Betsy18 wrote: »

thanks guys! will try to ignore her from now on when i come in and until she has peed!

have either of you ever come across the issue with her peeing when you go to lift her or try to grab her for her bath etc? i try and calm her and then lift her but she knows and pees on the floor before i get a chance to lift her off the ground! i thought she was frightened off me but her tail is wagging and she knows she will get a cuddle when i lift her so not sure why she is peeing!

Have you tried leading her to where you want her to go rather than lifting her? When my little was a pup I left a light lead on her a lot in the house and if I wanted her to go somewhere (out for a wee, up for a bath etc) I just picked up the lead and brought her.

It is so easy when they are little to carry them but it is not really the best way to teach them where they should be going. Although I to have to be honest and say I still use the lifting option sometimes and my dog is 2. I don't ever lift the big guy though as he's 20kg, and he is much better at going where he's directed.

*note to self, follow my own advice*

TooManyDogs

belongtojazz wrote: »

*note to self, follow my own advice*

It's like my mother always used to say "Do as I say, not as I do" !!!

anniehoo

Great advice ToomanyDogs..after all dogs dont think "aw maaan im gettin ignored" they'll just be delighted fullstop you're there at all.

dan_d

I know someone who has a small dog about 5 years old...and she still pees when she's excited. They try to pay no attention to her, but she just won't stop doing it!!The puddles are small now, but she still does it!!

pokertalk

TooManyDogs wrote: »

Yep, normally puppy behaviour! One of the things I do is to completely ignore the dog when I come in, I don't acknowledge them at all, this gradually stops the mental excitement. So ignore the dog and lead them out to the garden for a wee, then after they've done the wee there you can talk to them.

Very very important to get all visitors to do the same, so you can calmly get her out for a pee. Telling them if they don't ignore her she'll likely pee on their shoes will more than likely go a long way to helping

+1 this should be done with all pets really

Betsy18

Yes belongtojazz i have tried guiding her to where i want her to go but she won't budge!! if she sees you even heading in her direction she will hide and i have no choice but to lift her and that is when she pees!! i sometimes get the feelin that she thinks i am playing with her!!

Betsy18

thanks for all the advice guys! i'm hoping to ignore her when i come in from now on and take her straight outside! i started this morning and she was alot calmer and went the minute i got her outside so fingers crossed she will grow out of it in time!:D

magentas

Betsy18 wrote: »

thanks for all the advice guys! i'm hoping to ignore her when i come in from now on and take her straight outside! i started this morning and she was alot calmer and went the minute i got her outside so fingers crossed she will grow out of it in time!:D

sounds like progress already! from what I've been researching (and yes what other posters have said! but I'm still learning myself) puppies really don't mind been put in their place/ignored. It establishes their place in the family and as long as they know their position (In our house he's third after boyf and myself) they're quiet happy.
Best of luck!;)

eagle10

magentas wrote: »

sounds like progress already! from what I've been researching (and yes what other posters have said! but I'm still learning myself) puppies really don't mind been put in their place/ignored. It establishes their place in the family and as long as they know their position (In our house he's third after boyf and myself) they're quiet happy.
Best of luck!;)

The dog comes third.
Who's first you are your boyf?

magentas

eagle10 wrote: »

The dog comes third.
Who's first you are your boyf?

moi!:D

Betsy18

Thanks Magentas!! i'm so happy today! we let her out of her room this morning and never spoke to her until she was outside and there was no accidents on the way out!! to top that she had no mess left this morning in her room, she usually has 2/3 poops and pees done and there was nothing there this morning! i'm soooooo happy!!:D:D