My new rescue dog, a 4 year Westie, pees when she is approached to be taken out side. She does not pee in her crate, nor when she is around in the house. However, when I approach her to put her harness and leash on… she will squat and pee right there. She seems to get scared, but she is excited to go out until that moment. She will have her accident, then get excited again to go out. Medically, she is not having accidents anywhere else in the house, so I don’t believe its a bladder infection. I believe its a training or obediance excercise that must be done, but not sure what to do?
I have an existing 8 yr old female westie, and she sleeps on the bed at night. The new dog sleeps in a crate at night for the time. I’ve heard horror stories about keeping the harness or collar on the dog in the crate. That is the problem, I would keep it on, but don’t want her to have an issue choking or something else. I should be able to put the harness on, but that is when she pees.
Put a collar on her neck and leave it there, let her drag a 6 foot leash around the house and just take that and go out.
This sounds more like a temperament problem then a training one. Hope I helped.
Tags: Westie
You could try keeping a short leash (used for obedience training, they are about 10 inches long) on her so you don’t actually have to go thru the steps of putting the leash on.
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obedience trainer
I am having a very similar problem with my rescue coonhound. He pees just a little everytime my husband reprimands him or even gets ready to take him outside. This just started recently. I just called my vet about it this morning and they recommended Bark Busters but all I read online were bad reviews. He doesn’t have this problem if I reprimand him or take him out. So, I would also be interested to see what people’s suggestions are other than shelling out hundreds of dollars to Bark Busters.
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Put a collar on her neck and leave it there, let her drag a 6 foot leash around the house and just take that and go out.
This sounds more like a temperament problem then a training one. Hope I helped.
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Realist
Okay, this is a rescued dog. Beware that the dog my have a nervous condition, has been abused or some other trauma. She may not have bladder infection because my dog had a bladder infection and she peed everywhere and she would pee and leak pee when she walked so that is probably not the case. Just be easy with her talk to her and let her know that everything is going to be okay. However she is 4 years old so you have to consider that at her age certain things can cause this such as: overactive bladder, bladder shrinkage and her bladder can’t hold much water, etc. hope this helps
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Join a good local Dog Training Club- If possible join a Kennel Club Registered Club.
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Belong to a KC registered club and have trained 5 dogs with them and have gone on to entering the dogs at Obedience Shows gaIning many many rosettes.
Good for socializing dogs and finding new friends for yourself!
She may have been hit alot in her past so when people stand over her and start reaching out she thinks she’s going to be hit and gets nervous…. I suggest when you want to put a leash on her to squat down. Getting on a dog’s level usually makes them feel more comfortable. Then put the leash on when you’re down there. See if that helps. Always make it a positive experience and talk nicely and give praise.
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this is called submissive urination, it will really help if you don’t lean over or talk loudly to her
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What you have here is an example of Submissive Urination. That little dog is trying her very hardest to do the right thing for you but you’re not communicating effectively and you’re even musunderstanding total submission. She’s like walking on eggshells in her new environment.
What you need to do now, the next thing you do, is spend about 10 minutes reading the article of Calming Signals by internationally respected dog behaviour therapist Turid Rugass in the link below.
This will allow you to establish a 2-way communication channel between yourself and that little dog, showing her that not only can you understand where she’s coming frrom but that you can reassure her with dog body language too. You can give a rapid lick towards the tip of your nose, do an exaaggerated yawn, turn your head aside rahther than stare at her, approach her in a curve rather than head on.
Good luck with this. if it works – and usually it does – why not send the author a note of thanks.
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being a rescue dog, she was probably abused in some way, and you just got her. Some sort of anxiety problem…
Answer mine?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvFTYMtwzSJzBpBx_WolPbbsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20091116061824AAp162R
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We have had rescue dogs and they are almost always mistreated prior to getting to you. Therefore they are very afraid. Our little doggie would not take a leash either. So we sat down and waited till he came to us and once on our lap we would then leash him up and carry him outside to help with the anxiety he felt. Then always gave him a treat when we came back in. Now he is eager to go outside. He still will run if we stand over him as he was beaten prior to us. So we let him come to us. As times goes by he has become more playful and so very loving. He is a real joy to have. It took a lot of time, patience and loving understanding that this dog had a bad home before us. You give that dog his space, love, and let her come to you on her terms when she feels safe is the best thing you can do. It is fear that is wrong with the dog. Just be gentle, talk gentle and no moves that make the dog think your going to hit or scold. It will work out as time goes by and the dog will get to where it loves walks. It has never been leashed trained so it is afraid of the leash.
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It sounds more to me like a fear response and her not quite knowing how to act, so may well have been abused in the past.
Treat this very slowly and with lots of gentle praise when she goes outside, when you are getting ready to go out again be very calm do not acknowledge that she has done anything wrong.
You could also try a DAP diffuser or collar to help her keep calm and relaxed.
Take you time, be patient and treat a bit like a puppy, taking out often treat when she goes etc. Also try putting her lead and harness on and leave taking her out for a while until she is calmer.
Good luck time and patience is the key
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Dogs are descendants of pack animals, and they retain many of their wild canine instincts. Packs have well established hierarchies and strict greeting gestures that confirm each member’s position within the group. These behaviors are essential to keep the pack working as a unit. Whether hunting prey, establishing territory, or protecting their offspring, each member must know their own role and be reassured by the role that others play. Some of these instincts make dogs very good companions of people, and some behaviors are incompatible in the human household. Submissive urination is a greeting gesture that dogs use to confirm another pack member’s dominance. It is a normal behavior for dogs, but an annoying one for people.Puppies will often submissively urinate when approached by a person. This is actually a good sign that the dog considers the person dominant. Aggression can stem from a dog that tries to establish dominance over a human. Nevertheless, urinating in the house is unacceptable behavior and needs to be addressed. Reprimand has no place in this situation, as it will only cause more of the same behavior and confuse the dog.
Although a dog of any age and either sex may submissively urinate, this behavior is more common in female puppies. It can be triggered by any gesture of dominance by a human or another dog. A loud voice or excited greeting can cause it, and many times a person is unaware that they acted in any particular way at all. In any case the dog is displaying, in its instinctive way, that it is completely submissive and means no threat.
When a dog makes this submissive display, it may squat or roll over on its back while urinating. The dog may also “grin” by pulling back the edges of its mouth exposing its teeth. This facial gesture could be easily confused with an aggressive snarl. The exposed belly is a signal that the dog wants to “give up” the perceived challenge and is not displaying a desire to be petted. Reaching for an unfamiliar dog when this posture is observed can result in a snap at the fingers – a fear bite.
Puppies can usually be desensitized to submissively urinating over time. Greetings that initiate the posture should be avoided. The dog should be ignored when the owner first arrives home. A high pitched “hello sweetie” will cause the dog to urinate every time. Once the dog has settled down, the owner should move away from the dog and squat down to its level. Without saying anything, the dog is then allowed to approach. At the first hint of the dog squatting, the owner should turn away. Eye contact is a dominance display and can be a trigger for submissive urination.
Everyone who enters the house must follow the same steps to prevent the behavior. A dog that has a tendency to submissively urinate should be let outside before the front door is opened to a visitor. After the visitor is inside, the dog can be introduced slowly, but the visitor should be told to ignore the dog as well. Eventually, the dog will understand that there is no threat, and the submissiveness should subside. Most dogs grow out of this problem. Expect that a dog with this trait will act in the same way during new situations and around new people.
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http://pethealthlibrary.purinacare.com/dogs/submissive-urination-behavior/
its probably a behavioural problem known as submissive urination.
i wouldnt be surprised if shes been abused in her previous home(s) – this behaviour being the result.
leave the harness on her all the time (at least for the moment) – now all you have to do is clip the lead on before you can walk her.
sit on the floor in the living room (a room she is used to being in, but doesnt neccesarily associate with walks) and ask her to come to you.
when she does, reward her with treats (not too much enthusiastic praise or she will become over excited) and quietly clip on her lead.
then get up, not looking at her at all, and walk calmly to and out the front door with her at your side and, hopefully, without any accidents!
best of luck!
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