Why do dogs pee when they get scared?

April 13, 2012

Pet owners have a variety of concerns regarding the pet but indiscriminate defecating and urinating is one of the most common problems. House soiling is most common when there is a pet in the household. This is why house breaking is started as soon as a new puppy is brought home. However, no matter how well trained the dog is, there will always be a time when the dog will forget to ran outdoors to use its own bathroom.

There are different reasons why dogs soil the house. Dogs are territorial and one of these reasons is scent marking. The dog may urinate indoors because of a medical problem such as urinary tract infection and gastrointestinal upset. The frequent urination may be due to an abnormality in the genitalia. The leaking can be due to a bladder problem as well. But did you know that scared dogs show a tendency to urinate indiscriminately? The dog may have just done its business outside but once the scared feeling is triggered the dog will have no control of its bladder. The dog may not even be aware that it is peeing. This behavior is most common in puppies not only because they have not yet developed bladder control but also because they have as yet to develop self confidence. Puppies that encounter new situations will get scared and urinate. This is known as submissive urination. The puppy is letting the dominant one know that it is not a threat. A puppy would usually outgrow submissive urination. When puppies are socialized they develop self confidence and they don’t get as easily scared. Dogs however, have different personalities. While some dogs would exhibit a dominant behavior others would be shy, nervous and fearful. A dominant dog will assume the position of being the leader of the pack. Owners of this type of dog would find managing and controlling the dog difficult. On the other hand, weak willed dogs will be a problem too. These dogs will show undesirable behavior when confronted with an intimidating situation one of which is submissive urinating.

This behavioral problem of the pet has to be stopped not only because of the mess the dog will create inside the house but building the pet’s confidence will be necessary for the dog to live a better life. To some pets, the body language of the owner can be perceived as threatening. The dog will be intimidated by being directly stared at or by a person bending over to touch the dog. Building the confidence of the dog would be as simple as modifying the movements of the body.