Submissive [dog] peeing

Family, Education, Health and Pets
1
Hello Everyone

My Hubby and I are in the process of adopting a 2.5 yr young Cane Corso, castrated male, the sweetest dog under the sun!!

He is from an animal shelter however he lived on a dog vacation place where he was able to play with other dogs and it was definitely better for him then a shelter.

Prior to taking him home we visited him twice for walks and to make sure he is getting along with my son (4) Now that we have him they are awesome together, could not be better.

We were told that Tyson may pee when my husband calls him because the previous owner was a "yeller" and right she was!!

Tyson will come to my husband, wag his tail, hubby will pet him and praise him and as soon as he wants to take him for a walk he cowers and pees.

This now for 10 days!! It is not getting better! We do not yell at him, we do not scold him!!

Any helpful tips how to get Tyson's trust? (I`m assuming it is a trust issue) Thank you so much!

2
Adopting a dog is a great thing, we've got 3, all rescued. But they come with baggage: bad memories and bad habits. The older they are, the longer it takes to correct patterns of behaviour. Sometimes it feels like you will never get there. But don't be discouraged. 10 days is not a very long time at all. I understand it would be nice if you saw some light at the end of the tunnel and I am sure you will, eventually.

Was the previous owner, the "yeller", a man? That could be the first problem. Does Tyson react the same way if you call him to take him for a walk? Perhaps walking is not a pleasant memory for Tyson so you need to start all over again. If he likes other dogs, maybe you could find someone to walk with.

Over the years one thing I have learned about our dogs is treats work for just about every situation. They are also an excellent distraction in most cases and this sounds like one of those situations where you are going to need a good supply of treats.

Good on you for giving Tyson and home and good luck with this.

3
First, congratulations on the new addition - what a wonderful thing you have done!

Second, toss away the calendar, or any other tool to measure time.

Building trust, forging a bond can happen quickly, but in many cases it can take a long time. 10 day is a mere blink of an eye in terms of the long and winding rehab road. Don't put pressure on yourself or your dog, let things happen at the pace that is comfortable for your dog.

Bear in mind that submissive urination is an über calming signal - your dog is telling you that he is very uncomfortable or afraid of someone or something - he urinates in an effort to appease the thing that frightens him, hoping it - whatever 'it' is - will go away. This is an almost sub-conscious reaction - punishing him for urinating will only make things worse. And bear in mind that training out the behavior is really only treating the superficial symptom - long term, the fear behind the behavior will need to be addressed.

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So - in the short term - time to get zen about it all. Seriously: Do. Not. React. Keep calm, go about your normal routine, quietly clean up any mess.

Here's a good article about submissive urination:

http://www.aspcabehavior.org/article...Urination.aspx

Once you have identified what triggers are likely to result in submissive urination, try to de-escalate/manage those situations. The point the article makes about avoiding eye contact in a stress trigger situation, even arcing around or approaching from the side, is a very important one.

With my stress-y dogs I use clicker training (with high value rewards), as I find that they tend not to attach any 'baggage' to the sound of a click as they might to a human voice.

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Long term, you'll want to work on the fear underlying the submissive urination - but I am hesitant to make any suggestions without knowing a lot more about the situation. Do you have a trainer to work with?

(FYI, Turid Rugaas' book 'Calming Signals' is one of the books I think every dog owner should read - and read again. Another good short read is 'The Cautious Canine' by Patricia McConnell.)

All the best to you and your new four footed friend.

.

4
Heya

Well, you already got plenty of advice there, so just a quick idea:

We had our dog trained to postures and signs. It comes very naturally to both dog and owner!

Dogs need patience... but the results are very heart-warming.

5
Good morning and congratulations on your new addition to the family.

I am not an expert, but have been in the same situation as you. Except mine was fear and excitement that brought it on. Excitement to see me when I got home and fear of everything.

I am not sure if Tyson has a visible problem with males. However I found that men are fairly tall. The first thing I would always recommend is that you at the dogs eye level and on your knees even when putting on a lead. We normally tend to cower over them when trying to put on the lead, which could cause Tyson to feel cornered.

I am not sure what type of collar you use for walks. Have you considered a harness rather than a collar around the neck? This would mean you would be clipping onto the back (easy access and quick) rather than getting in and around Tyson's neck. Maybe put the harness on first thing in the morning (treats as a helper) and take it off after the last walk. Maybe Tyson is nervous about having some one put something around his neck.

Whoever in your family Tyson is bonding with the least should be the one to feed him. This builds up trust very quickly. It is amazing and worked wonders for my husband when he first met my rescue dog. I always found that being fully clothed, with shoes and dog poop bags etc, before heading over to mine to head out for a walk. This way it was a quick clip lead on the harness and distraction as door is open lets leave in about 5 seconds. No time to think or worry. Mine was scared of dark, autumn leaves on the ground etc, etc, etc. I also used lots of treats to keep him distracted.

There will always be parts of their past they will not loose. Mine is still afraid after 8 years of being in a room where he is cornered. He will not go to into our bedroom or the lounge except with me. I understand his fears and work with him to continue to make him feel safe. My friends still comment on how much he has grown in character and how secure he is. You will find this an exceptionally rewarding experience. But as everyone says, these things take time. Good luck and enjoy!

6
Congrats and welcome to the world of having a rescue dog!

Lots of great advice already so will just add that it will get better - our latest was completely terrified of being brushed. the brush would come out of the drawer and she was gone - finding a place to hide and she would just shake for what seemed an eternity and we would have to hold her and reassure her everything was ok. To deal with it, we started by not putting the brush away, kept it places she would see - eventually just laid it down next to her when she was someplace comfortable - and any time we touched it, we gave her lots of love. Now she rolls over so we can brush her tummy she loves it so much. It takes time, but you might want to do something similar with the leash so he starts to see that anytime someone is around with it, it means love. if it's the walk that he's had bad experiences with, then he will start to disassociate the leash with the walk as well.

Good luck!

7
Actually, for starters, if you havent already done so, I would bring Tyson to the vet just to be sure that its not a physical problem (weak bladder etc) that needs to be fixed first.

If he is perfectly healthy, then it sounds like Tyson is a sensitive dog, and his previous owner yelling at him obviously made it worse. Re-building his confidence is going to take some time. You've received lots of great advice from above posters. Other tips I would try are:

1. Give Tyson affection from the bottom of his chin, rather than petting him over the head. The latter is a sign of dominance.

2. Do NOT coo over him. Affection given should be simply calm, and quiet.

3. I never encourage this usually but indulge him in a couple of tug-of-war games and let him win.

4. Obedience classes: not only are they a great way to strengthen the bond between Tyson and you, they are also a great confidence booster for Tyson. If he's already trained, go for advanced obedience, or agility courses. Cane Corsos are genetically hunters. Try playing some seeking games for him around the house or get him a brain train toy to build his confidence further.

5. Re going for a walk - keep it quiet. Retrace your steps back to the beginning. Let him associate the leash with good things even before putting it on. On those times that he doesnt need to go for a walk, arm yourself with a handful of treats, hold onto the leash and call him to you. Simply treat and tell him what a good boy he is. Put the leash on and walk around the house with him. Baby steps. And when he is used to it after your practice runs, simply walk out of the house as a matter of fact with him. He will soon learn to associate that going out of the house isnt really a big deal.

Trust me, with your patience and love, he will get there. Remember that its only been 10 days

PS: Congratulations!!!!! Tyson is lucky to have found a home with you and your family!

8
I think the general consensus is 10 days is not much time at all to adjust to a new environment. Given the background Tyson came from, he is going to have to learn to trust and this takes time. Plus he has to get to know you.

One of our rescue dogs was hit (on the face) and initially she was so afraid that you could not even go near her head to pet her or stroke her without her cowering and her eyelids twitching. It took a very long time for her to get over this. She was 3.5 when she came to live with us so she had spent many years being mistreated. She is now 10 and if I think back to when we got her she is really not anything like the day we brought her home. It wasn't easy, but it has been extremely rewarding. There are things she still hates, like having her nails cut, but she lets me do this and then licks my face when I am done.

Though not a puppy, Tyson is young, and in time he will learn that he has a new home with loving owners. Don't be discouraged, buy lots of paper towel and an empty spray bottle you can fill with something to clean the floor with.

9
My dog tank does the same, but it has gotten much much less. we just let him out alot more these days. It had gotten to a point where he would pee on me or my gf.(happened about 4 times)

with letting him out more he hasnt peed in the house or on anyone anymore.

now when he gets upset or has to pee he will start yelping so that means its time to go out....