Why it happens
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Great excitement
When you come home or guests arrive, the puppy is overjoyed, jumps around, wags its whole body and cannot hold its urine. It does not do it on purpose and does not even notice.
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A peace signal
When someone leans over a dog, looks down at it or speaks sternly, it may crouch, roll onto its back, flatten its ears and pee. The dog is saying "I am no threat". It is neither disobedience nor stubbornness.
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Young age
A puppy's bladder and its control of it are still maturing. Many dogs grow out of the habit as they grow up and gain more confidence.
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A sensitive nature or past experience
Shy, sensitive dogs, as well as dogs from a rescue or ones that have been scolded and punished before, pee more easily and take longer to grow out of it.
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It is not a house-training problem
A dog that pees only when greeting may well be fully house-trained. It is a separate matter from soiling indoors, and is handled differently.
What helps
- Calm greetings When you come home, ignore the dog for a few minutes and greet it once it has settled. Speak quietly and stroke its chest or chin, not its head.
- Do not lean over the dog Crouch side-on, do not look straight into its eyes and let the dog come to you. Ask guests to do the same.
- Greet outdoors Take the dog straight out into the yard or stairwell when you come home, and meet guests outside or on a mat that is easy to clean. Take the dog out to pee before guests arrive.
- No scolding To the dog, scolding is one more sign of threat, so it will pee even more. Clean up the puddle without a word, using an enzyme cleaner so no smell is left.
- Something to do instead of gushing Teach the dog to fetch a toy or to sit for a treat when it greets people. A busy dog gets less worked up, and games and reward-based training build its confidence.
Related product categories
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When it is a question for a vet
See a vet if the dog leaks urine while asleep or lying quietly, if an adult dog that was house-trained has started urinating indoors, if it keeps going to pee a little at a time, strains, has blood in its urine or drinks much more, or if peeing when excited has not passed although the dog is now an adult.