Problem behaviours
Excited and submissive urination in dogs
The tail goes, the body wiggles, and a small warm puddle spreads across the entryway tile. Or a guest reaches down and the dog rolls, ears back, and leaks. These puddles are not the dog choosing to go indoors, and reacting to them tends to produce more of them. The plan is mostly about how the humans greet the dog, with a vet conversation alongside so nothing physical gets missed.
Last reviewed September 29, 2026
Two puddles, two patterns
Tell excitement from appeasement, then change the greeting.
Excitement peeing tends to happen mid-wiggle, with a loose, happy body. Submissive peeing tends to come with a lowered body, pinned ears, a tucked tail or a roll onto the back, often after direct eye contact, a hand coming down from above, a deep voice or a telling-off. Scolding an excited dog adds arousal; scolding a worried dog confirms the worry. Either way the puddles tend to increase, so the first rule is that nobody comments on them. The second is a vet visit for anything new, frequent or persistent.
Then we rebuild the greeting. Arrivals stay quiet for the first minute: no eye contact, no high voice, no rush to the dog. Where possible the leash goes on and hello happens on the grass, where a puddle does not matter. When the greeting comes, we crouch sideways, let the dog choose whether to approach, and scratch the chest rather than reach over the head. Daily confidence work helps many dogs: short sessions, easy wins, food for brave choices, never a test the dog is likely to fail.
- Nobody scolds the puddle
- First hello happens outside
- Crouch sideways, no looming
- Vet asked about leaking
Guests and growing up
Puppies, visitors and the point where a professional helps.
Many puppies leak on greeting because bladder control and big feelings are both still developing, and many improve as both mature, provided nobody teaches them that greetings are dangerous. That is common, not promised, and a puppy who leaks often or outside greetings is a vet question first. In the meantime we empty the pup before anyone arrives, greet on the lawn and keep arrivals low-key. Adult dogs follow the same greeting rules, with the confidence work carrying more of the load.
Guests need a script, because visitors loom and boom hello unless briefed. We meet them outside where possible and ask them to ignore the dog, no eye contact and no reaching, until the dog approaches, then to offer a hand low and drop a treat. A dog that leaks with every stranger, trembles or hides is one to discuss with a vet and a training professional. Behaviour Rehab is our program built for anxiety and fear, planned after a full assessment, and the consultation recommends the program.
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
What causes excited urination in dogs?
Big feelings and, in puppies, a bladder that has not caught up yet. The puddle happens mid-wiggle, usually at arrivals, and the dog is not choosing it. Lowering the excitement of the greeting helps many dogs, and a vet should hear about anything new or persistent.
How do you stop submissive urination?
Stop doing the things that read as threat: bending over the dog, direct eye contact, a deep voice and any scolding. Greet sideways and low, let the dog come to you, and build confidence with easy daily wins. If it happens with every stranger, ask a vet and a training professional.
Does a puppy who pees when excited grow out of it?
Many do as bladder control and confidence develop, but it is not a promise, and frequent leaking is worth a vet visit. Empty the pup before greetings, say hello outside and keep arrivals boring.
Should you tell a dog off for the greeting puddle?
No. Scolding adds arousal to an excited dog and confirms the worry for a submissive one, so both tend to get worse. Clean it up without comment and change how the household walks in.
Keep reading
Rebuild the hello
Book a consultation and describe the greeting. We will say whether coaching or a program fits your dog.
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