Hi everyone,

We have a 6 month old beagle dog (M) who has always leaked when excited or in the presence of men he finds dominating. I wondered if there is anything we can do to help him with this as we're having a new heating system installed in January and the place will be busy with men for the best part of a week. He is mostly confined to our kitchen so it's easily mopped up, but I don't want it to be a huge ordeal for him and for it to affect his behaviour further down the line (or for the guys to not notice and trapse it all round the house ).

Would bringing all our male neighbours through with treats etc be helpful? If not does anyone have any other suggestions?

He's a very friendly and intelligent little chap, and this only happens in the house.

Thank you
Tracey

Hi,

Best thing to do is to get anyone (inc. you and family) to ignore the dog when they come in until he settles down no matter how long that may take. No talking, no eye contact and no physical affection until he he has settled. Then you call the dog to you.

M rescue collie did this as he got so excited and would "dance" when anyone came in. After a few weeks of the above he's still pleased to see you but no weeing and the dancing is getting to more of a slow romantic sway than the full on Chubby Checker Twist he did before. A friend's springer was also the same and she no longer wees either.

Best of luck.

Hi

My rescue collie did this when we first had him, hes gone now, but we still remember him 'christening' peoples shoes. Worse was he used to roll on his back and do it, he was so submissive it was sad, you only had to do a 'oh no' about something not even related to him and he would hit the deck!

Ignoring them usually works well or you could tryand boost his self esteem with men too, whilst you have workmen around, get them to drop treats around them, without making eye contact, so he gets more confident around them.

Kate

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Just because I can't talk, doesn't mean you can't understand me

My rescue ESS does this. He did it really badly when i first had him, although he still does it its not nearly as much.

I only have to raise my hand to srctch my head and he did it. (he has had a tough 3 yrs years before i took him on)

I did just ignore it.

Also train him several times through the day for about 10 minutes each time, and always start and end with a command he knows. It will up his confidence and therefore help with this problem.

xx

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hey, tracey! :--)

this is actually an *involuntary* behavior, it is a physical reaction triggered by the dogs emotions... so while it can be addressed behaviorally, the likelihood of these men (who are there to do the job) being aware of their own body-lingo + movements as TRIGGERS for the dog to leak, is pretty darned low, IMO.
it is not that they do not care - it takes a LOT of awareness to monitor ones own body-parl to avoid upsetting somebody else, we move in ways that are habitual.

i would suggest an alternative -
buy at least Two cotton belly-bands sized to fit the dog, and move him entirely out of the kitchen area (or wherever else they may need to work). the belly band is to be LINED with inexpensive, UNscented self-stick menstrual pads - no perfumes, etc, just plain. (perfumes, deodorants, etc, can cause a dogs skin to break-out or irritate tender areas.)

at least 2 or 3 times a day, when U take him out to potty, slip off the belly band + check to see that it is DRY. change the pad lining if it is wet, and change it at least once every 24 to 48 hours, even if it is DRY - to prevent bacteria accumulating.

this way, he can go anywhere in the house without fear of leakage, and if he does, the pad catches the urine... no big deal. since nobody can TELL that he is leaking / did leak, he will also not get any involuntary angry or irritated feedback, not even body-language or sighs, etc, for leaking...
it becomes a non-event.

since it becomes an entirely un-remarked event, the emotional turmoil associated with it tends to calm, and this will help him to stop leaking altogether, over time.

i would start getting him accustomed to the belly-band soon, in his familiar place - the kitchen... then move him into the living-room with the family, within a few days to a week. by the time the destruction starts (pulling the old heating system out), he should be comfortable in the new area.

if need be, to get him far-enuf away from the noise + strangers, put him in the bedroom with the door shut And A Note explaining *not* to let the dog out, please - and not to enter!

a radio tuned to all-music can help make the sounds of ripping out chunks of wall and conduit (light classical, something happy - NOT talk-radio or loud strident haranguing, happy and calming);
if there are no all-music stations, THRU A DOGS EAR is a CD just for dogs, of music designed for their enjoyment; it comes with the book of the same name!
there is also the old reliable, white-noise... tune to the static between stations on a low volume, as a masking noise.

i would think these would get him off on the right paw...
and the co-operation of the construction crew becomes un-necessary,

cheers,
--- terry

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terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007

Springers are paricularly prone to this all mine have done it, ure right just to ignore it, they are very very sensitive to emotions, not always bad if we speak to molly in a particular voice like a high fussy voice she will wee.

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Our pup does it.

If a big dog runs up to her or when I catch her after after the usual chase around the living room when I need to get hold of her she will do a wee.

I don't do it with any aggression, I try to be as relaxed and pleasant as possible but we always get a bit of wee.

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It can be really difficult made me laugh, we'v had that around the house when molly was tiny she would jump up on the bed, the sofa and with the others i could just say "down," stern voice but with her she would just wee if i did the same when she went through jumping up at people only once did i say a stern "down" and she weed down their legs, she is better now though.

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Our Beagle used to do this, he is now nearly two years and he is much better. He just used to get so excited, he didn't even realise he was doing it, he once projectile wee'd at our friend who had come in to walk him, he jumped on the sofa, layed on his back for a belly rub and let him have it!

Alfie only ever does it still when he sees my dad, doesn't matter if its at our house or his, he just can't help himself!

If you have time before the heating men come, get him used to a crate/den area where he can retreat undisturbed and feel safe. He should greet the heating men with them sitting on the floor at his level, he is then brought into the room and they give him treats without getting him over-excited - don't be embarrassed about asking them to help with this, it's likely at least one will be a dog owner and understand. You can ask the heating men to always walk slowly and quietly around him so he doesn't feel intimidated.