My 6-month-old puppy pees when excited. How do I stop this behavior?
What he's doing is probably submissive urination. He sees you as an authority figure, or someone he's very happy to see and urinates. Submissive urination is normal canine communication. When a dog submissively urinates, he’s trying to convey that he’s not a threat. Dogs who submissively urinate usually do so when greeting people or animals, during exciting events, while playing, during physical contact, such as petting, or when scolded or punished.
When in a situation that seems to trigger submissive urination, a dog will tend to display submissive postures, such as cowering, lowering the body, raising the front paws, tucking the tail, flattening the ears back, licking the lips or displaying a submissive grin.
Submissive urination is most common in puppies, but some adult dogs submissively urinate as well, especially those who seem to lack confidence.
The following suggestions might help you manage, minimize or stop the behavior.
If possible, greet him outside.
Toss a handful of small treats or a few favorite toys in his direction as he runs up to greet you.
Ignore him when you first come home and walk through the door. Wait until he has completely calmed down before interacting with him. When you finally greet your dog, do so calmly. Look off to the side instead of straight at him. Sit on the floor or squat down—and avoid looming over your dog as you bend toward him.
Teach your dog to perform a behavior, such as sit, when he greets people. First, practice the sit behavior outside of the greeting context, in a calm place, without other people around. When you pet your dog, touch him under the chin or chest, rather than on top of his head or ears.
Keep play sessions with him low-key and play games with him that focus on toys rather than bodily contact.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025