help

[vicster2006]

my 9 mth old springer spaniel has a bladder weakness problem, when you talk to him he starts to piddle i think he just gets too excited even when your calmwith him he still does it? anbody got any tips or know how to keep it under control?

[jedimistress]

Is it a diagnosed bladder problem?

Where did you get him from and at what age? Rescue centre, breeder? Or have you had him from birth?

Springers are such hugely energetic and excitable dogs aren't they.

[vicster2006]

we got him from a breeder at about 2 mths old i think, its not diagnosed problem, its just when hes excited he doesnt wee in the house or anything when hes left alone etc.

[jedimistress]

It seems he does not have a bladder problem, just an excitability one.

Did you buy him after 8 weeks old from the breeder?

[vicster2006]

yes hes a full pedigree, from a breeder thats in the kennel club.

i was thinking it maybe that hes going through doggy puberty? if there is such a thing,

do these things settledown after a while?

[jedimistress]

I did not mean to say "excitablilty", I meant to psychological!!! Very important....and hugely different.

[vicster2006]

it could well be cos if you talk to him and say no piddles he doesnt do it? strange

[jedimistress]

Does he understand "no piddles" then?

[drgnrdr]

Get him checked by a vet first, to make sure and see if it's medical or behavioral. If vet ck is ok then..Behavioral : he might submissively urinate or excitement urinate, The first step is to realize this problem is completely natural. For dogs, this behavior usually is either:. Excitement urination, ( for young pups)is the result of infant muscles that simply cannot hold their urine when the pup gets excited. Submissive urination falls into a completely different category. Dogs have behaviors in place to reduce violence between them. When challenged, a submissive dog will use this and other body languages to display its lower status and to prevent an attack. Submissive urination is one of those offered in this type of greeting.Fixing the problem starts with understanding what signals (yours) trigger the reaction.First, dogs that get direct eye contact is more often a challenge. For some submissive dogs, even a moment's eye contact can be intolerable. Eye contact from above, indicating that they other dog is taller, may trigger this reaction. Another signal that canines perceive as a challenge is bending over or touching the dog's head, neck or shoulders. Dominant dogs often display dominance by placing their neck, or a paw over another dog's neck or shoulders. When a human pets a dog on the head, a submissive dog can perceives it as a display of dominance. To start change the greeting behavior, you need to avoid those situations that instantly trigger urination. When you get home avoid eye contact, don't bend over to greet him, and in general ignore the dog for the first few minutes, then ask him to sit (if he knows how),If he does not, then try some very calm words of greeting and don't touch him right away, let his excitement calm after the course of an hour touch him breifly..

to be cont.'

[drgnrdr]

If he doesn't urinate then keep this up, he needs to understand you don't want him to urinate that is not required of him. If he does then stop all attention, and just clean it up and try being even calmer and teach him sit and don't touch him for a while just talk to him and when he sits give him a treat, most dogs can't eat and piddle at the same time, so when he acts good, no piddle he gets treat, piddle gets NO treat and you stop attention. Any time we pet them and they pee they think it is acceptable because you are touching them and praising it. Don't yell, or try to correct them if they piddle, it will make it worse. If needed take him outside, at first until he gets this under control, so piddle habit happens when goes on yard not your rug. This goes for everyone coming in to your home, they must ignore dog for first few minutes til he calms down,, no eye contact either, wait for him to do this, ask him to sit, he get s BRIEF hello and treat, you can also do this outside so accidents are kept outside. Hopefully he will outgrow this, and learn a different way to say hello, you must teach him. See a trainer if possible that is teaching Pos. reinforcement training. Let us know how it goes..it will take time to change this automatic response HABIT, we need to give him something else to do. Good luck..~/:\~

[cazz_mm]

Hi, our old border collie had this problem when she was a pup and i also know a springer that used to do it. Neither of them did it when they were really small, it developed when they were several months old. It is because they get very excited by the attention that you are giving them - especially if you have left them alone for some time.

We found that when we first came in we ignored the pup for a few minutes and didnt make a fuss. If she wee'd we wouldnt react, just clean it up and after a few minutes say hello calmly and give her a cuddle. After a couple of weeks she'd completely stopped as she learnt that getting really excited when she saw people meant that she wouldnt get a fuss.

I really do think it is a puppy thing, you just need to train them out of it until their bladder muscles are a bit stronger.

Hope this works for you!! Good luck x

[drgnrdr]

do I hear an echo?......LOL