When your dog pees when they see you, whether you’re coming home or simply entering a room, it can be both endearing and mildly annoying. This behavior, often stemming from excitement or submissive urination, requires a gentle and understanding approach to modify. To handle this, we need to first understand the root cause and how to tell if it’s due to joy or submission.

In this article, we’ll explain why dogs pee when they see you, focusing on the emotional triggers that lead to this reaction. Once you understand the cause, we’ll then teach you how to stop submissive urination and excitement peeing, and also how to train your dog to pee on a pad while you’re gone, ensuring the two of you enjoy a happy reunion every time. Let’s begin!

Why Do Dogs Pee When They See You?

Dogs pee when they see you due to a combination of excitement and submission. This behavior is more common in puppies and younger dogs, who haven’t fully mastered their bladder control, or in dogs that are overly submissive or anxious. Understanding the difference between excitement urination and submissive urination is key to addressing this behavior effectively.

Why Do Dogs Pee When They See Me?

Dogs pee when they see you because your presence may trigger a strong emotional response, leading to involuntary peeing. This can be due to sheer joy and excitement at seeing you or a submissive behavior designed to show you they recognize you as their leader. Both responses are natural and can be managed with patience and training.

Stop Submissive Urination in Dogs

Submissive urination occurs when a dog feels intimidated, showing respect or deference. To address this:

• Keep greetings low-key: Avoid direct eye contact and speak in a calm, gentle voice to reduce the possibility they’ll feel scared.
• Encourage confidence: Positive reinforcement and confidence-building activities like training commands can help reduce submissive behaviors.
• Train “sit” command: Teaching your dog to sit when they see you will help build respect and confidence. To train a dog to “sit,” hold a treat close to your dog’s nose, then slowly move your hand up, causing the dog’s head to follow and bottom to lower. Once in the sitting position, say “sit,” give the treat, and offer praise. Repeat regularly, adding the command before the movement as your dog begins to understand.

How to Stop Dogs From Excitement Peeing

Excitement peeing happens during highly stimulating situations. To help your dog manage their excitement:

1. Ignore the behavior: Do not punish or scold your dog. Wait until they have calmed down before acknowledging them.
2. Gradual desensitization: Slowly introduce your dog to the stimuli that cause excitement and reward them when they stay calm. The park can work for this.
3. Regular bathroom breaks: Ensure your dog has plenty of opportunities to relieve themselves, especially before greeting them after being away.

Your dog peeing when they see you is usually a sign of excitement or submission. By understanding the cause of this behavior, you can take steps to manage it through training and adjustments to your interactions. With patience and consistent effort, most dogs can learn to control their bladder even in the most exciting or intimidating situations.

It’s important to remember that the underlying behavioral issues (fear, anxiety, submission, etc.) that were causing all of this to begin with will still be present. And until you address those, any positive changes you see will only be temporary.

“Well, how do I make these changes last?”

By getting your dog to truly choose to follow your direction, that’s how. I tried many times to write out how you can do that before deciding it made more sense to just link you to the free video series that explains it better than I’d ever be able to.

The series is by a man named Dan who is one of the world’s leading dog obedience trainers. In it, he teaches you how to put an end to things like your dog peeing when they see you and all other misbehavior using his fast and easy-to-follow methods.

In the first video, Dan will reveal to you why the two most common methods of dog training only doom you to failure. You can watch the video now by clicking here. Follow the proven system he’ll show you in his series and you’ll never have to spend another second worrying about why your dog pees when they see you ever again!

Why Does My Dog Pee When I Come Home?

Your dog pees when you come home primarily because of excitement or anxiety. This behavior is a common response in dogs who haven’t yet mastered their bladder control or are overly enthusiastic about your return. It can also be a sign of submissive urination, where your dog is expressing their respect for you as their leader.

Dog Pees When I Come Home, What Do I Do?

If your dog pees when you come home, consider the following strategies to help manage their behavior:

• Maintain calm greetings: Keep your arrival low-key to avoid excitement peeing. Learn how to avoid submission urination in the first section.
• Ignore the behavior initially: Wait until your dog calms down before giving them attention. Ensure that others in your home do the same.
• Positive reinforcement: Reward calm behavior with treats and praise to encourage more of it.
• Train a pee spot: Teaching your dog to go in a specific spot can help them control their bladder at other times. You’ll still need to treat the underlying issue, but you’ll have fewer messes in the meantime. Select a consistent command like “go pee” and take the dog to the designated spot regularly. Reward with praise or treats immediately after they go in the right spot. Consistency and patience are key. Repeat and gradually reduce rewards as the behavior becomes regular. This will also help if your dog pees when you leave.

Puppy Peeing When I Come Home

Your puppy peeing when you come home is likely doing so out of excitement or nervousness. This is often due to incomplete house training or insufficient bladder control. Consistency in training and providing plenty of bathroom breaks can significantly reduce accidents. Remember, patience and positive reinforcement are key during this learning phase.

Train Dog to Pee on a Pad While I’m Gone

Training your dog to use a pee pad while you’re away can help prevent accidents. Here’s how to start:

1. Introduce the pee pad: Show your dog the pee pad and place them on it, encouraging them to sniff and explore.
2. Use a command: When you notice signs your dog needs to go, lead them to the pad and use a consistent command like “go potty.”
3. Reward successful use: Immediately praise and treat your dog after they use the pad correctly to reinforce the behavior.
4. Gradually increase the time you’re gone: Start with short departures and gradually increase the time you’re away to help your dog adjust.

In summary, a dog peeing when you come home is often a reaction to the excitement of seeing you or anxiety about being alone. By understanding and addressing the root cause, and with consistent training and patience, you can help your dog learn to control their bladder.

Whether through calm greetings, pee pad training, or simply giving your dog time to mature, there are effective ways to manage and eventually eliminate this behavior.

I’m sure you’re ready to begin now that you have all of your questions about why dogs pee when they see you answered, so I’ll let you get started on things. Best wishes, and thank you for taking a look at our article “Why Do Dogs Pee When They See You? (+What to Do!)”.