# Adult Spoo Excitement Peeing



## FireStorm (Nov 9, 2013)

Hans was an excited pee-er as a puppy but his was mostly when we came home if we had gone out and left him, or if someone came to our house. We made our return (or our guest's entrance) as low key as possible. We didn't talk to him, make eye contact, or pet him at all until he was calm. I think it helped for two reasons: 1) it gave him less to be excited about and 2) we were not reinforcing his over excited behavior with attention. 

What exactly happens when you get ready for a walk that triggers the peeing? Is there a way you can make that trigger less exciting?


----------



## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

are you, by any chance, making a "big deal" out of going for a walk? as in (high, happy voice) "wanna go for a walk? shall we go out? shall we do walkies?" could be a contributing factor. maybe ask your dog to sit while you put on his leash, praise him when he does so, then calmly say, "all right. let's go." if he starts to act up, ask him to sit until he is calm - the message being that walks are for calm dogs.


----------



## oregonshar (Dec 9, 2010)

Thanks for the replies: 

I don't use an excited voice at all when getting ready. He actually begins acting up when he sees me putting on my shoes, getting my coat etc. I have tried putting him out in the garage and collecting him from there, or the back yard. But when he sees the leash he goes ballistic. I have tried the sit, and he does it but he never calms down. He shakes and shakes his head ( a nervous twitch he has acquired) and is a general uproar. 

Yesterday I got so frustrated I put him out in the back yard, and went for the walk alone. He could see me leave, and return. Which wasn't fun at all since I was so upset. I made sure to be gone for a full walk time and let him see me back again, so he knew I went without him. My hope is that he saw that and will make a connection with his behavior.

We have done the don't talk, don't look with the peeing. It works sometimes, but not always. As is common, I also have difficulty with getting a buy-in from Hubby on the way we should treat him with these behavior issues. The result is mixed messages and inconsistent training. 



> Is there a way you can make that trigger less exciting?


 I don't see how I can do this, but I will really pay attention to my own behavior today when I try this again.


----------



## FireStorm (Nov 9, 2013)

Here is what I would do: I would start to get ready. Put shoes on, pick up the leash, etc. As soon as he gets excited, stop. Don't interact with him at all or say anything. Just stop getting ready to go for a walk. As soon as he is calm again, repeat the process. Start getting ready, but stop if he starts doing the behavior you don't like. So he only gets to get his leash on and go for a walk if he is in a relatively calm state. 

We had to do something similar with Hans about "fetch." He would go nuts every time he saw a bumper or tennis ball - jumping on us, trying to steal it, barking, etc., so he had to learn that the game would only proceed if he was behaving. If he acted like a nutcase, the game went away. Unfortunately, if your dog does the spinning, peeing, excited behavior and then goes for a walk you may be inadvertently reinforcing the behavior you don't want.


----------



## Ciscley (Jul 16, 2013)

One thing that always works for me while trying to problem solve a behavior issue is to put a management in place. Something that doesn't fix the behavior or really help in training the dog, but does help gain control on the situation so you can be in a better mindset to train positively and effectively. It also has the benefit of stopping the bad behavior so the dog doesn't continue the habit.

One way I can think of doing that for a male excitement peeing is to use a belly band. Put the belly band on the dog before any other signs that you are going to go for your walk and it will either keep him from peeing (the gentle pressure tends to stop some dogs) or it will keep the pee from getting on your floor and causing you to have to stop everything to deal with the pee. 

Suggestions on making the pre-walk moment less exciting: split it up and make each part of the walk separately less exciting. So put your shoes on and then just sit on the couch and when the pup finally calms down after realizing there is not going to be a walk, click or otherwise mark the behavior and reward with a treat.

That said, I'd probably just work from where you are at and the dog doesn't get the leash attached to the collar until he's calm. Then if he gets worked up again once it's attached the door doesn't open until he's calm again. Just keep ignoring him, zero eye contact, until he's calm. Then open the door and repeat. No walking out the door until calm. No walking forward once outside until calm.

It will be one extremely long walk and you might not get down the driveway, but if you have the band in place so that the peeing doesn't cause a frustration response, you'll be able to give it the time you need.

Since you have a backyard, the walk is not a necessity for toileting, it's just a super over the top fabulous reward. And honestly if Alexander Skarsgard showed up at my door with tickets for a romantic cruise, I'd probably excitement pee myself too. And walking with you really is THAT exciting for your pup.


----------



## FireStorm (Nov 9, 2013)

Ciscley said:


> One thing that always works for me while trying to problem solve a behavior issue is to put a management in place. Something that doesn't fix the behavior or really help in training the dog, but does help gain control on the situation so you can be in a better mindset to train positively and effectively. It also has the benefit of stopping the bad behavior so the dog doesn't continue the habit.
> 
> One way I can think of doing that for a male excitement peeing is to use a belly band. Put the belly band on the dog before any other signs that you are going to go for your walk and it will either keep him from peeing (the gentle pressure tends to stop some dogs) or it will keep the pee from getting on your floor and causing you to have to stop everything to deal with the pee.
> 
> ...


This is a much better explanation for what I was trying to say. Great advice


----------



## oregonshar (Dec 9, 2010)

Ciscley, love your response. Especially


> Since you have a backyard, the walk is not a necessity for toileting, it's just a super over the top fabulous reward. And honestly if Alexander Skarsgard showed up at my door with tickets for a romantic cruise, I'd probably excitement pee myself too. And walking with you really is THAT exciting for your pup.


 It gave me a laugh, which I am sure I needed! 

So, today I employed many of the idea's that you all gave me. Put my shoes on slowly without a word, my coat was already on. I got the leash out of the closet and he was still sitting in his bed. I called him over, and we went to the garage to leave out that door, but he wouldn't calm down. So I took the leash off, sent him to his bed and saw that he had peed on the floor. I cleaned it up with just a glare at him and a comment that it was a Bad Dog, left the leash on the floor where he could see it, then I left for the walk by myself. He watched me go down the street from the front window. I was gone for about 6 minutes. When I came back I picked up the leash, he went out with me and didn't act up at all. He started to pull a bit in the driveway and I stopped, and started back up when he calmed down again. In the end we had a nice walk, this time. So far, so good! I am really working on being his Alpha Dog today, instead of his friend. I realize that is/was part of the problem. 

Just a note about rewarding him: I try to give him "yes" treats when we walk, but he won't take them, which is odd since he is a really treat motivated pup. 


Thank you all for your support. :rain:


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Excellent advice, especially Ciscley's on managing the problem while working on it. I would add in making setting out less stressful by doing it more often - instead of one or two long walks a day I would do lots of shorter ones for a few days, and then mix in days with several short walks with days of longer ones. I have noticed that my dogs get quite ho-hummish about the third walk of the day, even when the previous two have been short! Bit like going for a bus ride rather than a romantic cruise...

I am not sure about leaving him and going for a walk by yourself - I doubt that he makes the connection between an involuntary behaviour like excitement peeing and you going off without him. It may even make him more stressed and OTT, worrying whether this is going to be one of the times he gets a walk, or one of the times he is left behind. I would change your routine around instead - different shoes, sweater rather than coat, go out and in a few times before leaving, use a different door, and all the time keep it calm and slow and relaxed. And use the belly band, so that you CAN relax!


----------



## Ciscley (Jul 16, 2013)

*Too excited for food treats*

You are such an awesome fur mommy to keep attempting to take the walks and make this less stressful for him. 



oregonshar said:


> Just a note about rewarding him: I try to give him "yes" treats when we walk, but he won't take them, which is odd since he is a really treat motivated pup.


My experience has been that when a dog is extremely anything (stressed, excited, tired, etc.) they won't take food treats. Even the really food motivated dogs will turn it down when they are super afraid or in pain or if there's something that they want a lot more than the food. 

He loves these walks so much that getting to continue walking is it's own reward. So use a reward phrase like "good boy" throughout the walk and just use your marker phrase when you've had to stop the walk for any bad behavior and then start walking again after saying it. So the walking takes the place of a treat. 

And ultimately we aren't trying to get him to like the walks less. Having something so simple that the dog adores is priceless. PRICELESS. We're just trying to teach him self control so he can eventually enjoy the walks even more.

Ditto everything FJM said, especially the shorter more frequent walks - maybe even just up and down the driveway. Though don't forget you can also put the leash on him and just let him wear it around the house. Or you can do like we do with puppies and attach it to your waist and then he has to follow you wherever you go in the house and you can keep rewarding him for calm behavior.


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

oregonshar said:


> But when he sees the leash he goes ballistic. I have tried the sit, and he does it but he never calms down. He shakes and shakes his head ( a nervous twitch he has acquired) and is a general uproar.
> 
> ...
> 
> We have done the don't talk, don't look with the peeing. It works sometimes, but not always. As is common, I also have difficulty with getting a buy-in from Hubby on the way we should treat him with these behavior issues. The result is mixed messages and inconsistent training.


On rereading this, I wonder if the pre-walk behaviour is just the tip of a high stress iceberg. Has something happened to increase his general stress levels - a change in routine, variable reactions from you and/or your husband, or anything else? Perhaps working on the total picture and making things as easy and consistent and relaxed for him as you can throughout the day would make it easier for him to be calm at moments of great excitement. Remember that he is probably entirely unaware that he is peeing - as far as he is concerned he is living with two very large creatures who are sometimes happy and loving with him, and sometimes angry and possibly shouting, without him having any understanding of why, or of how to please them. If you have ever worked for a boss like that (or, worse, lived with someone like it), you will know how incredibly stressful it can be. There may even be an element of submissive peeing there, where the crosser you get the more he tries to placate you by showing what a harmless little pup he is...

I would set aside any thoughts of punishment, or yelling No!, or any of that, and concentrate on rewarding the behaviours that you do want, and teaching one of the relaxation protocols. You have recognised that inconsistency is a problem, so you are already half way there! But do use a belly band - it is SO much easier to stay calm and rational when you are not on your hands and knees mopping up pools of pee!


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Since you have said you let your obedience training slide I would look at that as an important part of what you need to do to regain control. I think Cisley's advise about management while getting the problem solved is excellent. fjm I somehow think that the lack of reinforcing basic obedience is more likely the underlying issue here.


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

lily cd re said:


> fjm I somehow think that the lack of reinforcing basic obedience is more likely the underlying issue here.


All part of the same thing, I think - consistent training increases predictability (if I do this, I get praise and a treat - hey, I can control what happens!) which helps to manage stress, and decreases inconsistent behaviour from humans, which also helps to manage stress. But I think working on relaxation as well as basic good manners would help a lot with the nervous tic and similar behaviours. Ideally, of course, one would get advice from a qualified behaviourist who could observe interactions over time, but that is not possible for everyone.


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

fjm I don't disagree. I just wouldn't want the OP to think that there was something more deeply "wrong" with their dog who really just seems to need to get some order reestablished.


----------



## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

Can you keep the leash out, like just toss it on the floor, then go do other things? Work up to moving it around, putting it on him and immediately taking it off, then putting it on and going to the backyard, etc., all with some tasty bits of treats?

I might offer more frequent bathroom breaks in the backyard going out there on leash, plus maybe consider having him checked for a urinary tract infection.


----------

