[boots]

my roommate got a new dog from the pound about three months ago. according to them it was around 2 years old. it is a chihuahua mix of some sort. it rarely leaves his room, but when it does it normally goes to the living room. this is a problem because whenever i go into the living room she evacuates her bladder on the couch, carpet, etc. she will normally let him know that she needs to pee and he lets her outside so it not like she pees in the house on normal occasions, only when I'm around. i have not ever beat her or yelled at her, and am generally indifferent toward her. is there anything i can do or have my roommate do to help solve this issue? please help.

[Yogi]

Originally Posted by boots

my roommate got a new dog from the pound about three months ago. according to them it was around 2 years old. it is a chihuahua mix of some sort. it rarely leaves his room, but when it does it normally goes to the living room. this is a problem because whenever i go into the living room she evacuates her bladder on the couch, carpet, etc. she will normally let him know that she needs to pee and he lets her outside so it not like she pees in the house on normal occasions, only when I'm around. i have not ever beat her or yelled at her, and am generally indifferent toward her. is there anything i can do or have my roommate do to help solve this issue? please help.

Unfortunately, getting a dog from a pound or rescue etc. is like getting a used car. You have no idea of its condition outside of looks. Many times in these cases the dog is displaying a natural fear of something that may have happened prior. It would be helpful if you became more proactive with the dog as in a sense of shared ownership so the dog can look to you to feed eat, handle it and let it out when it needs to go. This is a good place to start.

[DoggieVogue]

I would recommend like Yogi said to start being more proactive with the dog. Doing everyday activities like walking, feeding, etc... can help you and the dog bond in a non threatening way. It gives the dog a chance to get used to you and your presence without feeling uncomfortable. Hopefully this should help! It takes time though so be patient.

[mr_starfire]

in my experiance its usualy excitement that causes dogs too pee on contact witha person not fear allthough i can deffinatly see why this would happen

[reeskujo]

It can also be submissive urination.It may sound strange but dogs,especially females will do that to let you know that they are aware that you are over them as far as the pack order and that they're submitting to you....You must never,ever correct her for it as it actually makes the problem worse. The best thing to do is to ignore her until she comes to you and say hello to her but don't make physical contact with her. If you are petting her and she starts to pee, walk away from here and just clean up the accident with out saying anything. This can be common with rescue dogs but with time and patience it can be worked though!...Good luck and I hope this helps.

[Millie-moo]

It sounds to me like you are dealing with "submissive urination". To fix this it will take time, just be patient. Try letting the dog feel slightly more dominant: when you come home, immeditely lay on the floor at eye level and greet the dog instead of standing over it or ignoring it. Also try walking the dog and letting him take the lead.

The dog seems to defintely see you as the dominant alpha dog, so he gets super excited when you come home or possibly even a bit intimidated all that brain activity going on cn tend to make them forget about their bladder muscles

try letting him feel more dominant, submissive urination is the only time I would reccomend doing this. Just keep it within reason, he is NOT alpha dog, but rther more equeal to you so his reaction when you come home wont be so severe

yes a small and very excited dog.

Exercising and bonding could work wonders, but it sounds like you may not be that interested?

Probably best if you could play ball with the dog in the house and if he has taught it commands, for you to use them and reward the dog.

She is scared of you and maybe a lot of other people, but you just need to work on what her relationship is to you.