I have a seven-month-old Golden Retriever, Amber.
Every time someone tries to pet her when they
first see her Amber pees from excitement.
We are trying to socialize her and are frustrated
at her peeing for everyone. I guess it is from
excitement.

Jerry
Blanco, Texas

I will answer your last question first. Amber’s behavior is not exactly normal, but it definitely isn’t abnormal. It is very common, especially in puppies.

I suspect that Amber is engaging in a behavior called submissive urination.

When two dogs meet, they size each other up to determine each other’s status and level of dominance (this behavior is common in people as well). Dogs that are submissive sometimes release a small amount of urine during such encounters. This is a way of signaling that they aren’t a threat to a more dominant individual. It is especially common in puppies.

In other words, a submissive dog may urinate as a sign of respect. It is a dog’s way of saying that she doesn’t want any trouble.

Nonetheless, problems occur when dogs use this method of communication with humans. The dog is trying to show respect. The human usually is not impressed.

The problem usually can be addressed by asking guests and unfamiliar people to ignore the dog for the first few minutes after meeting. Once she has calmed down, the dog can be greeted in a calm manner.

Most dogs eventually outgrow submissive urination. If you are patient and persistent, the situation probably will resolve.

Please be aware that in rare instances bladder infections, urine chemical imbalances, hormonally-mediated incontinence and anatomical irregularities can lead to symptoms similar to those you describe. It might be a good idea to have Amber checked by a vet to rule out these conditions.

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I have a 3-year-old cat that is currently taking
antibiotics (liquid Clavamox) for a bladder infection. She has
been taking the medicine for the past 4-days.
Today I saw her pee again outside of her crate
(which is the the reason I took her to the vet in
the first place to discover she has a UTI).

Linda
Tucson, AZ

My big question is whether your cat’s urine was tested to confirm the presence of a bladder infection (also known as UTI, or urinary tract infection) before the antibiotics were started.

Many different syndromes can cause cats to urinate outside of the litter box. Bladder infections are definitely the most common. However, chemical imbalances in the urine can lead to irritation of the urinary tract and subsequent house soiling. Bladder stones may cause similar symptoms. And finally, some cats will urinate outside of the box due to stress or behavioral disorders.

It could be that today’s incident was an isolated one. However, if the problem persists, the next step will be to obtain a urine sample for testing. X-rays and ultrasound may be necessary as well.

Cats certainly can have adverse reactions to Clavamox. However, the most common reaction is upset stomach (appetite loss, diarrhea, or vomiting). I doubt that the medication played any role in the incident that occurred today.

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Caramel is a four-year-old female that we adopted two
years ago, a Katrina rescue. I am home most of the
time and she is exercised 3 times a day. But in
the past month when I leave her alone, she wets on
the rugs (in 3 different rooms), either when I’m
gone or in the middle of the night when we are
sleeping. We are considering crating her during
these times but is it too late to teach our old
dog new tricks? What to do?

Bebe
Brooklyn, NY

Before you consider crating Caramel, you should make sure that a medical condition is not playing a role in the problem. Urinary tract infections, bladder stones, hormone-responsive incontinence, diabetes, kidney problems, and a host of other diseases can cause otherwise well-trained dogs to urinate inappropriately.

Your vet should be able to run some simple blood and urine tests that will give you an idea of whether a medical condition exists. He or she may recommend X-rays or an ultrasound exam as well.

If no medical problems are found, then the problem is most likely behavioral. And in that case, regardless of the dog’s age, I recommend a back-to-the-basics house training regimen. In my experience, crate training is one of the most effective way to house train a dog.

So, to answer your question, I do not think Caramel is too old to be re-trained, nor is she too old to be crated.

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