It can be maddening when your dog keeps peeing on people’s legs, especially if you don’t even know them.
This behavior is not normal and should not be accepted by any dog owner.
You will need to get down to the root of the problem so you can fix it.
Common Reasons for Uncontrolled Urination
1. Marking Their Territory
Urinating on something is basically just a dog’s way of marking their territory. You have probably noticed your pet doing this when they are in the backyard or on a walk. It is perfectly natural for them to mark trees and other things outside.
Sometimes a dog won’t be paying attention, which is how a poor unsuspecting person’s pants get soiled. It is important for you to keep a close eye on your door when it is urinating with other people around. You don’t want to count on them to be courteous of others while they are trying to leave their scent behind on something.
2. It’s Your Dog’s Way of Saying “This is Mine”
Many dogs engage in a behavior that is known as resource guarding. This is when a dog will do something to stake their claim to a certain toy or other object as their own. Some of these animals occasionally urinate on something for this reason.
This is a behavior that is mostly seen in alpha dogs, as it is their way of establishing dominance in the pack. It is actually fairly common with certain breeds that are known for being very protective. A dog may urinate on an owner’s leg as a way of basically letting everyone else know that you and theirs. As gross as it might be, it’s actually kind of sweet when you think about it.
3. Submissive Behavior
A particularly submissive dog might urinate around a dominant dog as a way of acknowledging that it is beneath them in the pack. This is not altogether uncommon, especially when you have multiple dogs in the same house. If you happen to be walking by, you might get a little bit on your leg. This just means that you have to be more careful in the future.
4. Anxiety
If a dog is very anxious or afraid for whatever reason, they might urinate without warning. This could be a potential explanation if your dog tends to urinate on new people. They might be very anxious or even excited about this new person.
This is usually the result of poor socialization early on in the dog’s life. Anyone who owns a puppy should make a point of exposing it to a variety of people and dogs fairly early on. Doing this can prevent these kinds of aberrant behaviors.
5. Incontinence
If your dog is older and has taken to urinating on people’s legs, they might be suffering from incontinence. This is something that can definitely become a problem with older dogs just like with people. It is important that you consult your vet if this is indeed the case. They may be able to prescribe a medication to help your pet keep its urination under control.
How to Keep Your Dog from Peeing on People
There are a variety of approaches that you can take when it comes to getting your dog to stop peeing on people. It is important to keep in mind that some methods are more effective than others, depending on the cause of this behavior.
Distraction and Reward
One of the best ways to get your dog to stop doing this is to get its attention somewhere else and then give it a treat for being a good boy or girl. It is very unlikely that your dog is going to be urinating while eating anything.
Do not punish your dog for urinating on you or anyone else. You only want to use positive reinforcement when you are trying to teach them not to do this. This could end up backfiring and have the opposite of the intended effect.
Socialize Your Dog
If your dog is only peeing on unfamiliar people, you’ll need to do a better job of socializing it. The younger you start doing this with them, the better off they will be in the long term. This means exposing your dog to a variety of people.
You should occasionally take them for walks in the park and other places where people are. This will help them get used to seeing new people so they don’t react quite so dramatically. It can be a little more challenging if your dog is no longer a puppy, but it’s not impossible.
Treating Your Dog’s Anxiety
If the cause of the inappropriate urination is anxiety, there are multiple options available. You can buy supplements to give your dog that could help with this. You should really consult with your veterinarian before giving them anything.
These supplements can also be useful when it comes to calming your dog down if it gets excited when guests come over. This could be enough to get them to stop peeing on all your poor houseguests.
Conclusion
- If your dog is urinating on people, you will need to address the problem right away so it doesn’t get worse.
- One of the most common reasons dogs do this is that they happen to be marking their territory and someone gets in the way.
- If they urinate on you, it could be them staking their claim. This is especially likely if you have a very protective dog.
- Dogs sometimes urinate at random to show submissiveness, and someone just happens to be walking by.
- If your dog suffers from anxiety, they could be urinating on you or others as a way of getting attention.
- Make sure that your dog is properly socialized if they keep urinating on new people who come over to visit.
- Incontinence is a common reason for this, especially among older dogs.
- When you are trying to stop this behavior, only use positive reinforcement. Give them a treat and praise them when they do not urinate on anyone.
