17 mo old bitch--Intermittent submissive urination? - Page 1

My girl Zoe is now 17 months....she stopped doing the submissive "puppy pee" at around 10 months or so, and hasn't really done it since.  An occasional sprinkle every now and again...but not a full-out puddle.  For some reason, my boyfriend (her daddy) will let her out of the crate in the morning (to let her go out back for a pee) and before she's 5 steps out of the crate, she'll have left a puddle.  It comes out of nowhere, and she only does it with him.  She also did it this morning, after we let her back inside, he went to pet her and she let loose a puddle.  The thing is, she does it infrequently, and without being overly excited.  It's weird!

I also know that dogs can react differently with multiple owners, being protective over one and completely submissive to another.  Another thing, is that very rarely, she'll get under his foot when he's walking and he'll accidentally step on her toes.  She'll cringe, and act scared of him for the next hour or more.  But I've stepped on her paws before, and she's never reacted that way with me.   With me it's more like, "Hey wtf mom?!  Oh look, a squirrel!" and she's over it.

We do not hit our dogs, instead we issue correction via body language and a firm "No!" or "Leave It!", and they know when they've broken a rule.  So she's never been abused in any way (god, she's got a hard head though--the things she wacks into!).

What might explain this behavior? She was spayed at 8 months, and has been able to hold her urine all night for over a year with no problems, so I know it's not because of a weak bladder.

Does she just have "Daddy Issues"?

Might be another 'fear period' causing this, and she'll get over it.  Keep an eye on the quality of her urine, and whether it's particularly pale - most urine is straw coloured.  Is she drinking excessively?  It's unlikely she'll have a dysplastic kidney, but it's always at the back of my mind when these issues start.

I have seen a few versions of this -- in a male even -- but usually in females.  I am as we speak dealing with a dog who is dominant with my wife - the flip side of this problem.

Your bf needs to develop some skill in getting her out of the crate and then out of the house.  He has communicated dominance and perhaps disapproval at some point.  Were I he, I would reach into the crate and reassure her when she is still inside.  I would clip a lead on her, and walk her briskly outdoors without making eye contact and all along being upbeat.  If needed, I would put a long towel under her belly and hold her up while walking outside to make sure she doesn't crouch. 

I suspect she just needs to get out of the habit and stop thinking she needs to show him he's boss each morning.

Thank you, Bucko..."I suspect she just needs to get out of the habit and stop thinking she needs to show him he's boss each morning," sounds like that's what her issue is.