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  1. #1
    Puppy ryan519's Avatar
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    My lab pup will poop but not pee on her own

    My lab is almost 9 months and is a female.

    A while back I posted about an issue with my lab peeing near the back door and not wanting to go on her own in her designated spot on the backyard grass. It seemed like I was able to fix the problem by going outside with her and walking towards the spot where she is supposed to go. I cut back on that and she seemed to go over to the stop on her own.

    So tonight, while she was inside with us, she indicated that she wanted to go outside. We trained her to ring a bell which hangs on the sliding rear door. She rang the bell and I let her out. She ran out, got some water, and then did her own thing by sniffing the ground and just running around on her own. That behavior is normal when we let her out.

    I decided to sit down and watch some TV while she was outside. She can see us inside and knows we are nearby. The sliding door is usually left open with the screen shut while she's outside as well. I would occasionally look outside to see what she was up to and she appeared to be just looking out the side gate or sniffing the grass; normal behavior. When I happen to glance over outside again, I saw her on the patio standing and looking out into the backyard. All of the sudden I saw her decide to urinated while standing up. Not the normal squat and pee like she normally does. She walked a few steps while continuing to urinate and then stopped. There was nothing that appeared to scare or startle her and after she stopped urinating, she turned around a looked at it and appeared to have a guilty demeanor.

    After I saw her do that, I went outside and said, "No." I said it in a normal-raised voice and she appeared to know what she did was wrong and ran away. I asked her to come and she did it hesitantly and I pointed to the puddle and said, "No" again. She got on her back and rolled over in a submissive kind of way. I didn't stand over her or anything but I said, "No! Bad dog!" After I scolded her verbally, I walked over to her spot where she normally pees and poops and told her to go potty. She ran over to the spot and went a lot. I then praised her and all seemed well after that.

    I don't understand why she would pee on the patio and not in her normal spot considering it was obvious her bladder was full. She has no trouble going to her spot and pooping and only seems to want to pee when either my wife and I walk over (or act like we are walking over) with her to her spot.

    If anyone can shed some light on this type of behavior, it would be very helpful. I just want her to be able to just go pee on her own, whenever she wants.

    Thank you.

  2. #2
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ryan519 View Post
    My lab is almost 9 months and is a female.

    A while back I posted about an issue with my lab peeing near the back door and not wanting to go on her own in her designated spot on the backyard grass. It seemed like I was able to fix the problem by going outside with her and walking towards the spot where she is supposed to go. I cut back on that and she seemed to go over to the stop on her own.

    So tonight, while she was inside with us, she indicated that she wanted to go outside. We trained her to ring a bell which hangs on the sliding rear door. She rang the bell and I let her out. She ran out, got some water, and then did her own thing by sniffing the ground and just running around on her own. That behavior is normal when we let her out.

    I decided to sit down and watch some TV while she was outside. She can see us inside and knows we are nearby. The sliding door is usually left open with the screen shut while she's outside as well. I would occasionally look outside to see what she was up to and she appeared to be just looking out the side gate or sniffing the grass; normal behavior. When I happen to glance over outside again, I saw her on the patio standing and looking out into the backyard. All of the sudden I saw her decide to urinated while standing up. Not the normal squat and pee like she normally does. She walked a few steps while continuing to urinate and then stopped. There was nothing that appeared to scare or startle her and after she stopped urinating, she turned around a looked at it and appeared to have a guilty demeanor.

    After I saw her do that, I went outside and said, "No." I said it in a normal-raised voice and she appeared to know what she did was wrong and ran away. I asked her to come and she did it hesitantly and I pointed to the puddle and said, "No" again. She got on her back and rolled over in a submissive kind of way. I didn't stand over her or anything but I said, "No! Bad dog!" After I scolded her verbally, I walked over to her spot where she normally pees and poops and told her to go potty. She ran over to the spot and went a lot. I then praised her and all seemed well after that.

    I don't understand why she would pee on the patio and not in her normal spot considering it was obvious her bladder was full. She has no trouble going to her spot and pooping and only seems to want to pee when either my wife and I walk over (or act like we are walking over) with her to her spot.

    If anyone can shed some light on this type of behavior, it would be very helpful. I just want her to be able to just go pee on her own, whenever she wants.

    Thank you.
    Seriously, just go OUT WITH YOUR DOG and show her what you want. You allowed the peeing on the porch to become a habit so you have to undo that and create a new habit, which can take months of consistentcy. Why is it so important to you that she does it herself. It's what, 20 minutes out of your day to be outside with her for five minutes a handful of times per day? She clearly does not want to go out on her own for whatever reason. She could be lacking in confidence, afraid that you'll leave without her and she wants to keep an eye on you or maybe she is terrified of being locked outside alone. I mean, seriously, who cares if the dog needs you to hold her hand to her spot? Why is that such an issue?

    Scolding a dog -- and by scolding it's what THE DOG thinks scolding is, not what YOU think scolding is (for some dogs it's a quiet "no" that sends them over the edge and for others it takes literally yelling to get them to that point) -- after the fact does nothing but make things worse. The guilty demeanor you are talking about is a dog that is in trouble and she doesn't know why. Dogs do not feel guilt. Your dog is clearly sensitive and does not require the type of punishment you are dishing out.

    If your dog is running away from you because you say no, you are being too hard on the dog. She is afraid of you. She does not trust you. Telling a dog to come and then yelling at them is probably the number one thing you do not do to a dog and is a surefire way to continue to erode her trust in you. If the dog is throwing herself on the ground and being submissive, definitely stop scolding. She is telling you "uncle". She is waving the white flag. To continue berating her is useless and again, just eroding your relationship not to mention doing nothing for her confidence.

    I'm wondering if the way you have potty trained her is part of her peeing issue. Perhaps she has no clue what you want from her and is anxious about trying to please you and avoid being yelled at or scolded. If she is lacking in confidence and you are being too hard on her, this makes sense. She wants to please you, doesn't know how and she doesn't know how to win with you.

    The bottom line is that she needs your support to go to the spot right now. She also needs you to stop being so hard on her. Every dog's temperament is different. It is not normal to cause a dog to run away from you and go into submissive mode on her back. Honestly, if my dogs did that, I would cry. I don't want them to fear me. She does not know what you want. She does not know how to win. She could probably use more showing her what you want versus punishing her for doing the things you do not. It's a cleaner path for many dogs and will help not only your relationship with her, but for dogs lacking in confidence, it can really help.

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  4. #3
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    If she was standing and seemed to be peeing without acknowledging it, she needs to be seen by the vet. Probably just a UTI (which can be diagnosed with a urine sample, not the dog) but it could indicate some other kind of disorder, too.

  5. #4
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    Agree if she peed and seemed to not know it i'd check for UTI or other issue. that's not normal

    Sounds like you are not sure she knew she was peeing as she peed? if so - why did you scold her? for something she appeared to have no control over?

    If she had a habit of peeing on the porch, and hasn't been fully trained to go to her potty space yet - then you need to keep training (go out with her and kindly encourage her to pee there, use the leash if need be or a long line). She is pretty much doing what is routine. It's going to take patience and consistency (by going out with her) to re-set the habit.

    If you yell at a dog, call them (use the recall word), then scold them again - that will RUIN their recall. Never ever call a dog to punish/scold them as it means they will always associate the recall word to potentially being scolded and are much much less likely to ever come back to you. Again I realize you didn't hurt or injure her but she clearly was upset (some dogs are sensitive and even a semi-loud "no!" will be considered an "aversive" (punishment).
    Last edited by Tanya; 02-03-2017 at 09:06 AM.

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  7. #5
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    Triple ditto.
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  8. #6
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    I agree with the possible UTI, but I have seen dogs so anxious, they just go.

    I have a sensitive dog and one summer when my parents were out helping me put up trim, I put the dogs outside with beds and raw knuckle bones and fresh water. My house is very small, we were moving furniture around and using dangerous tools. It wasn't hot or cold or wet and I checked on them often, at least every 20 minutes. They were also both adults. I knew Linus didn't love the arrangement, but I had no idea that it would take a over a month of helping him through the anxiety of being locked outside again.

    I had to go out with him every time and stand as far from the door as possible. If I didn't do that, he would not go and then end up going in the house while I was at work. We're talking a trained adult dog. A few times before I understood what was going on, he went out on the stoop and just let loose. He'd been holding it for so long, was anxious about me shutting the door on him, and didn't want to wander off of the porch away from the door.

    So, I went out with him every time, stood as far from the door as possible, and waited. Eventually he got over it and I never ever shut the door on him again. If I do send them out alone, I leave the door open and he knows now that he can get in, but I always go out in the morning because I think that while he does pee, he holds his poop because he is in a hurry. I don't want to leave for work and make him hold it for several hours or end up having an accident, which has not happened since we went through the anxiety over being left in the yard.

    Since that happened to me, I'd tell people about it, people in my training group or chatting with people at an event, and it's not as uncommon as I thought.

  9. #7
    Puppy ryan519's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Labradorks View Post
    I agree with the possible UTI, but I have seen dogs so anxious, they just go.

    I have a sensitive dog and one summer when my parents were out helping me put up trim, I put the dogs outside with beds and raw knuckle bones and fresh water. My house is very small, we were moving furniture around and using dangerous tools. It wasn't hot or cold or wet and I checked on them often, at least every 20 minutes. They were also both adults. I knew Linus didn't love the arrangement, but I had no idea that it would take a over a month of helping him through the anxiety of being locked outside again.

    I had to go out with him every time and stand as far from the door as possible. If I didn't do that, he would not go and then end up going in the house while I was at work. We're talking a trained adult dog. A few times before I understood what was going on, he went out on the stoop and just let loose. He'd been holding it for so long, was anxious about me shutting the door on him, and didn't want to wander off of the porch away from the door.

    So, I went out with him every time, stood as far from the door as possible, and waited. Eventually he got over it and I never ever shut the door on him again. If I do send them out alone, I leave the door open and he knows now that he can get in, but I always go out in the morning because I think that while he does pee, he holds his poop because he is in a hurry. I don't want to leave for work and make him hold it for several hours or end up having an accident, which has not happened since we went through the anxiety over being left in the yard.

    Since that happened to me, I'd tell people about it, people in my training group or chatting with people at an event, and it's not as uncommon as I thought.
    Thank you for your (and everyone's response). The scenario you are describing make sense and I think that's what happening. I must say that your first response made me feel really bad and I was only trying to just correct a possible situation where I though maybe she was doing it out of convenience of not having to go to her spot. Overall my lab is well behaved and I rarely if ever have to tell her no and she usually goes pee when she wants in the area she normally goes in as well. Luckily we are able to spend a lot of time with her to the point she'll go off and do something else or just lay down and chill therefore she doesn't ever really doing anything bad. And by "scolding" her, I hope none of you thought I was doing anything other than saying no. I would never do anything to hurt or scare my lab, at least not intentionally. My intention is to be as loving as possible but at the same time letting her know when she shouldn't do something. She's never ran from me either unless we are playing so that appeared to me as if maybe she knew she shouldn't of did that.

    If it were a UTI, would this activity be occurring while she's inside or in different locations? I've only seen it like I've described.

    Thanks!

  10. #8
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ryan519 View Post
    Thank you for your (and everyone's response). The scenario you are describing make sense and I think that's what happening. I must say that your first response made me feel really bad and I was only trying to just correct a possible situation where I though maybe she was doing it out of convenience of not having to go to her spot. Overall my lab is well behaved and I rarely if ever have to tell her no and she usually goes pee when she wants in the area she normally goes in as well. Luckily we are able to spend a lot of time with her to the point she'll go off and do something else or just lay down and chill therefore she doesn't ever really doing anything bad. And by "scolding" her, I hope none of you thought I was doing anything other than saying no. I would never do anything to hurt or scare my lab, at least not intentionally. My intention is to be as loving as possible but at the same time letting her know when she shouldn't do something. She's never ran from me either unless we are playing so that appeared to me as if maybe she knew she shouldn't of did that.

    If it were a UTI, would this activity be occurring while she's inside or in different locations? I've only seen it like I've described.

    Thanks!
    I think you have to understand that every dog's definition of over-correction to the point of fear is going to be different. So, while for you, just saying "no" is nothing, for your dog it is certainly more than that. You have to train the dog in front of you, it doesn't matter what you think or feel or how your last dog responded. Your dog showed you that it doesn't take much and that she doesn't understand what you want. Because you use punishment for training, she may think that the act of peeing in general is punishing or that the pee being there is punishing, but dog's can't understand that they put the pee there and now they are in trouble, which is why in potty training you never react unless you can catch the dog. Dogs that are heavily scolded will often resort to hiding to potty because they only understand that peeing in front of you is bad and don't know what you want instead.

    Dogs don't think of convenience and typically, especially a dog that is a people pleaser like your dog seems to be, will do what you want when they know what it is that you want. So, give her the benefit of the doubt. If she knew what you wanted, she'd probably do it.

 



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