Ask Aunt Foley

Dear Aunt Foley:  Hi, I’m another young dog new to their home.  I have an embarrassing secret.  I am a victim of excitable pee.  When someone comes over the house, or something happens that gets my blood flowing, my pee flows too.  Is this normal?  What can I do about it?  Am I in danger of losing my new home?  - Lacey

Dear Lacey:  I have heard of this a lot, in fact my sister Pocket still suffers from it.  But the term excitable peeing is not correct.  What you are actually suffering from is what is known as peeing praecox or prematures peeulation.  (This is also known as early peeing, rapid peeing, rapid urination, and premature pee-pee.)

Although dogs who prematurely pee describe feeling that they have less control over peeing it is not clear if that is true.  Many if not most dogs report they wish they could last longer in between pees.  

The causes of premature peeing are unclear.  Many theories have been suggested including that PP was the result of peeng quickly during adolescence to avoid being caught by a parent who would punish them.

The good news is that there are self treatments that can be done to solve your problem.  One way it to try and think of something besides peeing. Something like sports or their litter Mom after being groomed.   There is little evidence to indicate that this is effective.  Other self-treatments include squatting slower, stepping off the rug completely, peeing before you become excited and using more than one pee pad, although this could lead to pee pad breakage.  Also many dogs have gone to pee therapists who have cured 75 to 80 percent of premature pee-ers.

Either way know that you are not alone.