Dear Piddles: Last week my reader couldn’t get her puppy to tinkle in the city and this week your pup is having the exact opposite problem. But it’s not really a problem; it’s more of a reaction to his surroundings and environment.

Occasionally, some puppies will dribble little bits of urine as a result of nervousness. It’s not something they are doing consciously, or to spite you, or as a lack of housebreaking. It can be brought on by nervousness, excitement or fear and is usually an involuntary action.

Probable Causes

The most common trigger for such a drip is the shear enjoyment and excitement of seeing his new owners again, especially if it’s been a few hours since you last saw him. Also, if he enjoys playtime with a favorite toy or loves walking on his leash, each time you grab that object and bring it to his attention, it may also trigger a release.

Sometimes your pup might be responding to a level of uncertainty such as when a stranger appears at your home or if he is introduced to someone or something he is unfamiliar with, such as small children who might be loud or boisterous.

Just to be on the safe side you should take a urine sample to the vet and check that he doesn’t have a urinary infection as the cause for the frequent pit stops around the kitchen. Sometimes puppies, even males, when they urinate can be exposed to bacteria, which works it way up into the bladder area. 

Cures

If the vet has given him a clean bill of health, one grooming tip that might help prevent future infections is to trim the little hairs around the opening of his urethra. This will prevent wetness from collecting dirt and hanging around areas that might make him prone to infection.

As for the involuntary reaction to the environmental stimulus, don’t be overly concerned. Your puppy should outgrow this. One of the best ways to hasten this evolution is to give your pup the opportunity to gain confidence in you as his pack leader, to trust you and in himself to determine the different situations he finds himself in.

Some behavior modification on your part would be not to over stimulate him when you first arrive home. Quietly enter the house and just go over to the puppy and take him outside without making a big fuss over him. Once he’s done his business outside and he’s been praised for it, then you can bring him in the house and enjoy some playtime. Also, when visitors come into the home – as hard as this is going to be – let them just ignore him for some time before introductions. This will give him ample time to calm down and assess the situation.  

In the meantime, don’t scold him for the occasional lapse in household manners since it’s not his fault.

Just keep plenty of paper towels around.  

Lisa’s Pick of the Litter

For the 15th consecutive year, the Labrador Retriever is the most popular purebred dog in America, according to registration figures released by the American Kennel Club (AKC).

Nearly three times as many Labs were registered in 2004 as any other breed. Golden Retrievers came in behind the Lab, followed by German Shepherds, Beagles, and Yorkshire Terriers to round out the top five spots.

In 2004, the German Shepherd reclaimed third place by displacing the Beagle, which held that position in 2003. The Yorkshire Terrier also edged out the Dachshund this year, reclaiming its former position as the fifth most popular dog.

The top 10 most popular dogs in 2004 were: Labrador Retriever (146,692), Golden Retriever (52,550), German Shepherd (46,046), Beagle (44,555), Yorkshire Terrier (43,522), Dachshund (40,770), Boxer (37,741), Poodle (32,671), Shih Tzu (28,958), Chihuahua (24,850).

At the other end of the list, the English Foxhound is again the least-registered purebred dog (17 registrations) followed by the Otterhound (23), American Foxhound (42), Sussex Spaniel (45) and Harrier (53).

In 2004, the AKC registered 153 different breeds – including the newly recognized Black Russian Terrier, Glen of Imaal Terrier and Neapolitan Mastiff – for a total of nearly one million dogs (958,272) and 437,437 litters.

            

Lisa Peterson, a long-time breeder of Norwegian Elkhounds, is the Manager of Club Communications at the American Kennel Club. Contact her at ask@lisa-peterson.com or Dogma Publishing, P.O. Box 307, Newtown, CT 06470.