Doggone Etiquette —

Manners That Make Sense

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:

This is a bit of a switch on the way we talk to you dogs about most things, but it concerns your good/bad manners. It can be very hard for people (including your own VIPeople) to understand why you persist in doing something they keep scolding or even punishing you for. They are certain you are being bad, when in fact you are simply being a perfectly normal dog. I’m on your side, so I’ll try to straighten them out — but remember, you’ve got to work with me!

A Word to the Dog’s Owner:

This subject came about when a friend gave me a long, sad tale as to how “impossible” it was to correct a very embarrassing display of bad manners on the part of her otherwise very good dog. Sadie is six years old and did very well in obedience school. She is a sweet, lovely little dog, except for one major problem. Every single time she greets anyone at the door, be it man, woman or child, she urinates! Sadie’s owner then went on to list the numerous ways the dog has been punished for this behavior. They’ve tried smacking her, shouting at her, putting her on lead and holding her back from the door, trying to put her on a sit-stay — and nothing has stopped the peeing.

This is not a particularly uncommon problem, and I’ll explain why, but first things first. Any such dog should be checked out by the veterinarian to be sure there is no infection or physical reason for the seeming incontinence. In Sadie’s case, she was A-okay, so we moved on to the probable cause.

In the wild, mild urination is considered a perfectly acceptable (and understandable) form of greeting among canine species. It is done to indicate submission and therefore fend off any possible aggression on the part of the one encountered. It begins as normal puppy submission. When the person is angry, the punished pet assumes it must pee in order to counteract the possible aggression coming in the door. To the dog, it is good manners and it’s yet another case of our having to look at the purely basic, innate reason for a dog’s behavior and see it their way.

The solution is not all that complicated, although after six years it may take Sadie time to accept the change. First, all punishment and signs of displeasure from the owner must stop. Then one of the easiest ways to correct the problem is by using the “saturation” process. Line up as many friends, relatives and neighbors as are willing to take part, then have them come one at a time to your door and ring the bell or knock. In a cheerful voice, put the dog on a sit-stay (or on lead) and open the door and greet the person. It’s a happy hello-goodbye kind of thing. Close the door and the next person arrives a minute or two later (same procedure). Keep it all cheerful. NO anger and NO punishment. You are the one showing that there is nothing to fear or to be submissive about. (You might, however, want to keep a few rolls of paper towels handy!)

This saturation goes on for as long as you and those kind friends can handle it in one day. The whole procedure is repeated over as many days as it takes, eventually increasing the time between the fake visits and even making some of them “won’t you come in” visits. Begin this cheerful approach in training a puppy, and you’ll have a non-submissive happy greeter at the door.

Until next time – BE GOOD!

– Bardi

Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh Terriers for 30 years, during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog Fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me!, which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award in 2008.