Expert: Rob Frazier - 10/2/2008

Question
i adopted a one yr. old yellow lab about 6 wks ago.  she is pleasant and eager to please, but every time you get near her she rolls to her back.  this make it very difficult to collar or leash her.  if you try to reprimand her and even walk up to her too fast she pees everywhere!  how do i break this awful behavior?

Answer
Hi Denise,   This behavior is so common it has a name.  It's called submissive urination.   It's very common in puppies but they usually outgrow it by now.  Bear in mind that this is reactionary behavior, she doesn't intentionally do it & probably doesn't even "know" she's doing it.  So reprimanding her won't help at all.  For starters, don't walk up to her if you see she's likely to roll over.  Turn around, walk away, play "hard to get".  Tell her something she's used to hearing about something pleasant, like time to "go out".
Another  thing is to work with her on "sit".  Practice with her often, when you're really not going anywhere and it's calm & quiet. Don't pay her any attention at all if she lays down like this, walk away and say something something uplifting.  "Hup, hup, time to go out!".  If she's not been spayed yet, don't get her spayed now.
    These "adoption" dogs usually come with some problems that their former owners didn't like any better than you do.  It usually takes them much longer to correct these things than a dog who's been properly trained from the start, so be very patient & consistent.
    Thanks for Asking Denise,   Best Regards, Rob