Questions about my Saarloos Wolfdog

Iz__ · 11-08-2009, 08:57

Hi. new here.
I recently saved a Saarloos wolfdog from an animal shelter. (fastforward/longstory) Actually I saved two(brothers). I found a home for them both(seperate homes unfortunately), but one family said they could not keep him because he was apparently too much for them to handle. He bit the kids and the neighbor got bit and had to get stitches. Well, the police got involoved and had to take the dog to the vet kennel and they were about to euthanize him. He's only 9 months old, so I had no choice but to take him back. So, Once again I have him. I'll probably end up having to find a new house (if I don't find a more suitable owner within another week or so), because the reason I couldn't keep him in the first place was because my house was too small and I only have about a couple square meters of yard.
OK, so I calmed him down a bit and he listens to me fairly well (sits, shakes, lay down, roll over), an improvement at least from where he was with the other family, and he really is a sweet boy. I really don't see how he could bite anyone. but that's not my problem. My problem with him is his peeing.
I'll walk him for 45 mins at LEAST 3 times a day, and he hardly ever pees. He waits to get home and pees in the house. And he always pees when he gets too excited. if Lobo(his name) and I are inside relaxing and my brother gets home, Lobo just pees when he sees him. And not just my brother. When anyone comes to him he gets too excited and just pees.
He's fine with the pooping. he poops outside just fine. the peeing is the only problem.
I've tried crate training him, but he doesn't seem to mind peeing on himself and he gets even more excited when I get home and let him out; he just bolts out of the crate and starts peeing everywhere.
Any suggestions?
Any help at ALL would be GREATLY appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Iz.

lindsey · 30-08-2009, 15:40

Hi Iz,

Im not sure how you would go about solving the peeing prob when he's excited to see you when you come home. The general peeing ect I solved by putting a dog flap in the back door, it gave them free access to the garden 24/7. It took a few hours of pushing back and forth thru the flap ( we even went thru it ourselves a few times LOL ) but after that, they used it confidently. I never had any soiling in the house since. Obviously the area they have access to has to be secure. Ive had my dog flap for years now and even new dogs coming in to the house virtually train themselves. Bit of work fitting on but well worth it in my case.
Hope this is of some help
Lindsey

04-09-2009, 04:01

The peeing is called Submissive Urination. It's actually a behavior from wolves that shows itself in pretty much every breed of dog out there, depending on the situation. Wolves (and dogs) have a very complex body language that tells you how they're feeling at any point in time. Basically, with this urination, your dog is saying he's very happy to see you, but that he knows he's the lowest animal in the pack. It's a very natural behavior, but not one people are very fond of!

In order to curb the behavior, unfortunately, you need to go against every instinct you have as a primate! First, stop acknowledging the dog any time he is in any sort of submissive posture. This includes crouching, rolling over, slinking, etc. Wait until your dog is in a more calm, self-assured manner to give any sort of praise.

Along with that, do NOT under any circumstances scold or correct your dog for submissive urination!! All it does is confuse the dog (the peeing is completely involuntary) making him even more upset that YOU'RE upset, which makes him want to submit even more! Once you stop reacting to the urination, you should see an improvement almost immediately.

Eventually you just get used to recognizing the submissive postures that indicate urination's on its way. This goes a long way to stopping the behavior entirely. We had the same problems with our dog, and he'll only let a couple drips out every few months or so now!

You want to make sure you're very consistent with all this, too. Let people know before they enter your home about the issues, and what to do about them.

In addition to working with the times the dog is actually peeing, make sure you're boosting your dog's confidence and bond with you in other ways.

Work on obedience training and games that your dog can win, like tug with a rope. You want to give your dog lots of chances to succeed. This is a great situation where positive training will go a lot farther than corrections ever will. If you want further reading, check out books by Karen Pryor, the woman who developed clicker training and was the forerunner of positive training, starting with wolves, which filtered into dogs. It should give you a lot of great insight!

11-08-2009, 08:57	#1
Iz__ Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 2	Questions about my Saarloos Wolfdog Hi. new here. I recently saved a Saarloos wolfdog from an animal shelter. (fastforward/longstory) Actually I saved two(brothers). I found a home for them both(seperate homes unfortunately), but one family said they could not keep him because he was apparently too much for them to handle. He bit the kids and the neighbor got bit and had to get stitches. Well, the police got involoved and had to take the dog to the vet kennel and they were about to euthanize him. He's only 9 months old, so I had no choice but to take him back. So, Once again I have him. I'll probably end up having to find a new house (if I don't find a more suitable owner within another week or so), because the reason I couldn't keep him in the first place was because my house was too small and I only have about a couple square meters of yard. OK, so I calmed him down a bit and he listens to me fairly well (sits, shakes, lay down, roll over), an improvement at least from where he was with the other family, and he really is a sweet boy. I really don't see how he could bite anyone. but that's not my problem. My problem with him is his peeing. I'll walk him for 45 mins at LEAST 3 times a day, and he hardly ever pees. He waits to get home and pees in the house. And he always pees when he gets too excited. if Lobo(his name) and I are inside relaxing and my brother gets home, Lobo just pees when he sees him. And not just my brother. When anyone comes to him he gets too excited and just pees. He's fine with the pooping. he poops outside just fine. the peeing is the only problem. I've tried crate training him, but he doesn't seem to mind peeing on himself and he gets even more excited when I get home and let him out; he just bolts out of the crate and starts peeing everywhere. Any suggestions? Any help at ALL would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks in advance, Iz.

30-08-2009, 15:40	#2
lindsey Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 2	peeing probs Hi Iz, Im not sure how you would go about solving the peeing prob when he's excited to see you when you come home. The general peeing ect I solved by putting a dog flap in the back door, it gave them free access to the garden 24/7. It took a few hours of pushing back and forth thru the flap ( we even went thru it ourselves a few times LOL ) but after that, they used it confidently. I never had any soiling in the house since. Obviously the area they have access to has to be secure. Ive had my dog flap for years now and even new dogs coming in to the house virtually train themselves. Bit of work fitting on but well worth it in my case. Hope this is of some help Lindsey

04-09-2009, 04:01	#3
Vicky Guest Posts: n/a	The peeing is called Submissive Urination. It's actually a behavior from wolves that shows itself in pretty much every breed of dog out there, depending on the situation. Wolves (and dogs) have a very complex body language that tells you how they're feeling at any point in time. Basically, with this urination, your dog is saying he's very happy to see you, but that he knows he's the lowest animal in the pack. It's a very natural behavior, but not one people are very fond of! In order to curb the behavior, unfortunately, you need to go against every instinct you have as a primate! First, stop acknowledging the dog any time he is in any sort of submissive posture. This includes crouching, rolling over, slinking, etc. Wait until your dog is in a more calm, self-assured manner to give any sort of praise. Along with that, do NOT under any circumstances scold or correct your dog for submissive urination!! All it does is confuse the dog (the peeing is completely involuntary) making him even more upset that YOU'RE upset, which makes him want to submit even more! Once you stop reacting to the urination, you should see an improvement almost immediately. Eventually you just get used to recognizing the submissive postures that indicate urination's on its way. This goes a long way to stopping the behavior entirely. We had the same problems with our dog, and he'll only let a couple drips out every few months or so now! You want to make sure you're very consistent with all this, too. Let people know before they enter your home about the issues, and what to do about them. In addition to working with the times the dog is actually peeing, make sure you're boosting your dog's confidence and bond with you in other ways. Work on obedience training and games that your dog can win, like tug with a rope. You want to give your dog lots of chances to succeed. This is a great situation where positive training will go a lot farther than corrections ever will. If you want further reading, check out books by Karen Pryor, the woman who developed clicker training and was the forerunner of positive training, starting with wolves, which filtered into dogs. It should give you a lot of great insight!