Hiya, as you may know, i picked up a 2 year old dog last week his name is jake and he is my new best friend.
i am getting on really well with him, he is pretty good on command, and if no notice is taken when called a use the dog whistle and then he comes straight away.
BUT
i am slightly concerned, if he gets scared by the cat which he is frightend of, he wee's himself he also does it if he gets to excited and if i command him slightly louder than usual he wee's.
also when commanded sometimes he curls up in a ball and looks like he is scared.
i personally think he has had a few hard smacks and is now cautious and scared of people..
i asked the fella i got him off and he assured me the guy who he had him of didnt touch him.
any idea how i can get this out iof him because he pee'd on my leg earlier..
is he 2 old to do what you do with puppies, (dip there nose in there wee).
other than this minor problem he is as good as gold.
all ideas welcome.
many thanks
jazz

Hi There.

Firstly as Jake has only been with you a week or so its still very very early days so don't get disheartened. You are both on a learning and getting to know you curve - let alone what may have happened to him in the past which he's got to put behind him.

The weeing I'm positive is down to fear and worry. Many springers do tend to wee with excitement - most grow out of it. Loads of dogs will wee with fear and that will take time to overcome - for him. We took on a rescue dog who was supposed to be fine but she had been mistreated and it took years (yes years) before she was really confident. She still shows submissive and fearful behaviour 7 years down the line (our Lucy below). I'm not saying it will take years with Jake but there's no quick fix.

Show him love, give him space and don't pressure him. He has to have ground rules and boundaries but do your best to be quiet spoken around him. Angry loud and excitable loud often have the same effect of scaring dogs.

Sounds like this little fella is a cracking dog but has been frightened alot - with some dogs it doesn't take much.

The main thing you have to build up - from both sides - is trust - that will come with time.

Good Luck

yh thanks for the reply, he is absaloutly lovely, how someone can mis treat him i dont know because he is good as gold.
he hasnt barked once over the last week.
he is really a lovely dog.
thanks
jazz

one of my boys was on the end of some rather suspect treatment during his early puppyhood and very very occcasionally he will still wee in circumstances which he feels he cannot cope.

Millies Mum is absolutely right

Whatever you do please do not rub his nose in it, its a barbaric and outdated form of discipline and with a nervous dog like Jake will only serve to make matters worse. You need to concentrate on building up a bond of trust and love with him. Good luck from us too xxxx

ok thanks, i didnt rub his nose in it but i know it was done to pups and just wonderd what good it would do if any.
i have also noticed he developed a limp to his front left paw, he was out yesterday and i thought he wanted to pee as he was walking close to the fence when suddenly he jumped forward, it was very unusual and didnt think anything of it. but noticed he is limping slightly. i dont know what it is i had had a slight look at his paw but cant see anything. what should i look for.

also - please i dont want to make him sound like a hand full he is honestly not, but i just want everything to be perfect for me and him.

i have noticed on his front 2 paws not sure about the back, i havnt had chance to look at them.
but the very top pad (its the single small pad) its not on the paw as such but more on the heal(is you want to call it that) they are very red (blood) and looks like the first layer of skin has been taken off on both front ones. looks like when you fall over and graze your knee it looks like that type thing.

well we are in the middle of doing the garden and have some sharp stones layed down at the bottom, i did see him walk on them yesterday, and now i notice about his pads this morning. is this something to be worried aboot or should it just sort it self out.

i am not one of these people to run to the vets if the dog sneezes(over exaggeration) lol but if nothing improves with his paw i will take him.
again all advice and tips is greatly appreciated from me and jake.
many thanks
jazz

It may well be with his paws that he is used to running on soft surfaces like grass and his paws need to harden up a little. There are a couple of other threads on here somewhere with advice on what to do for them in cases like that. I'll see if I can dig them out for you, or one of the much more knowledgeable other peeps may be on tomorrow with some advice. If he will let you do it without stressing it will be worth checking down in between his toes just incase he has a grass seed or something in there that might be bothering him as well.

He doesnt sound like a handful hun, but its obvious you care and that can only be a great thing for Jake xxx

I have had Moxie (girl) since she was five monts old, and she still tends to pee when she is excited or nervous. I thought it would improve when I got her spayed, but it hasn't really. She is now 15 months.
I think it is to do with their bladder muscles being weak.
My vet says that his dog still does it when she is nrevous.
My tips are as follows :-
use the whistle as much as possible outside, followed by his name called calmly. Don't shout, he'll think he is being shouted at.
When you need him to do something that makes him nervous, like getting in the car, go and put his lead on and calmly take him there without speaking and when you have got him in, again, very calmly say "good boy" Moxie will often try to hide if she is nervous and you know there is a pee on the way.
I don't speak to Moxie first thing in the morning, just get my wellies on and get her out for a first pee.
When people come to the house I make her go outside, if they want to fuss her they have to initially do so outside, as she will always pee when new people are about.
Give him lots of cuddles/scrubbles just after he has peed. This way he can relax without his bladder joining in!
Finally, when going anywhere like the vets or situations of high risk nervousness, take a kitchen roll with you.
It is not his fault, he cannot stop it and must not be scolded or made to feel bad, it is something that you have to be philosphical about.
I have found that she is better now as I have accepted that she will always pee when excited or nervous. The man who shapoos my carpets is also very happy. I hear he is having a second holiday abroad this year!

Hilda did that too , we just modify how we speak to her and give her appropriate reassurance only thing is make sure you dont over compensate (says he with daddies little princess on his lap!)

Hi,

Lola is 6 months old and still wee's when she gets excited, its like she gets so excited she cant hold it!
Weve tried everything but eventually we just have to ask visitors to greet her at the door, fingers crossed she will grow out of it because its going to be a chore asking people to stand outside in the cold to say hi to lola!!!
Rachael and Lola x

Stellar still does it occasionally, but she is getting much better, but have to be careful about talking to her when she is excited as this usually gives her a leaky bum - which she then spreads around with her tail

Hi
Sounds like you are doing a great job give him time.
Just think outside the box as if you had been taken to somewhere new and you didn't know the peeps you would prob be a bit wary .Build up trust with him and he will soon unpack his bags and settle in.
We have had our dottie from a 8 week pup and she has never been hurt or shouted at but she is still a nervous springer sometimes until she is out in the fields and then she is a diff dog she comes into her own and looks wonderful.We had cassie at the same time as a pup and she has been brought up the same as dottie she is as brave as a lion and nothing fazes her. Some springers are nervous it doesn't mean they have been mistreated even though I know there are a lot of springers and breeds in general that have.
As for the pads bleeding I would say that they are soft and just need hardening up with a lot more excersize.
Good luck , Have Fun and he sounds like he has fallen on his feet in finding you



Jillx