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1) To calm the dog.
Diet. Avoid canned and semi-moist foods as these usually contain preservatives and artificial colours which cause some dogs to become over-excited. An increase in the protein content of the diet and a decrease in carbohydrates also results in a calmer dog if the protein exceeds 30%. Precise is a high protein food which only contains Vitamins C and E as preservatives, so it is the one I recommend and sell. To bring the protein content to 30% or more add meat, chicken, fish or cooked eggs to the diet daily.
2) Control of urination when you return.
A dog has no control of submissive urination and the problem can only be solved by changing the conditions of your return to reduce and finally remove the dog's anxiety. Often this anxiety has been increased by the owner coming home, the dog urinating and the owner scolding or punishing the dog. All the conditions of the return have become associated in the dog's mind with the scolding so the solution depends on altering as many of these conditions as possible.
For example, if you usually drive into the driveway, leave the car instead parked on the road; if you come in the front door, go round to the back and instead of entering the house, open the door wide and immediately walk away into the back yard. As the dog comes out either sit down or go on walking, ignoring the dog. In this way neither your height nor approach is there to intimidate the dog. Probably the dog will run to greet you. It may urinate on the way as it has a full bladder but this is outside on the grass and can be ignored. After the dog has relieved itself go in the house together but still keep your return very low key, friendly but matter of fact.
In the beginning the dog may still urinate at the sound of the key in the lock but ignore this. With time the dog will relax as it gets to learn the new routine and hold the urine until it is on the grass and then until after it has greeted you. Now you can return to bringing the car in the driveway but still greet the dog calmly out of doors until there is only joy and no fear when you return. At this stage stand at the open door instead of walking away and, if there is no wetting, later step briefly into the house before taking the dog outdoors.
3) Control of urination in the presence of strangers.
Train the dog on command to go and lie down and stay on a mat or its basket in a room which visitors do not enter. When trained, ring the doorbell or knock and give the command. Do this repeatedly until the sound of someone at the door becomes the
signal that they leave and go and lie down. The reason behind this training is that it removes the dog from the situation where loss of bladder control is inevitable. It has the additional advantage that a dog lying down cannot squat and pee even if it is feeling anxiety. Often after the visitor has been seated for a while the dog will come to see who is there and this should be encouraged but ask your visitor to speak quietly to the dog but otherwise ignore it. They should not reach forward to try and touch the dog.
I have known dogs trained in this way to spend ever shorter times on their mat before coming to greet the visitor but the submissive urination never returned.
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