Excited/Submissive Urination and fearful of new people/things

[NCShepMom]

Loki is about 5.5 months old and whenever someone new approaches him he gets scared and the hair on his back stands up and then he barks and growls. Then when they are close enough to touch him he pees....even if they don't reach out to touch him or even look at him. It's embarassing when I take him out in public and he pees on people! I have tried distracting him and trying to keep him calm but that doesn't work. He is even like this with my neighbor and he comes over all the time. Has anyones else been through this and have any good tips for me.

Also Loki is afraid of his own shadow still. He runs from loud noises, mopeds, kids on skateboards....anything out of the ordinary. We live out in the country so it is pretty quiet but when I take him for walks in town he totally freaks out. What are some good ways to build his confidence? I don't want him to be a fearful dog!!

[WhiteWolfBeauty]

I found an article for you:

Building Confidence in a Shy Dog

Some dogs, due to certain or unknown circumstances, are not confident in themselves. This article
will explore ways to build confidence in a dog that is shy or scares easily.

A shy dog, or one that scares easily many times has been physically, verbally, and/or emotionally
abused in their past. Other dogs may have not had any or enough human contact when they were
puppies. And dogs that are brought up in lovingly in a household but do not have the opportunity
to leave the house and meet new dogs and people do not develop the confidence in themselves to
handle new situations. Another problem these types of dogs often exhibit is separation anxiety,
especially after becoming emotionally attached to a human in the household.
In order to help these types of dogs help themselves, one must make it a priority to build the
dog's confidence.

Enroll the dog in a basic obedience class. Unless the dog is so neurotic that taking it outside the
home and into an obedience class is impossible, this is your first step. The main reason for
doing obedience work is not to accomplish the commands, but to establish a means of trusted
communication with the dog. Mutual respect and trust is the foundation of a good master/dog
relationship.

Whether you take your dog to an obedience class, or work at home, take your dog out of the
house for an outing at least 3 times a week, ideally once each day. Getting out of the house and
experiencing new people, places and things will help your dog gain confidence in himself.

If your dog is scared of the collar, try a harness. If he is scared of a leash, introduce the leash as
a new toy. When he begins to enjoy the leash, attach it to his collar or harness and let him drag
it around (supervised) for a few minutes at a time. Always associate the leash with fun.

Try to protect the dog's personal space. Do not let strangers overwhelm him, etc.. You may not
be aware of a passerby petting the dog. It is amazing what really goes on. Do not allow people
(even family members) to pet the dog on the top of the head or behind his ears. Instead, pat and
scratch the dog on his chest and neck. This is much less threatening to a dog.

Teach your dog to play with you. It may take a lot of patience and repetition. Entice the dog
for a game of chase, with the dog chasing you. If he won't chase you while you're running, try
crawling. The idea is to make the dog happy to follow you because it means fun. Teach the dog
to play fetch. Praise the dog when he gets the ball. Building confidence is a necessity.

If the dog is scared of people, instruct them to sit down and avoid eye contact until the dog is
no longer scared of this particular person. They may offer the dog a treat, but don't force the
dog to take it.

Don't stroke a scared dog and say "It's okay." This is perceived as praise by the dog and will
make it more likely that the dog will repeat his fear again next time. Instead give robust pats on
the sides and act happy, pretend there is nothing to be scared about, and if at all possible,
remove him from the frightful situation.

Do not over-stimulate or push the dog too far to fast. Let the dog regulate how close he can get
to other people, places and things. If you push a scared dog too far, you will create a neurosis
that will be more difficult to treat.

If the dog is scared of human contact, even from you, pet the dog as you walk by. Do it quickly
and friendly, and then keep walking. By sneaking in friendly petting with no consequences
(you simply walk away) the dog will learn that being touched is not a bad thing.

Being scared is very stressful. Exercise is one of the most beneficial ways to relieve stress, so
make sure your dog gets plenty of it. Be sure to allow the dog to romp and play unrestricted
(except for a fence) until they tire out. This may be one of the best therapies that you can give a
shy dog.

Dogs that need to build their confidence need your help. Taking the time to bring them out of their
shell is certainly worth the effort!

[jetscarbie]

My oldest was somewhat like your dog. I had to quit training with him b/c it got so bad during the classes.

I don't know if I did right or wrong after that but I will tell you what worked for us. I would go to the mall with my dog. I would roll the windows down and sit in the mall parking lot for an hour or so. My dog would be in the backseat hearing all the sounds. I would read a book or magazine for an hour. I didn't take him out or nothing like that. I just let him listen to the sounds.

He was freaked out at first but over that first 1 hour trip...he became curious. He started staring at the noises. I watched his nose twitch.

I did that for about 1 week. After I became confident that he was curious and excited about being there....I took him out of the car and stood there. Walked him around a bit.

Then we moved on to a kids park after that. We also did the local airport a few times. I don't do "black Friday" but we also did a parking visit at Walmart that black friday. We went to the skateboarders park. It worked for me and my dog. It built his confidence up so he wasn't afraid of those noises anymore. AND one good bonus of it all.....he's a prefect car rider.

We also live in the country where it is quite.