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| I have a 3 month old male mini aussie that has two very troublesome issues: 1) he pees on himself when he gets excited AND 2) he is afraid of everything when we get away from home.
I have had him since he was 6 weeks old and hoped that he would grow out of being scared of everything, but he hasn't. I have tried socializing him with new people and places, but he is still anxious. He is super smart and does well with my kids and his familiar surroundings, but when I take him anywhere he is beside himself with anxiety. I can't even get him to eat a treat in unfamiliar places, and every little noise or object freaks him out!
When anyone comes to my house, he will cautiously greet them and wag his butt (since he has no tail) and then he pees on himself from excitement if they talk to him or pet him.
Anyone have any advice to help remedy either of these problems? |
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 The Worst Seller Ever
Posts: 4138
Location: Oklahoma | Mine eventually grew out of it.. I have a Standard and a mini Aussie. Both were as you describe as puppies. They still don't let new people touch them at first and are pretty protective, but they eventually grew out of the excited dribbles and being scared of their shadows. |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | alot of puppies and young adult dogs do that.. |
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 Perky Gal
Location: On a paint horse... | I think he still has time to outgrow the peeing on himself. Aussies tend to be a bit neurotic so the being scared of everything could just be who he is. Just take him and expose him to as much as you can, lots of reassurance (and patience)...and LOTS OF LOVING!! Might just be who he is. Just like kids, they are all different. |
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 The Color Specialist
Posts: 7530
Location: Washington. (The DRY side.) | He is still a tiny baby. There is still hope that he will outgrow the excitement peeing. Just have people IGNORE him. Same with you if he does it when you come home and he is excited. I would also start teaching him to "sit". Once he learns it, you can have him sit before he gets attention from strangers.(Or you.) Most dogs don't pee on themselves if they are sitting.
Keep socializing him. It might work, it might not. He may just have bad nerves and ALWAYS be "weirded out" by strange places and noises. However, don't try to "console him" (Petting him and/or saying things like 'It's OK" don't be afraid" ect...) when he is afraid. That ENCOURAGES the behaviour. Just carry on like everything is "normal" If he freaks out, just stand there quietly, or if you are walking, just keep going like you were before the meltdown. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 175
| My shepard mix was a mess as a puppy. Couldn't take her anywhere, scared to death of everyone. She did eventually grow out of it... not for about five years though |
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| RacingQH - 2013-12-26 12:39 PM He is still a tiny baby. There is still hope that he will outgrow the excitement peeing. Just have people IGNORE him. Same with you if he does it when you come home and he is excited. I would also start teaching him to "sit". Once he learns it, you can have him sit before he gets attention from strangers.(Or you.) Most dogs don't pee on themselves if they are sitting.
Keep socializing him. It might work, it might not. He may just have bad nerves and ALWAYS be "weirded out" by strange places and noises. However, don't try to "console him" (Petting him and/or saying things like 'It's OK" don't be afraid" ect...) when he is afraid. That ENCOURAGES the behaviour. Just carry on like everything is "normal" If he freaks out, just stand there quietly, or if you are walking, just keep going like you were before the meltdown. I have been telling everyone that comes over "Don't look at the dog. Don't talk to the dog. Don't pet the dog." It's actually quite comical, LOL!
I just needed some reassurance that he MIGHT actually grow out of the peeing. That's what I have read about submissive urination, in general. However, I wanted to hear from other Aussie owners. We had a larger Aussie mix many years ago that did the same thing, but he was super social and was outside only, so the peeing didn't bother me.
I appreciate the advice! Keep it coming 
ETA: My last dog was a Sheltie that was part human, knew no strangers, and earned her Canine Good Citizen at 11 months old. I couldn't bring a saddle, a leather bag, or a deer head in the house without her freaking out, but she knew no human or dog strangers. We did obedience and agility training, but sadly I lost her to bladder cancer a year and a half ago. I have waited this long to find another companion, so I know my expectations might be too high. We are starting puppy class in January, so maybe that will get us on the right track
Edited by darchick 2013-12-26 1:03 PM
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 Quack Quack Woodle Woodle
Posts: 7905
Location: Texas | I rescued an aussie female this summer... the rescue calls her a mini, I'd call her a petite standard. She was about 9 months when we got her, she's clearly pure bred working lines, she was seized from a hoarder/puppy mill type situation where the owner died or something and the dogs were abandoned. Her first human interactions were at the Fort Worth Shelter. They were going to eu. her for being too fearful. She was absolutely catatonic when we got her. She's still a work in progress but the more socializing we do, the more we get her out on walks and treating her like she's "normal", the better she gets. It's hard sometimes trying to get people to cooperate with "don't look or touch" to help her confidence because she's so pretty and she looks so scared they just want to reach out and touch. My own family is the worst lol. She pees out of fear ... it was horrible when she first came, it's about 90% better with a little bit more to go.
I just treat her like a spooky colt... fake it till you make it. Exude confidence so they can feel it. If you let them think the scary thing or person is a big deal.. they're gonna go with it. If you ignore it, they will too. Make sure YOU are staying calm and relaxed. Lots and lots of exercise!!
Edited by fifteenflat 2013-12-26 1:17 PM
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 Water Weight Barbie
Posts: 6829
Location: Oz, Kansas | My mini is very timid & really doesn't need to meet new people or other dogs. She's is perfectly content with "her family" and doesn't really care about anyone else. I actually have grown to prefer it because when she goes with me she doesn't have to greet everyone or smell all the other dogs butts. If another dog approaches her she will hide behind my legs or want me to pick her up. |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | My mini used to pee on himself when he got excited but he did grow out of it. I want to say he was five or six months old when he started being able to greet people and hold his bladder at the same time.
I have no advice on the social nervousness though. Tuffy has always been super social. He LOVES everyone and always has. |
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Veteran
Posts: 122
| 3 months old is still very young, nothing to worry about it. I didn't start socializing my 2 german shepherds til after 4 months when they had all their shots, can't be too careful..I live in Florida and lets just say not everyone who brings their dog to a festival does what they're supposed to do. Those boys are social as can be. My grandparents mini aussie (that I take all the time for exercise and socialization) was the same as yours. Peed every time she saw me in excitement, grew out of it probably around a year. Very Very timid when she was young, just kept at it with her being around a people. She's 3 now and much better. About 6 months ago she started going up to some of my friends and wiggling her butt for attention, took a while but you can't force them to be comfortable. When I take her to a festival, she now lets most people pet her, before she used to run behind me. Also when out and about don't give a treat when he's acting all scared that's couterproductive just like another person said about praising/petting them when they are acting like that. It's saying the behavior is what you want when it isn't. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | We have a 2? 3? year old mini-aussie, I can't remember at the moment, anywho, she is very nervous by nature. We have not dealt with the peeing on herself/people, but she is just an extremely timid dog. Much more so than any other breed we've had.
She has always been well socialized, from day one, there are always a lot of people at our house and she absolutely adores children, so she's not so much scared of people. She just has a timid way about her.
She is especially scared of noises and new places. I don't think she will ever outgrow that. Any kind of unpleasant commotion going on and she will hide under the bed for hours, terrified. You can't coax her out to console her. |
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 Banjo and Baby
Posts: 7259
Location: South of Canada and North of Mexico | My mini I got last Christmas Eve day did the same thing.... once he was fixed it helped A LOT. I took a chance on having a aussie and I won't get one again... he EATS EVERYTHING. He gets crated while Im gone and at night because I cant trust him. He's been in trouble sooo many times he still cowards even when he's not in trouble. Has no personality... Hes eaten pillows, helped eat a couch, lawn mower seat, many bike seats, 4 wheeler seat, my child's snowmobile helmet and so much more. he tries to attack the horses nose and chase them. AGH. Good luck, but I would get him fixed as far as the peeing goes. |
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Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | watchpeppydoc - 2013-12-26 5:51 PM My mini I got last Christmas Eve day did the same thing.... once he was fixed it helped A LOT. I took a chance on having a aussie and I won't get one again... he EATS EVERYTHING. He gets crated while Im gone and at night because I cant trust him. He's been in trouble sooo many times he still cowards even when he's not in trouble. Has no personality... Hes eaten pillows, helped eat a couch, lawn mower seat, many bike seats, 4 wheeler seat, my child's snowmobile helmet and so much more. he tries to attack the horses nose and chase them. AGH. Good luck, but I would get him fixed as far as the peeing goes.
Wow....your dog and mine are polar opposites! Even as a puppy, Tuffy was never destructive. He tore a few inches off the bottom of a sheet, and ripped one set of mini blinds in my then-boyfriend's apartment. That's IT. Literally the only bad habit mine has is he licks too much. I've not gotten him fixed because all the dogs at my parents place are males and I might someday want to get a female and raise a litter of little Tuffys. |
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Holy Fruit Loops!
Posts: 1708
Location: Colorado | darchick - 2013-12-26 12:25 PM I have a 3 month old male mini aussie that has two very troublesome issues: 1) he pees on himself when he gets excited AND 2) he is afraid of everything when we get away from home.
I have had him since he was 6 weeks old and hoped that he would grow out of being scared of everything, but he hasn't. I have tried socializing him with new people and places, but he is still anxious. He is super smart and does well with my kids and his familiar surroundings, but when I take him anywhere he is beside himself with anxiety. I can't even get him to eat a treat in unfamiliar places, and every little noise or object freaks him out!
When anyone comes to my house, he will cautiously greet them and wag his butt (since he has no tail) and then he pees on himself from excitement if they talk to him or pet him.
Anyone have any advice to help remedy either of these problems?
A three month old pup is still a BABY dog. Submissive urination is not unusual and pretty predictable having a "mini" pup removed from his litter at 6 weeks.
An actual Australian Shepherd is to be reserved of strangers. So being this spooky at his age is not necessarily a mirror into his future.
With that said..... Did you meet the parents of this pup? Did you get talk with anyone who bought pups from this breeder before?
I would not be doing a lot of socializing until at least 16 weeks. Parvo is way to easy to contract at such a young age. Depending on your area distemper and rabies could be very serious as well.
You are asking a yearling to be a seasoned rodeo horse. Puppies take time.
karen |
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Holy Fruit Loops!
Posts: 1708
Location: Colorado | Just an FYI in general. The issues a lot of you are describing is NOT normal for an Australian Shepherd. Sadly not unusual for many mini, toy, what ever small version comes along.
karen |
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Quack Quack Woodle Woodle
Posts: 7905
Location: Texas | Generally a destructive dog is a bored dog. More exercise and discipline will cut down on that a lot. Mine is a paper shredder.. I know I haven't walked her enough this week when I come home and the recycle bin has been confetti-fied lol |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 307
Location: Florida | Mine is a mini and he's a year old as of Christmas Eve- he's scared to death of everything/everyone (especially guys) away from home! They're very smart and easy to potty train and mine stopped the peeing when excited when he was potty trained. He kinda made the connection himself I guess... I'm hoping he does grow out of the skittishness though! |
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Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | watchpeppydoc - 2013-12-26 5:51 PM
My mini I got last Christmas Eve day did the same thing.... once he was fixed it helped A LOT. I took a chance on having a aussie and I won't get one again... he EATS EVERYTHING. He gets crated while Im gone and at night because I cant trust him. He's been in trouble sooo many times he still cowards even when he's not in trouble. Has no personality... Hes eaten pillows, helped eat a couch, lawn mower seat, many bike seats, 4 wheeler seat, my child's snowmobile helmet and so much more. he tries to attack the horses nose and chase them. AGH. Good luck, but I would get him fixed as far as the peeing goes.
Aussies are very smart dogs and have to have a lot of exercise and/or mental stimulation. If you can't provide that for them, then they probably are not the dog for you.
Besides that, I always say puppies are going to chew stuff up until about 1 to 1.5 years old. Not just aussies, but most puppies, if left out unattended where they can chew stuff up. Our lab/rott mix turns a year in jan and is just now starting to slow down on the chewing stuff up.
It does not surprise me that you say your dog "has no personality," in my experience aussies cannot handle being in trouble very well. They are pretty sensitive dogs and remember discipline longer than most. The way you talk about your dog makes me feel bad for him. I will get on to one when they need it, no doubt, but if he's in trouble so much that he's always scared, then there's something wrong. |
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I keep my change in my pockets
Posts: 2985
Location: MN | We didn't get our mini Aussies until she was 14 weeks old. The breeder had already started leash training. She never cried the first nite or there after.
We hauled her to see our kids at colleges. One son was 2 hrs away and the almost 4 hrs. We did sneak her into dorm rooms with her crate and a chew bone and leave her there while we went to eat lunch. She is a quiet dog and never made a peep. I did take her to work with me and so we got to meet people that way also.
She was scared of our under the counter lighting when we first installed it, but we would leave it on when we left for the evening so she got over it. She was also scares of the range hood when we turned on the fan and or fan. But when i would brown hamburger I would call her over and give her some of the hamburger. She got over that one real quit. They take time getting over things that scare them and somethings they won't. Our dog is scared of fire and I don't think that will change. That is another story.
I would never get a puppy at that young of an age. They have a lot to learn from mom. I would pay extra to have the puppy left there longer.
This summer we were vacationing with our horses and our dog and we were just 20 miles away from the breeder we got her from. I contacted her(breeder) and told her we were close by and did she want to see our dog. She was over joyed that we contacted and she got to see one her dogs that she sold all gown up. She stayed for hour, it was great to show her our dog.
Good luck with your pup but I still feel they are an awesome breed and would get another one in a heart beat! |
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