[becky92029]

My 7 month old neutered Doxie pup completely melts into the ground with limpness (face down) when I pick him up and it is a heartbreaking sight. Since he is from rescue, I don't scold or yell for any reason. Sometimes he urinates, sometimes not. I have had him 3 weeks now and his sister does NOT do this. Thanks for any help.

[labman]

The wetting is common enough to be called submissive urination. It is one way a wolf indicates to another wolf that it accepts the other one as higher status. 10,000 years living with man have left dogs with 98% of their DNA matching the wolves. Your dog is trying to be a good little wolf. You need show you accept it and work at building its self confidence. One good way is to play tug of war with it and lose. This can go too far if the dog is allowed to keep the rope or toy at end. You are still top dog and must take it and put it up.

Get down as low as you can with her, and do not make eye contact. Being higher and making eye contact are ways of showing your higher status.

Good obedience training will help too. It does show your higher status, but in a way that builds her confidence. Your generous praise for success shows her she is a competent pack member accepted by the leader. The dogs see all the
People and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in
The pack and a top dog. You can learn to play the role of top dog by
Reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class
Or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with
A treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/. With many dogs, you need to constantly confront them with your higher status. With the overly submissive dog, you need to learn the top dog prerogatives and down play them.

[soshal1]

Detailing information about the family rank order. Thanks