It's Not Their Fault

A puddle the second you walk in feels like sabotage. It isn't. Excitement and submissive urination are run by the autonomic nervous system — the same automatic wiring that makes your heart race.

Young dogs leak most because the muscles that hold the bladder shut are still wiring up, and their feelings run hot. Think of a toddler giggling so hard they wet themselves — same idea. Most dogs grow out of it by around eighteen months, as both the body and the emotional brakes mature.