1. Make them feel taller: Every dog has a little bit of a Napoleon complex. No matter how big or small a dog is, she wishes she were bigger.

Dogs who are insecure are especially conscious of height. These are the ones who are most likely to splash the floor in the foyer.

You can't make your dog any taller, but you can make her feel taller - and this can work wonders for her self-esteem. Teach your dog to climb up on a picnic table or some other elevated surface outside.

Let her get comfortable, then practice a few "sits" or "downs." Better yet, bring someone - a person or another dog - over to meet her. You'll be amazed at how much a little height can do for a dog's self- assurance.

2. Get low and reach up: Dogs read our body language in ways we can hardly imagine. Take a welcoming rub on top of the head. For people, this is a natural show of love. For dogs, however, it's a sign of domination, especially when it's accompanied by direct eye contact.

Dogs who are nervous about confrontations will get even more nervous, and nervous dogs are the ones who tend to pee when their owners come home. Try abandoning the head rub and replacing it with a rub under the chin.

This is how dogs greet older or more dominant dogs, and they view it as a very gentle salutation.

3. Come home quietly: People are just as happy to see their dogs at the end of the day as their dogs are to see them. But this isn't the best time for energetic greetings. Coming home quietly and not making a fuss will go a long way toward keeping things drier.

4. Go out as soon as you come in: Rather than having your homecomings in the hall, try opening the door, then immediately stepping back outside, letting your dog follow.

The extra physical space will make your arrival a little less overwhelming, and your dog will also have a chance to relieve herself before she gets worked up.

5. Help her learn self-control: Unless your dog is still a puppy, it's unlikely that she's going to learn to control her bladder any better. But she can learn to control her emotions generally.

The less excited she gets, the less likely she'll be to make a mess. By far the best way to teach dogs to control their exuberance is to teach them basic obedience.

For one thing, dogs who have learned to listen for instructions are generally calmer than those dogs without any training.