I get frustrated when my dog pees on the bed. You may think that the dog peeing on your bed is an act of rebellion or dominance, but there are reasons for this. Understanding the cause and what can be done is essential.
Why Dogs Pee On The Bed
There are various reasons why my dog is peeing on my bed. Begin by ruling out medical issues but try addressing behavioral problems.
Urinary Tract Or Kidney Problems
Urinary tract infections may cause your dog to have urinary accidents. Various issues related to the urinary tract may make it difficult for your dog to regulate bladder activity.
Other urinary problems your dog may face include crystals in the urine, inflammation of the bladder, structural abnormalities, bladder stones, kidney disease, and tumors. Such urinary issues are treated with supplements, medications, and diet changes, while extreme cases such as bladder stones require surgery.
Excitement, Fear, Stress, or Anxiety
Most younger dogs develop excitement urination and dribble some urine when overly excited or when put in submissive positions. Your dog is likely to grow out of the behavior, and others may require training if the problem persists into adulthood.
Fear, stress, and anxiety may cause your dog to urinate inappropriately. Changing your dog’s environment and underlying medical conditions may induce sudden stress. The best option is for the dog owner to rule out health issues first and then devise ways to minimize your dog’s anxiety.
Incontinence
If your dogs have urinary incontinence, they tend to leak urine involuntarily. The condition occurs when your dog is sleeping, but some dogs with this condition dribble urine even when they are awake.
Incontinence is usually common in senior dogs, but underlying conditions cause incontinence in young dogs. Female dogs develop hormone-responsive urinary incontinence, but medications are available to deal with the issue.
How To Prevent Your Dog From Peeing On Your Bed
Spend Time House Training Your Dog
If you see the habits even when your dog translates to their adolescent years, it is an indication that your dog has not fully understood the house rules. If you think that the pet has not been house-trained well, it is crucial to go back to the training basics to counteract the behavior. An excellent way to start entails blocking off those areas where you see the pee more often.
The approach is crucial, especially if the dog owner leaves the house for a few hours. You can start by closing the bedroom doors and limiting your dog to a single or two access rooms by using crates.
Confine Your Dog When You Are Not Home
If you leave your dog unsupervised, accidents are likely to occur. If you are not at home, a small bedroom, dog crate, or pen becomes helpful to control the accidents. Dogs usually do not pee where they play or sleep, and therefore, confining them to small areas can help solve the temptation.
You can place them in areas they are not allowed to go to, including a crate or a dog run with a pee pad inside.
Treat A Puppy Differently Than A Senior Dog
Older dogs and puppies have more accidents, but usually for different reasons. Teach puppies the difference between going potty outside and inside. Show the puppies where to go peeing outside by offering routine bathroom breaks.
Senior dogs may also not hold their bladder as they once could. Continue using rewards and adjust the timing when you take your dog outside.
Determine if Anxiety Is The Real Issue
Your dog may pee in bed or at home when it is anxious, agitated, or overly excited. The condition occurs in older dogs and puppies. Your dog may also react to noises, loud voices, sirens, strangers, or other scary situations. If you observe this response in your dog, identifying the condition which causes excitement or fear is crucial.
Dog owners can help their dogs by introducing them to situations where this happens or other people to limit fearful interactions. A thunder jacket proves crucial for some dogs to help ease anxiety.
Give Your Dog Enough Opportunities To Go
If you have to leave the dogs at home for many hours, it is always important to give them opportunities to visit the bathroom. Some dogs have smaller bladders than others, while others can hold their urine longer.
Consider installing a dog door if you have an enclosed backyard to enable the dog to go outside while you are away. Consider buying dog training pads if this is not an option in the home, so that the dog can use them.
Start Tracking Your Dog’s Behavior
Take notes about the behavior of your dog when it sleeps, eats, and drinks water. It allows you to track the duration they are holding it to help establish a routine for success. Get your dog to pee outside by simply adjusting the potty schedule that fits their daily rhythm.
Train your dog appropriately to help correct his behavior. The process can be frustrating and require adequate time, and it is essential to seek help from a dog trainer if you do not see the required outcomes.