It’s frustrating when they do it. But why do dogs pee on their beds?
If you are the dog parent, you might wonder if they do it on purpose. You might even look at them with some level of confusion. Don’t they understand this is their bed, the place they are supposed to have an excellent time and enjoy their sleep?
Many of us (dog owners) have been there. But when you understand all the possible reasons, then you know what to do and stop getting a bit pissed off all the time.
Without wasting time, let’s look at the reasons why dogs pee on their bed.
Table of Contents
Dogs Peeing on the Bed on Purpose
It might seem like it is a deliberate act at first, especially after you try to correct them and they don’t stop peeing on the bed.
But there are many reasons they do it. So you need to consider all these reasons and then decide the following action.
There are many reasons that a dog would pee on its bed.
Why do dogs pee in beds?
All the answers in this article will not apply to your dog. But with your observations and patience, you can figure out which of the points you use for your puppy and what you can do about it.
1. Their house training is incomplete
Young dogs need to undergo specific training before being taken into new homes. The process equips the dog with obedience, socialization skills, and other things required to live with other people and animals. When they are not appropriately trained, dogs show inappropriate behavior, like peeing on the bed.
2. The dog has a form of incontinence
Dogs can also pee in a bed when they have urinary incontinence. It gets better as they age. So as a pet parent, it would help if you had a lot of patience and understanding. What can lead to urinary incontinence?
The list includes UTIs, prostate problems, urinary stones, spinal injury, medications, and hormonal imbalances. As you can see, many of them are no one’s fault.
3. They are marking territory
Dogs love things that belong to them. When they love, they want to show and prove it anyhow possible. One of the ways they do this is called territorial marking, the act of leaving scent where they can remember. This action is common with dogs that have not been neutered or spayed. They pee on the bed of their owners to mark it.
4. They are showing signs of submission
Dogs, like wolves, act like they are in a pack. In your house, your dog considers you as her pack leader, and one of the methods she might show submissiveness is to pee. The dog is trying to show you she is not a threat. So dog peeing can be a sign of submissiveness. It can also happen if you punish the dog for misbehavior. They are likely to release the fluid when standing with their tail tucked under them or lying on their back.
5. They are terrified
It happens to people too. For example, when something scares us, we forget our names instantly. So when dogs go through such emotional distress, they can pee on the bed, especially when the source of their fear catches them when they are standing on the bed. The source of such anxiety includes thunderstorms or strange noise. This point can also go back to point number 4. If your dog isn’t trained properly and introduced to some sounds, they will be terrified when they hear such a sound for the first time.
6. They are still young
At a young age, humans do things because they don’t know better. A human baby would pee in bed, too, until they know better.
Puppies, too, do the same thing. That’s why it is essential to train them as they age, so they don’t keep doing things that are considered childish.
As dogs grow, they learn to control their bodies. But, before that, they have to learn a lot about potty training and use the appropriate place for peeing.
7. They are suffering from a kind of trauma
It is another version of the previous point. However, we need to consider it differently because being afraid differs from having trauma. Trauma is like seeing the same enemy again, and the negative effect last longer. The latter can cause severe problems and can lead to the former.
Has your puppy had some emotional issues in the past? Then probably when they experience that kind of moment again, they will react. Peeing on the bed can be one of the reactions.
8. They have other medical issues
You can guess this is the reason why younger dogs pee on their bed when they sleep and wake up with a soaked bed. At first, you might think it is because they sleep and pee unconsciously, just like babies sometimes do. However, your first worry should be about medical conditions. Dogs wouldn’t ruin their resting place just like that. The reasons could be medical problems and vary from cognitive disorders, kidney problems, or a weak bladder.
Before this article ends, you will find a couple of steps to follow to change things. The cause of the problem could be many things other than urinary tract infection.
9. They have separation anxiety
It is good advice that dogs have a good time with their mother before taking them into a new home. When they need time to grow and learn to be independent, failure to do so can lead to a term called separation anxiety. The dog would start a lot of weird behaviors to show they miss their families. Are you wondering what they might do? Yeah, they will pee on the bed.
Another form of separation anxiety is when they are already getting used to a new family. Then, suddenly, the family or their pet parents aren’t around. They could pee as a sign of their separation anxiety.
10. They lack confidence
Lack of confidence would make your dog cower in the presence of a bigger or a more dominant dog. They will show a sign of forced submission that could eventually make them pee on their bed.
Solutions: What can you do when your dog pees on her bed?
Since the beginning of the article, we have answered your question: Why do dogs pee on their blankets? Now, let’s look at the answers.
First, read the explanations and apply those that fit your dogs perfectly. You could use one or two. This section is created separately because you might have to try several solutions. Don’t limit the options to one.
1. Housetrain your puppy
If you have a young puppy that pees on her bed, you can easily detect the reason is their young age. Young in this sentence means less than eight weeks of age. So the best thing you can do is train them on how and where to pee.
There are many guides on potty training a puppy. This article will not go into the nitty-gritty of everything, but here is a summary:
- decide where you want your puppy to use for peeing.
- Take her out to this place every two hours
- Wait and let her pee
- You might need to use a potty spray to mark that territory
- Repeat the process every day and every morning when she wakes up
Of course, this is not everything you need to know about potty training, but it is an excellent place to start. Hopefully, your dog would need more than that.
What about older dogs that still pee on their bed?
If your dog is older than eight weeks, then you can guess the reason for peeing is not because they are young. You can check other solutions below or start retraining on using the right place for the potty.
2. Take them for veterinary evaluation
You only need to notice two key things before making this decision. They are:
- You have older dogs that pee on the bed.
- Your dog pees in their bed when they are asleep.
These two things suggest that your dog might be going through specific medical issues such as kidney disease, urinary tract infection, or hormone-responsive urinary incontinence. Either way, your vet will know better, and you should seek his expert advice.
3. Consider getting the dog neutered
This step is not a decision you should take on your own. The sole purpose of getting your dogs spayed or neutered is to protect them from testicular-related issues such as testicular cancer. Spayed female dogs have a lesser chance of getting breast cancer. The process can also prevent unwanted behaviors on your dog, such as soaking the dog’s bed with urine.
So talk to a veterinarian when you notice your dog is constantly peeing on the bed.
4. Show some kindness
This piece of advice is for those whose dog pees in a submissive position. Have you been aggressive towards them? Have you been showing a sign of authority in their lives that it makes the dog fear you? Have you been using hard punishment or violence instead of positive reinforcement?
Now you’ve got your dog urinating anytime she sees you with a cane or a piece of rod, and that needs to change. Be kind. Use positive reinforcement. You can learn more about the process on your own, but’s summarize what that looks like:
- Show your dogs that love her at all times.
- When she does something you don’t like, you ignore her until she stops.
- But you can do that all the time. For instance, you can ignore her when she is away trying to get out of her cage, but you can’t just pretend not to see her when she is tearing your couch with her teeth.
- Go subtle when you can’t ignore it. For example, you can separate her from things she is doing or put her on a leash.
- When she shows you want, give her a treat as a sign of reinforcement for such good behavior.
As times go on, take threats out of the equation and pat her head instead.
Show some love to your dog and train it to do things by being subtle.
5. Remove their triggers
An anxious dog pees on her bed because of fear. So it is essential to find what causes this sudden fear and remove it. If certain situations or sound makes your dog pee on their bed, then you have two jobs:
- Prevent the problem from happening again.
- Train them to stay calm when the situation happens again
It’s not an easy thing, and it will be impossible to get near the dog if she is so scared that she pees on the bed. So you want to start from scratch. If your dog is scared of the sound of the siren, train them to stay calm with a similar noise at a low volume.
It will be a long process, depending on the severity of the trauma. So when you first notice the reason the dog pees is because of specific triggers, try to prevent the situation from happening again. Help your dog manage this by removing the triggers.
6. Remove barriers/let them out
Dogs generally don’t like urinating in their own bed. But if your dog stays in a crate for too long, she will pee inside. Therefore, you can train them to come out of the crate on their own or open it when they want to pee. If you are not available, tell a family member to assist you.
7. Create Barriers
This suggestion is the direct opposite of the last point. It is for those whose dogs pee on their pet parent’s bed instead of the dog’s bed. So your dog will leave her bed and pee on your own bed. You need to limit how much access she has to your bed. Keep the door shut. Stay alert when your dog walks around the house, and let her sleep in her bed instead of yours.
8. Clean the bed or urine
Dogs are very sensitive to smells. Leaving the bed unclean will leave a bad odor on the floor. If the space smells of urine, they could see it as permission to pee on the same spot repeatedly. So it would be best if you cleaned the area thoroughly.
9. Buy a washable bed
While looking for a permanent solution to these problems, it would be wise to find a temporary solution, like getting a washable bed for your dog. It will save you much time when cleaning and prevent damage to beds or pungent smells.
You should know what more washable items you can buy if your dog pees on the bed. Sofas and floor coverings are examples of such things.
FAQ
How do I stop my dog from peeing in his bed?
Honestly, it is a frustrating experience, and you have to handle it like a patient pet parent. Understand some of the things you can do. House train them, visit a veterinarian to see if there is a chronic disease and consider paying more attention to your dog’s behavior. That way, you can know if your dog is peeing because of fear or triggers. Buy washable beds while you try to implement one or two corrective procedures. Overall, be patient and try all the options in this article.
Why does my dog keep peeing on his bed?
The reasons are many. Younger dogs pee on the bed because they don’t know better. They aren’t appropriately trained or don’t know how to control their urges yet. Older dogs pee on the bed for different reasons, such as medical issues, or they grow highly distressed at the time of peeing. It could also be because they are scared of something, including strange sounds, loud noises, or something in their environment.
You may also be interested to read, “Why Does My Dog Hump His Bed?“