Last week a reader of Doggysaurus asked us on social media about a problem he was having with his dog. His dog was peeing on not just his own bed, but also the owner’s bed. As you can imagine, this type of behavior can point to a number of issues.
In this guide, I will share the tactics I explained to the reader on how you can successfully stop a dog from peeing on his bed, or your bed – it works with a puppy too.
How to stop a dog from peeing on the bed: 7 ways to halt the pee
First off, your dog shouldn’t be peeing on your bed. Not only is it unhygienic and uncomfortable (for you) but it could also be a sign your dog isn’t well. The same applies if he’s peeing in his own bed – or on your furniture.
Once you know the root of the problem, you can solve it. If you go towards the bottom of this guide, I will explain why your dog is peeing on the bed, but let’s start with how to stop it.
Dog pee is not something you want happening on your bedding or soaking into your mattress. Here are some tips to help you stop your dog from peeing on your bed or in his own bed.
1. Rule out any medical conditions
Before you start spending a load of money on bringing in an animal behaviorist, take your dog to the vet. Some medical conditions can make your dog need to urinate more than normal or become incontinent.
If your dog has diabetes, he will be thirstier and need to pee more often. If he’s sharing your bed with you, he may battle to keep his urine in throughout the night. Getting the right treatment for his diabetes will help to manage this condition better.
Your dog may also have a urinary tract infection. This is more common in female pooches. This condition also increases their need to urinate with some of it leaking onto the bed, so treating the infection will solve the problem.
2. Manage the emotions
An emotional dog comes with a host of problems if not dealt with properly. A typical reaction when your dog is overly emotional is to pee all over the place – and this can include your dog urinating on the bed.
Your dog may be suffering from separation anxiety when you leave the house and may take to peeing on your bed because your scent is there. An overly excitable dog will also urinate, most times when he’s not aware he’s even doing it – it’s not out of spite.
If your dog is suffering from anxiety or gets easily excitable, find ways to manage these emotions. Your vet could prescribe calming meditations or a trainer who deals with this sort of behavioral problems may be your solution.
And weirdly, there are even some dogs who will pee on their owners due to similar reasons. This is much more distressing than a dog or puppy who pees on the bed as you can imagine!
3. House train your puppy or adopted dog
If you’re bringing a new puppy into the home, make sure you house train them properly. A well-trained dog knows he shouldn’t pee in the house, no matter how much he loves your scent!
But with the younger ones, it not uncommon for people to have to stop a puppy peeing on beds. They are often too young to control their bladder, aren’t trained, and can pee when excited.
If you’re adopting an older dog, you may have to reinforce previous house training especially if he’s nervous in the beginning. Introducing a new, older dog to your home comes with a host of unknowns. So, as soon as you see he’s peeing on your bed, start training him.
Be gentle but firm and don’t give in to shouting as this will only make your dog more nervous and more prone to bad behavior.
Also, don’t rub their nose in the pee but rather tell him, in a firm tone that he’s done something wrong. Take him outside and show him where he should urinate.
You might find this book, The Puppy Primer on Amazon, an excellent guide on how to train your puppy properly using positive reinforcement and other great training tips.
4. Give him opportunities to relieve himself
Make sure your dog has enough opportunities to relieve himself outdoors. If your dog is an indoor dog, you may forget he needs to go outside for peeing… you will remember once the bed gets wet though!
If your dog is peeing on your bed or his bed during the night, it may be because he’s desperate to relieve himself but you’re snoring away in bed. Always take your dog outside just before retiring to bed and let him relieve himself.
Another way to stop a dog peeing on his bed is a tiring one but might be all you can do in some cases. You may need to get up during the night to let him out especially if he’s got a weak bladder and he can’t get through a whole night without peeing.
5. Use odor repellants on beds
Sometimes, your dog will continue to pee on your bed or his bed simply because of the odor of old urine. There’s a wide range of odor repellant cleaners on the market you can use to help eliminate any urine smell from both your dogs and cats.
Which brings me to cats. If you have a cat who likes to pee on your bed, your dog is going to want to follow suit because he’s marking his territory.
The Rocco & Roxie Stain and Odor Eliminator (buy it online from Amazon) is designed to eliminate both stains and odors from dog and cat urine. It’s safe to use on all sleeping areas and is known to remove odors permanently.
6. Keep your dog out of the bedroom
This is a final resort solution if you love having your dog sleep with you in your bed. If you can’t solve the problem of him peeing in your bed you may need to make other sleeping arrangements.
If your dog is peeing on your bed but nowhere else, it could be a dominance issue. He may feel he’s the leader of the pack (made up of you and him). Peeing on your bed could be a sign of his alpha ego.
You’ll need to assert yourself properly. That way he knows you’re the leader But, if he’s still peeing on your bed, you’re going to need to put him somewhere else at night time.
This could be in his own bed, next to your bed or in an outside room or a well-insulated dog kennel outdoors.
7. Call in the experts
When all else fails, I always say call in the experts. Your doggie is your best friend, your mate for life and someone you love with all of your heart.
If his peeing on your or his bed becomes a serious problem and you’ve had him checked out with the vet, then get a dog trainer in.
A good dog trainer will be able to help you work with your dog and manage his bad behaviors. It may take some time and patience, but I always believe it’s possible to solve most dogs’ bad habits.
An expert in doggie behavioral issues will know what to do and get both you and your dog on the right track.
Why is my dog peeing on the bed?
Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why your dog could be peeing on your bed:
- He loves your scent: Sometimes, when a dog smells your scent his automatic reaction is to pee on it.
- He’s emotional: When your dog gets over excited, frightened or is anxious he may take to peeing on your bed or in his own bed. It can be accidental. Or, done on purpose because it’s the only place he feels safe while urinating.
- He’s unwell: Some medical conditions can cause your fur baby to need to pee more often. A medical condition can also cause your dog to become incontinent.
- He’s marking his territory: If your dog shares your bed with you, he may consider it his territory. We all know what dogs do when they want to mark their territories – they lift their legs.
- He’s not properly trained: A dog who is not house trained is more inclined to peeing in places where he shouldn’t be, and your bed could be one of them.
These are the most common reasons for your dog taking a leak on your bed or even in his own bed. If you can’t figure out the root of his behavior, then take him to your vet for a full checkup.
Conclusion
If you can get to the root of your dog’s peeing-on your-bed behavior, you can come up with a solution.
You might also like…
Here’s more about strange dog situations you might also need help with: