How to stop my dog from peeing on my bed

Peeing in beds can happen with any dog and the root of the behavior is more notable than the dog’s breed. Your dog could be leaving his scent in your sheets for several reasons. He might have a medical condition, be anxious, excited, or nervous, not be properly house trained, marking, or just like your scent. Medical conditions like diabetes and urinary tract infections increase the need to urinate. If your dog is frequently piddling in your bed and in other places around the house, you need to take him to the vet. A diabetic dog will also have an increase in thirst, weight loss, vomiting, and lethargy. A dog with a urinary tract infection will show signs of fever, lethargy, licking themselves, and not looking well. Female dogs are more prone to urinary tract infections than male dogs. A dog with a lot of emotions could be peeing on your bed. If your dog gets excited when he’s in your bedroom and on your luxurious 1000-thread count bedsheets, he might just pee himself. This is common with puppies because they are still learning to control their bladder and be house trained. If your dog is anxious or nervous, he might pee all over the place, including your bed. If this is the case, your dog might also demonstrate other anxious behaviors such as excessive paw licking, trembling, or hiding and not playing. If you recently adopted your dog, he might not be entirely house trained yet. Never yell at your dog or rub his nose in it if he does pee in your bed. Instead, show your dog where he is supposed to relieve himself instead. If you yell at your dog, you might confuse him about urinating and defecating, which can create anxiety. Work with a trainer if you’re struggling with house training. Your dog might just be marking your spot as his. He wants you to know he is the boss and he’s your fierce protector. If this is the case, you work with your dog and a trainer to remind your pup that you are the boss and his protector of the kibble.

By Liz Palika

You’ve had a long day and all you want to do is slide in between the sheets. As you do so, however, you feel a cold wet spot. Ugh! Your dog has urinated on your bed.

Why Does This Happen?

Many theories have been offered as to why some dogs urinate on their owners’ beds. If your dog is young, he may have some housetraining issues and could have an accident on the bed just as he might in other places in the house. A geriatric dog might be developing incontinence and leak while sleeping on the bed. A frightened dog could urinate when scared after first choosing the bed as a place of safety.

Adolescent dogs are most likely to urinate on the bed. Dogs between nine and fourteen months of age (give or take a month or two on each end) are more apt to urinate on the bed just because they are teenagers. Teenagers do weird things and sometimes we don’t know why they do what they do.

Contrary to popular belief dogs don’t urinate on the bed to “get back at you,” nor do they do it to be dominant. Dogs like our beds because they smell like us; after all, we spend seven or eight hours a night in bed.

Prevent Access to the Bed

If your dog has peed on your bed, it’s important to prevent his access to it. This is especially important when you aren’t home or are too busy to supervise him. Just close your bedroom door.

When you’re going in and out of your bedroom, such as while getting ready for work, put a leash on your dog and ask him to lie down and stay with you. The leash isn’t punishment but simply a reminder that you would like his compliance.

If your dog has been invited up on the bed previously you can still do that but only while you are there with him. If you get up, so does he. Otherwise, just don’t let him get on the bed.

Managing the Situation

Each dog and owner situation is unique so the approach to solving the problem will be also. If your dog is young and having housetraining issues, prevent access to the bed and work on those housetraining skills. Talk to a trainer for some help if you aren’t making the progress you’d like to see.

Often the frightened dog could use professional help, too. A kind training program can help these dogs gain confidence.

Make sure your incontinent geriatric dog sees the veterinarian. Incontinence can be caused by a variety of things, including old age, disease, and medications. Since you won’t want to evict the old dog from your bed over something she can’t control, use dog diapers or potty pads to protect your bed.

Training can help the teenage dog, focusing his brain on obedience skills, household rules, and even trick training. Anything to keep that brilliant mind busy.

Avoid Angry Reactions

When you climb into bed and find a wet spot it’s understandable that anger will probably be your first reaction. However, as much as possible don’t express that anger to your dog. Anger doesn’t teach your dog anything, except that you may be scary and unpredictable.

Instead, move your dog someplace else until you’ve calmed down. Clean up your bed. Make a cup of chamomile tea to relieve your anger; then promise yourself and your dog that you’ll think about this in the morning.

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

Published July 28, 2017

It's important to consult your pet's veterinarian with any medical concerns, and before making any changes or adding supplements to your pet's health plan.

Dogs can't communicate with words, so when they want to tell you something, it's not usually so obvious. Sometimes, the message comes in loud barks, soft whimpers, or crazy zoomies. But if you're really unlucky, you'll come home one day, crash into bed, and find a smelly puddle of pee marring your perfectly clean sheets.

No matter how much you love your canine companion, there are very few things as irksome as your dog peeing on the bed. It's wet, stinky, and you'll need to clean it up. But no matter how much you want to, please don't punish or yell at your poop pup. Newsflash: your pet isn't likely to understand your anger and may grow fearful of you as a result.

Instead, spray the stain with a cleaning agent and figure out the root of the problem. So, what is Buddy trying to tell you?

Your Pup's Bathroom Needs Have Been Neglected

Nothing may be wrong, even if there's been a peeing incident. Perhaps, your adult pooch simply never learned all the rules of potty training. Despite the popular belief in old dogs and new tricks, even adult pooches can be housetrained with time and patience.

Another reason for the bed peeing accident may be the lack of ample bathroom breaks. If you've been leaving for long periods without popping in every few hours, it's not so strange to discover a puddle of pee in the house.

Take now that puppies typically need to relieve themselves every two hours, and even older canines should be let out at least three to five times a day.

Dog Anxiety, Stress, or Fear

Stinky accidents like these may be a drag for you, but it's probably worse for little Fido. Peeing and pooping in strange places can be linked to a dog's emotional distress. The reason for their distress can be as easy to identify as thunderstorms or a new house guest, but it can also be as innocuous as a change in the house such as a new piece of furniture.

When dogs are stressed, it can cause them to lose control of their bladder temporarily. If they're scared of something, it's also possible that they're eliminating on the bed because they're too afraid to go to their usual spot. Separation anxiety is also linked to dogs urinating in the house.

Observe your pup closely in the hours after his little accident. If it happens regularly, try to identify potential triggers that might have set him off, such as a loud noise, an unfamiliar face, or you stepping out the door. Treats for relaxation and anxiety relief may help him settle down and feel more at ease, especially at nighttime.

Marking Territory

One of the most common reasons is marking behavior. If your dog is peeing in various places around the house in small amounts, he might be claiming his territory instead of urinating to relieve himself.

While this behavior is more common among male dogs, it's not unheard of among female dogs. Many canines who are threatened or stressed will resort to this behavior, usually as a response to a new arrival in the home, like a baby or another pet. It's also more common among pups that haven't been spayed or neutered.

Medical Reasons

A dog wetting the bed may be cause for a medical concern, so if your pet has made a habit out of it, maybe it's time for a visit to the veterinarian. Incontinence or reduced bladder control is one of the symptoms of urinary tract infection, a painful bacterial infection that can be treated with antibiotics.

Frequent and uncontrollable elimination can also be indicative of other conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, bladder stones, arthritis, and kidney disease.

How To Stop My Dog From Peeing on My Bed

A trip to the vet is highly recommended if the bedwetting accidents are happening frequently. It's best to get a professional opinion to rule out potential diseases and ease your worries. If your dog's anxiety is becoming worse, reaching out to your vet could also help with possible solutions, such as medications to calm a jittery pooch.

House training a puppy takes a bit of time, but it's a must if you want untrained Sparky to stop eliminating indoors. Crate training is a highly recommended method of potty training, offering your pooch a safe sanctuary that's just their own inside the house.

But what if you want a quick fix to your dog treating your bed as his personal urinal? The easiest way to stop your pup from relieving himself at a specific spot is by cleaning the pee with a cleaner like Charlie & Max Pet Odor and Stain Eliminator. A dog will typically make it a habit to keep coming back to his "favorite spot," but a cleaner will mask the scent of his pee and stop him from remembering that spot next time.

The plant-based Charlie & Max Pet Odor and Stain Eliminator is gentle to use but highly effective in eliminating stains and orders on all water-safe surfaces.

Scour the pet-friendly goodies at Charlie & Max, and find new ways of training a happier and healthier dog at home.

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