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Why does my dog pee on his bed!? This is undoubtedly a question that enters many dog owners’ mind at one point or another.
And there can be a variety of reasons as to why your dog is doing this. Unfortunately, this challenge is more difficult to deal with than if a child was wetting the bed. And there’s more causes as to why it’s happening.
With children, an easy fix is to have them wear a diaper. Unfortunately, the same solution isn’t available for your pup.
This means you have to get to the root of the cause by doing some investigative work to find out why it’s happening.
In this article, we’ll look at reasons why your dog is peeing the bed and how we can prevent it from continuing.
Why Do Dogs Pee On Their Bed?
There are a variety of reasons as to why your dog might be urinating on their bed. It could be a medical reason, an emotional reason, or they simply don’t have good potty habits. In addition, dogs can be territorial which causes them to mark their territory on their bed or yours.
We’re going to explore all these reasons in more detail so you can get to the bottom of why your dog keeps urinating on their bed.
Table of Contents
Why Your Dog Is Peeing On His Own Bed (6 Main Reasons)
A dog will typically do whatever they can to not go number one or two on their bed because of their instincts.
They know the bed is their ‘den’ and they want to keep it as clean as possible. If he does end up going pee on his bed there’s something competing with his instincts and winning.
Let’s take a look at what could be overriding his instincts.
Emotional Troubles
Your dog could pee on his bed because he’s experiencing fear, stress, anxiety or grief.
These things can come to be for a variety of reasons such as, loud noises like thunder, fireworks, vacuum cleaners or nearby construction to name a few.
It can also be because of separation from their owner, an unknown person being in their home, travel or isolation.
If your dog is emotionally upset they will go where they feel comfortable and this most commonly is their bed, their territory/den.
However, since they’re feeling emotionally distressed they could lose control of their bladder and go to the pee where they normally wouldn’t.
It’s important to not punish them for this as this can cause more uncertainty for them and could end up spurring more accidents.
The best thing to do is find out the root cause and help them get over the fear, stress or anxiety they’re feeling.
Poor Potty Habits
Your dog might have poor potty habits and this could be for a variety of reasons.
Maybe you work long hours and he’s left home alone for too long and can’t ‘hold it in’.
Or, you recently got him and he hasn’t been properly trained to do his business outside. Perhaps he was never properly potty trained to begin with.
Whatever the reason, if your dog isn’t good at holding his bladder then he might end up peeing on his bed because that’s the only place he can go.
This is a common issue for small breeds of dogs who can’t ‘hold it’ as long as their larger counterparts.
Urinary Tract Infection
A urinary tract infection (UTI) in dogs is very similar as with humans. They’re a byproduct of bad bacteria infecting the urinary tract.
One symptom of a UTI is loss of bladder control. This is why a UTI could be the cause for your dog peeing on his bed.
It’s not likely that your pup is going against their house training which is a common thought when first noticing an accident.
If they’re suffering from a UTI they won’t have the same ability to ‘hold it’ like they normally would. Unfortunately this leads to a soiled bed and a needed cleanup.
Thankfully a trip to the vet for some antibiotics can take care of this.
Marking Territory
Dogs have a natural instinct to mark their territory. This is usually done by urinating on things but sometimes they might also defecate or leave their scent in other ways.
They do this for a few reasons, the most common being to let other dogs know that this is their territory.
This is especially common if there are other dogs in the home or if there are a lot of visitors coming in and out. It could also be that your dog is feeling like his territory is being threatened in some way.
This could be because you’ve moved to a new home, got a new pet or there have been recent changes in the household.
Incontinence
Incontinence takes place when a dog’s urethra muscles stop functioning properly.
For a dog that isn’t experiencing incontinence, their urethra muscle will close (shut the pathway) automatically without thought.
As a dog ages there’s a chance that the muscles in their urethra stop working as they should which causes pee to leak out involuntarily.
For this to be resolved, it will require a trip to the vet as well.
Other Medical Challenges
There are a number of medical conditions that could cause your dog’s bladder control to become worse. Arthritis, kidney disease or failure, diabetes, and or a spinal cord issue, to name a few.
The causes for your dog to pee on his bed while he’s asleep are typically all progressive.
Unfortunately, this means that there’s a problem that started up some time ago and is getting worse with time.
It’s best to take him to a vet as soon as possible to get their view on the issue.
This will help make sure your dog gets the attention he needs and do whatever you can to remedy their situation.
How To Stop Your Dog From Peeing The Bed
To [revent a dog from peeing on their bed or yours you first need to determine why they are going peeing inside.
Here are some steps you can take to stop your dog form peeing on their bed:
Get Them Checked
The first step is to take your dog to the vet and have them check for a UTI or other infection. If there’s an infection, it will need to be cleared up with antibiotics.
If your dog has incontinence, the vet may prescribe medication to help with the muscle control in their bladder.
Remove The Scent
Once your dog has been treated, you’ll want to remove any trace of the scent from their bed. The last thing you want is for them to continue to pee in the same spot.
You can do this by washing their bedding in hot water with a strong detergent.
Correct Them In The Moment
If you catch your dog in the act of peeing on their bed, make a loud noise to startle them and immediately take them outside.
Praise them when they finish going to the bathroom outside.
This will help reinforce that going to the bathroom outside is what you expect from them.
Be Consistent With Training
If you’re consistent with taking your dog out and praising them when they go, they’ll eventually learn that this is what you expect from them.
It takes time and patience, but eventually, they will get it.
Why Does My Dog Pee In My Bed?
For a dog to pee on your bed it’s likely them marking their territory, unable ot hold thier bladder, experiencing anxiety, or having a medical issue.
If your dog is house trained and suddenly starts peeing in your bed, it’s best to consult with a veterinarian to rule out any medical conditions.
If there are no medical conditions, you’ll need to take some steps to correct the behavior. This could include establishing rules and boundaries, providing more exercise, or using a crate.
You’ll also want to avoid any possible triggers, such as changes in the household or leaving your dog home alone for long periods of time.
With some patience and consistency, you should be able to get your dog back on track and sleeping in your bed again without any accidents.
Why Is My Dog Peeing On The Bed On Purpose?
If you think your dog is purposely peeing in your bed, there’s a few things it could be. It’s likely they are marking their territory, being submissive to you, sending you a message, or your bed smells like their pee. These are the most common reasons a dog will purposley pee on the bed.
Other Frequently Asked Questions
Why Does My Dog Pee On His Blanket?
This is likely a form of nesting. Your dog is trying to make their space more comfortable by adding their scent to it.
You can try using a different type of bedding or deter them from peeing on the blanket by spraying it with a pet-safe repellent.
How Often Should I Take My Dog Out To Pee?
Depending on their age, size and breed – every few hours is typically sufficient. Smaller breeds can ‘hold it’ for shorter periods of time than larger breeds.
Final Thoughts
We hope this information has been helpful in answering your question of, why does my dog pee on his bed?
The first step in solving any problem is figuring out what’s the root cause of the problem.
Whether it’s emotional, medical or territorial there are steps you can take to prevent it from happening again in the future.
It’s always a good idea to get a second opinion from your vet to make sure you’re solving this problem in the most effective way possible.
Other posts you might find interesting:
The 9 Reasons Why Dogs Tear Up Their Bed + Helpful Tips