Peeing on the Bed in Dogs

Peeing on the bed is common in puppies and older dogs, although with older dogs it can be a sign of a medical condition. In fact, if your dog is over a year old and has previously been house trained, peeing on the bed can be a sign of something wrong such as anxiety or fear. The most commonly reported reasons for peeing on the bed include:

• Marking
• No access to outdoors
• Drinking too much water
• Submission
• Excitement
• Fear or anxiety
• Improper house training
• Medical conditions

There are several reasons, both behavioral and medical, that dogs pee in the bed. Some of these include:

Marking

Some dogs will urinate in areas to mark their territory from other animals (and sometimes other humans), but when they start doing it indoors it can be a problem for you. In fact, your dog may actually be marking you because it is your bed. Many male dogs will mark things that they consider to be their property and yes, this includes you. So, they will mark things that contain your scent such as your bed.

No Access to Outdoors

If you leave your dog alone too long and he really has to go, he will. Urinating in your bed may be his way of letting you know that you did not let him out when he needed to go.

Drinking Too Much Water

Sometimes, dogs drink more water than usual. This may be from eating something with excess salt (sodium) or from a medical condition. When it is hot outside and he has been outdoors, he may come inside and drink a lot more water than he usually does, and this can cause him to accidentally wet the bed.

Excitement

When dogs get excited some of them seem to lose control of many things, including their bladder. If your dog is young, this behavior may relent with time.

Fear or Anxiety

Some dogs get so nervous or scared that they will lose control of their bladder no matter where they are. If they just happen to be hiding in your bed at the time, they will pee in your bed.

Improper House Training

If your dog was never properly house trained, you will need to start over from scratch. This can happen to a puppy or even a dog who is already trained if they are moved to a new house. You will most likely need to retrain your dog.

Medical Conditions

Genetics may play a part. Breeds predisposed to these types of accidents are the Labrador and Golden Retrievers, Siberian Huskies, and English Bulldogs.

Diabetes is a disease caused by the pancreas not producing enough insulin and happens in one out of every 500 dogs. Other signs include weight loss, excessive thirst, vomiting, and lethargy.

Urinary tract infections are one of the most common reasons for peeing the bed in dogs. Females are more susceptible than males, but both can include signs of increased body temperature, general ill appearance, lethargy, and excessive licking in the urinary area.

Other conditions can include those such as obesity, which can cause incontinence due to weakened muscles. Kidney disorders include kidney stones, kidney infections, Addison’s and Cushing’s disease. Trauma such as injury or accident that causes damage to any part of the urinary tract or urethra.

If your dog is peeing in the bed and you have tried retraining him, you should take him to see a veterinarian right away. The veterinarian will assess your pet to determine if the behavior is medically related or not. A canine who is peeing in your bed may indeed have a medical condition that needs treatment immediately so do not wait too long. Often, if a dog has pain upon urination, lack of urinary control, or a health condition that causes frequent urination, he may pee on the bed once and then continue in the same spot each time an urgent or painful need strikes. Additionally, your veterinary team will have access to specialists in canine behavior who can give assistance in the case that a medical reason is not found.

To stop your dog from peeing in the bed, you can ban him from your bed or even from your entire bedroom. Many pet owners find this undesirable because they like their dog to sleep in bed with them. In that case, you will just have to show your dog who is the boss.

Marking

If your dog is marking your bed, he will need to be neutered. If this does not work, there are sprays that you can use in your bed that will deter this activity. 

No Access to Outdoors

It is easy to prevent this problem. Just let your dog outside more often. If you are unable to be home as much as he needs, you can install a doggy door so he can go out whenever he needs to or have someone come take your dog outside for you during the day on a regular basis.

Drinking Too Much Water

If your dog is drinking too much water, he is most likely doing so because he has a medical condition that causes extreme thirst such as diabetes.

Excitement

If your dog is in the habit of peeing a little when he gets excited, crate training can help with this issue. Place him in the crate every time he has an accident and leave him in there when one of his triggers is about to happen such as a partner or pet arrival.

Fear or Anxiety

Similar to excitement, you should block your dog’s access to the bed when you know he is about to have an anxiety attack. Some dogs are afraid of a lot of things and must be crated often.

Improper House Training

Retraining your dog includes crate training as well as other techniques that your veterinarian can suggest.  

Medical Conditions

There is no way to prevent medical conditions, so the only thing you can do is to treat is after your veterinarian has found the problem. However, annual wellness checks will identify problems that may lead to potentially serious health conditions. Early detection can be valuable.

Marking, no outdoor access, drinking too much water, excitement, and fear can all be treated on your own but your veterinarian can be helpful in finding out what to do so the cost for these conditions will likely be nothing more than the cost of a veterinary visit, about $75 to $100. Housetraining can be done on your own or you can involve your partner and family as well. The cost of house training includes the cost of a crate, which should be about $50 to $200 depending on the size of your dog. Diabetes treatments can be about $3,000 and kidney disease therapy may be over $7,000.