Our dogs are like our family, and like family, sometimes they do things that we are not proud of. Sometimes dogs don’t listen, or they decide to do what they want to do, but most dog owners find that when they spend time training their dog, spending time playing with them, and enjoying their company, their dog is typically well behaved.
Dogs that are generally well-behaved do not change their behavior unless something with them or something in their environment has changed. For example, if your dog loves to sleep on your bed and then starts to pee on the bed, something has changed. So why does your dog pee on your bed? Here are a few reasons why this behavior may have changed.
Why Does My Dog Pee On My Bed
If your dog is now peeing on your bed, several things may be causing this behavior. Most of the time, this is not caused by your dog trying to make you mad – often, there are specific things that could be happening to change their behavior.
Separation Anxiety
Some dogs can get worried – so much so that they can be diagnosed with separation anxiety. If this occurs, one of the side effects from that diagnosis can be peeing on the bed. Dogs diagnosed with separation anxiety may need medication, time to adjust to significant changes in their world, or may need other support to deal with the anxiety issues.
If your dog continues to pee on the bed, you may need to close the door to that room while you are not home or work on crate training. Be sure to communicate changes in your dog’s behavior to your vet if you are concerned.
New Animals In The Home
Although your dog may be excited and friendly with the dogs at your local dog park, having a new pet
enter your home may be a different story. Some dogs have a hard time sharing their home and their favorite people, resulting in significant changes in their behavior.
If you have added another pet to your home, give them both plenty of time to adjust. Allowing the new pet to have a safe place alone before introducing them is essential – allowing them both to have time to get to know one another is equally important.
Even with these plans, your dog may still choose to communicate that they are not happy with the changes by peeing on the bed. It may take some time and adjustments before things change.
Medical Issues
Sometimes dogs can get sick – it can be from food, an illness, eating something that makes them ill, or even severe conditions like cancer or heartworm. If you feel that there have not been any significant changes in your dog, their environment, or anything else in their world, you may need to connect with your veterinarian if they start to pee on the bed.
Although probably nothing serious, it is essential to rule out any acute infections or illnesses before working towards behavior changes and training.
Just Because
Although not a great reason, sometimes dogs just start to pee on the bed. They can be trying to get your attention, they may like your smell and want to mark it, or maybe the bed already smells like urine.
Whatever the reason, a dog peeing on the bed does sometimes happen. If you have ruled out medical and other issues as the reason, then it is time to start working to stop this from happening, as no one wants to sleep on a wet bed.
How Do I Get My Dog To Stop Peeing On The Bed?
So what do you do if your dog has started to pee on your bed? Indeed, this is unpleasant, but harsh punishment is never the way to go when trying to change behavior. Instead of discipline, see if you can track what is happening when it occurs.
Is your dog very submissive? Maybe when they try to show you how happy they are, they tinkle a little. Does your dog have a weak bladder? Perhaps that excitement caused them to leak.
Often a dog will pee right in front of you to show you they want to please you – although this seems contrary to what you would wish to, in the dog world, dogs pee on another dog’s scent to impress them or to show their pack that they are proud of their space.
Dogs do not typically pee to make you angry, so if you get upset and suddenly do not allow them to sleep on the bed when that is their common sleep space, they will get confused. Unless there is a direct correlation at the exact time that they pee, a dog will not relate the incident with why you are taking them out and away from sleeping with you.
Bottom Line
Whatever the reason, you want to be thoughtful about why your dog is peeing on the bed. Keeping track of when it happens, who is around, and what circumstances it occurs will help figure out the cause. If you just can’t figure it out, reach out to your vet and explain what has been going on. Sometimes it only takes some investigation work to figure out why your dog’s behavior has changed.
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