Why is my old dog peeing on my bed all of a sudden? A Complete Guide

What is Peeing on the Bed?

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

What to do if your Dog is Peeing on the Bed

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.

Reasons why a dog pees in your bed

When we see that our dog has peed in our bed or another unusual place, we need to look at the circumstances behind this action. Many guardians might simply think that urination is related to marking territory. It is important to consider this as a possibility, but we need to consider all other factors which might contribute to it.

Territoriality: urination is an absolutely natural and necessary act. A dog empties their bladder to eliminate toxins after metabolism. When we take our dog for a walk, we may see them urinate small amounts in increments. This is not as necessary an act, but it exists to relieve the psychological need a dog has to make themselves known in an area. It is a leftover from their wild heritage. Marking territory notifies potential mates of their presence and potential rivals of the same.

Age: a dogs age and physical well-being is also something which needs to be considered. Very young dogs will not yet have learned where and when it is appropriate to pee. This takes toilet training, something which you should be considering from the very first day your dog comes into the family. Senior dogs may pee in your bed for the first time all of a sudden. This is usually because the effects of old age can lead to a lack of bladder control. Associated health problems of senior dogs can also contribute to this problem.

Medical problem: whatever the age of a dog, there are medical reasons which can lead to a dog peeing all over the place. We will go into further detail below, but incontinence or an excessive need to pee can be the symptom of various diseases and health conditions.

Fear, stress and anxiety: these emotions can cause a dog to pee inappropriately. This is a form of psychologically induced incontinence. It can happen after a traumatic event. This is something more common with adopted older dogs who may have had troubling experience and are finding it difficult to adjust to a new home. With reassurance and patience, these dogs can be reassured and trained to pee in a healthier way. Stress can also develop over time. We may think we are taking care of all of a dogs needs, but there can be many factors contributing to a dog being stressed or anxiety. Peeing in your bed is a symptom of such stress.

Whether a dog pees because of their age, health condition, stress or territoriality, it is very important not to scold the dog for this behavior. If you do, it can be very problematic. If your dog has peed in the bed, but you scold them after the fact, they may not be able to associate the scolding with the action. This can be very confusing to the dog. They will feel chastised for no reason and may become stressed. Also, peeing is natural for a dog. If you scold them for doing something natural it can be very upsetting. Instead, encouraging them to pee appropriately can be effectively done with training and patience.

Why is my dog peeing on my bed all of a sudden (7 Reasons Explained & Answered)

When my old dog Chester turned 14, he started to slow his age by slowing down and peeing in the house.

I get it. We love our dogs that have been with us for the ups and downs of life for such a long time but it can be very frustrating when you are constantly cleaning up after your old dog and your house starts to smell of dog pee.

There were many times over my dog’s last years that I had to pull deep from my well of patience and try to find new management solutions to our problem.

You see, it’s not usually a lack of potty training that causes an old dog who was previously potty trained to start having accients on the floor.