Peeing On The Bed - What's That All About?

[Dioritt]

Last night Alfie peed on my bed, something he's never done before, not even when he was a pup.

I was on a video call with my daughter who lives abroad, when Alf kept going to the window and barking. He was told several times to 'come away' but kept going back to it. He wouldn't settle and because I was on the video call, I wasn't given him as much attention as I normally would (wasn't demanding a settle to stop him going back to the window). Something outside was obviously worrying him, although I very much doubt it was anything other than one of the neighbours out there.

Just before I finished the call he went upstairs, carrying a toy in his mouth (he often carries a toy around so I'm not sure whether that has any significance but thought I'd mention it anyway). He was gone for about a minute then came back down again. He knows he's not allowed upstairs alone, and generally obeys that rule. I thought perhaps he was just giving me a hint that it was bedtime or something, so I finished the call and went up. When I got up there I was shocked to find my bed soaked! Jack, our cat, was on the bed (another thing that probably isn't significant but I want to give as much information about what happened as possible, just in case it is).

I didn't punish Alf, but I did ask him to go out on the landing while I sorted the bed out. I wasn't in the best mood, admittedly, and no doubt he picked up on that because he was slinking about out there, but there was no deliberate punishment involved.

I let him sleep in my bed again as usual because I was too tired after sorting the bed (I tire easily because of my illness) to listen to him whine all night outside. He has separation anxiety (has had since he was a pup) and whines, howls, scratches, and generally goes loopy if he can't get to me. That's something else we're working on and it is improving but I don't feel that it'd be helpful at this point to lock him out all night. But what else can I do? Even crating him isn't an option because he goes mad in there, to the point where I fear he'll actually injure himself.

I'm really not sure why he peed on the bed or what to do about it. Any ideas?

 

[MaryK]

I am just wondering if Alfie wanted to go outside to potty. That he wasn't barking to alert you to something outside but rather he wanted to go outside. It's easy to miss the cues when you're on a phone call, especially a video one.

Does he normally go outside or do you use a potty pad inside? What is his normal cue to you that he needs to 'go'? For example, Ra Kismet will paw and paw at my arm and Zeus will go to the door and paw/bang on that (less painful to me but you should see the door).

As to using you bed to urinate on, this may be because it's the farthest he could get from where he's fed, as you would know, dogs don't like to urinate etc. anywhere close to where they are fed. And normally not where they sleep either.

There may have been something unusual happening outside, to Alfie anyway, even though it may have been just a neighbor. They may have done something different which made him anxious and the pee was an anxiety pee, unfortunately on your bed, but furthest away from his feeding area.

If this is a real 'one off' I wouldn't be too worried, even though it's very frustrating and annoying to find a dog has peed on your bed, as it makes such lot of extra work which you certainly don't need. Just watch points, if he does it again, then I really believe there's something more behind it.

Not sure if Jack had anything to do with. Alfie gets on well with him doesn't he?

I understand about crating, neither of my boys have been crated and I wouldn't want to try with my younger boy Ra Kismet, I know he'd be a mess if I did he go crazy big time! Some dogs just do not like crating at all, whilst some don't mind.

Glad you still allowed him to sleep on your bed. If you hadn't that would have really been punishing him after the 'crime' and as you know, that's pointless with a dog.

 

[Dioritt]

Oh, I feel so relieved now. I was probably worrying and making a mountain out of a molehill because this was the first time and there may not be repeats of it. Lord knows how I'm going to get the bed clean so that he doesn't go again because he can smell himself there, though. I think I'll have to buy a new mattress topper, for sure, and clean the actual mattress with bio detergent.

My bed isn't furthest away from his food. The door to my medical room was open (it's supposed to be closed as part of managing Alf's habit of not giving up things he's found but Paul often forgets and leaves doors open) and that's furthest away but maybe because he doesn't usually go in there, the bedroom seemed the ideal place.

Could it have anything to do with him being upset beforehand and my scent being strong on the bed? He definitely wasn't asking to go out when he was barking at the window because we have a dog flap that he uses to let himself in and out. I'm disabled, y'see, and although I can walk and get about reasonably well, when my legs are very painful I can't get up easily so I installed it for my last dog when I got ill. Alf's always used it (as do Bruno and Jack). I definitely think him being upset by whatever he'd seen outside was the trigger.

I don't think Jack being on the bed had any bearing. They rub along fine. They both sleep on my bed at night and there are never any fights or even serious squabbles between them. Jack's was here when Alf first came to us so he's never really known any different.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't want to crate their dog. Sometimes I feel as though I'm seen as some kind of fool for not wanting to. I did get him a crate as a puppy because I thought it might be useful to keep him for chewing over wires etc if I wasn't around to watch him, but he went nuts in it. I suppose I could have persevered but I didn't like the way the was throwing himself around in it. He was fine as long as the door was open but shut it and all hell would let loose.

Keeping my fingers crossed that this was a true one-off. If you hear nothing more, all is well

 

[MaryK]

No you're not making a mountains out of molehills at all. This is what the site is all about, asking for help especially when something is bothering you, doesn't matter if it's a biggie or something smaller you needed help.

Yes, Alfie chose your bedroom because he's familiar with that and not your medical room, even though it's not quite so far away from his feeding area.

I wish I could use a doggy door but my two cats are indoor cats and LOL partner did suggest a doggy door but Ummmmmmm cat's are a little smaller than my two dogs so one in particular would have thought that a grand idea. Kinda would have defeated the purpose of keeping the cats safely inside!

As he's got a doggy door, then it was something really bothering him outside. You may never know what it was but if you can you could perhaps discreetly ask your neighbors if something unusual took place the night it happened. Guess it depends on your neighbors LOL don't want them thinking you're a nosey parker!

There's a product you can buy which will remove dog odors from just about anything and prevents them from peeing in that place again. I would look it up for you but having problems with browser tonight thanks to FaceBook taking so long to encode the vid of Ra Kismet's chair challenge - try to open yet another site and I get the 'problem loading page' grrrrgh!

You can also buy it from most vets but they are generally dearer than on-line or a good pet shop. Most ordinary cleaning products will remove stains and smells for us, but the dogs can still smell their own urine, and it's not good to have that around as he may just think it's fine to use your bed again. And you sure don't want that happening.

Can understand you want to buy fresh though, I was the same when a dog had an accident on my bed, not her fault though, someone who was supposed to let the dogs out to attend to nature did let them out - just to jump around him - then shut them up again before they had attended to nature and the poor love couldn't wait until I came home. The bed never felt 'right' until I bought fresh!

If we don't hear any more on this thread we'll know all is well. But do post if the problem occurs again.