Help – My dog has started peeing on my bed!

Dear Jennifer

I hope you can help me. My mom is a bit upset with me because I have started to pee on her bed. I wish I could tell you why I am doing that, but It just happens, I don’t know what is causing it. She has taken me to the vet for a check and the doctor says that medically I am in top-shape, but before I know it, I have made a wee in her room again. I must also say that I have been feeling a bit out of sorts since we moved into our new house 2 weeks ago. Please can you help me? I don’t want my mom to be unhappy with me.

From Yang

Hi Yang,

Shame, I’m very sorry to hear about your current dilemma.

There are a number of reasons for the onslaught of sudden urinating in the house but the two most common is either a medical condition or an environmental change. By taking you to the vet for a check – up your mum has cleverly ruled out the first option. Well done mum. 🙂

The fact that your family have very recently moved to a new house would strongly suggest that the unwanted behaviour is the result of this environmental change. Moving house can be fun and exciting for humans but not always for the furkids. When our dog’s daily routine is changed it can cause stress and anxiety and moving to a new house has lots of unfamiliar smells, sounds and things the dog does not recognise – all this can bring on uncharacteristic urination through the stress he is feeling.

So Yang you need to explain this to your mum and tell her that getting familiar with your new surroundings could take a while (up to eight weeks in severe cases). Ask her to please be patient with you while you settle in to this new environment and to practice a little control and management (C & M) in the interim. For example don’t shout or punish you for your indiscretions but rather take you outside and encourage you to do your “business” outdoors. Also she can keep the bedroom door shut while she is not in the room with you.

I’m sure once you become more familiar and relaxed in your new home this unwanted behaviour will cease.

Kind regards,

Jennifer