Bed-wetters anonymous

My in-laws dog, who is a 5yr old female chow mix rescue, came to them at around 9mos fully house trained and never had an issue until she was about 3yrs old. She then started displaying extreme storm anxiety and has now peed in their bed 4 times during storms. The first 3 times it happened when they weren't home, so it's only a guess that it happened when the storms passed through on those days, but the most recent incedent was about a month ago when they not only were home, but they were actually asleep in the bed at the time. They were woken up about 3am when she started jumping all over the bed, and when my mother-in-law rolled over, she rolled right into a wet spot! There were very high winds at the time and a big storm heading right over, but they admittedly weren't paying much attention to the weather or the dog after that, just trying to change the bed before the pee hit the mattress. Unfortunately, instead of talking to me about it and trying to come up w/ other ways to help the issue, they decided after the last time to just put her on sedatives whenever a storm is due to roll through.
Any thoughts on this would be great as I'm still trying to get them to realize there may be more they could do than just jumping to drugs, but as they haven't been very responsive yet, I'm starting to lose hope. I know this isn't why all or even most dogs exhibit this behavior, but it never hurts to ask.

I taught my deaf dog to ring a bell to let me know when she had to go potty. At the tender age of 4 months she learned within 2 days and was regularly ringing the bell. A few years later (3-4) she didn't always want to pee outside when the grass was wet of if it was raining. I'd take her out in the backyard anyway (sometimes with our golf umbrella and sometimes without) and she'd go potty. About 1 year ago (at age 5.5), she didn't want to use the doggy door any more and would sit and bark at the door to go out (or would potty in the house). She would also bark to come in instead of using the door. After running through the vet check (no UTI or any organic issue) I thought perhaps she had been whacked in the face with the door one too many times (we had changed to a slightly heavier weatherproof door last summer) she peed and pooped in the house (early am). A pet psychic explained that my dog was afraid of coyotes at night and didn't want to go out (ok, maybe our neighbors put out coyote urine to scare away armadillos). That didn't tquite track because she was reluctant to come in as well as go out.

At the same time, our geriatric dog was starting to slow down a lot and I wondered if she might be affected by this. She was affectionate toward him (face licking, concern) and she often lay down near him (and patiently suffered being sat on by him - hw was practically blind).

We had 2 recent upheavals in our household. I helped the old guy to the Bridge 2 weeks ago and thwen went out of town for a week (my husband was home for most of the time and we had our terrific pet sitter come in while he joined me for 3 days. Her pottying was worse during that time even though the pet sitter came in 4 times a day.

I've resorted to tethering her to the dog bed at night so she has to wake me to go out (I am a light sleeper). Any time she awakens from a nap I have her go out the dog door and potty (always with praise and the occasional cookie).

I get occasional thought messages for her and she seems ok with this current arrangement. I am stumped.

For a housetrained, clean dog bedwetting can be a sign of something physical or emotional. See a vet to rule out UTIs or worse. Then go back to the beginning with training which can give you further clues. Consult of professional for ideas.

Remember that we ALL can have problems with our bladders! It happens. Laugh... get excited...forget to go...and a dog or human can experience those moments.

PS We've been having GREAT success with a product called Leaks no More (a homeopathic remedy) for age-related incontinence of a 16 yo female spaniel who wets during her sleep.

Donna
Put a springer in your step!

I'm not sure if dogs that have been improperly socialized, or that had led insecure lives, are more likely to engage in this behavior that the average pet dog population or maybe as you point out, people are reluctant to talk about it. But what seems to be intentional bed wetting (sometimes soiling) is so widespread in the rescue work that I do, I wonder if early experience and the insecurity of rescue dogs is related to the root cause. In the dozens of cases now that I've encountered, the wetting or soiling of the bed can occur on the dog's own bed, another dog's bed, or the human's bed. All cases seem to be behavioral and intentional.

When I was in charge of 60+ collies held as evidence in an animal cruelty case, we felt that we needed to supply the dogs with bedding in their otherwise sterile, cold, wet (often, the facility was semi-outdoors) kennel setting. We soon tired of doing laundry: often as soon as the fresh bedding was placed in the run, the dog immediately urinated or defecated on the bed, and then lay next to it on cold or wet concrete. When these same dogs were moved into foster homes, they were not all that difficult to housebreak, however, some dogs insisted on using the home's dog beds for urinating especially.

Then there was MY bed. When I started to move these dogs through my home, as the first foster home for evaluation, I ended up having to saranwrap my bed, with a waterproof lining next to the mattress and another waterproof sheeting on top of my bedding or I would be doing laundry and changing my bed sometimes in the middle of the night. I'd get up to go to the bathroom and return to find that a dog had urinated where I had been lying. Or one especially bad night, a dog had urinated right next to me while I was sleeping. I never caught the culprit in the act on my bed, but I did catch certain dogs going on dog beds.

One thing associated with the bed wetting, which no longer is happening by the way!, seemed to be the large population in my foster home (up to 4 of the dogs at once plus my own dogs), and also the disrupted pack relations as I moved dogs successively though my home as I found them other foster homes or adopted them out.

I am certain that bed wetting has a large component about status seeking or homage to higher status individuals, or to marking or some combination thereof. In contrast to house breaking accidents where the dog is unable or unwilling to go outside, I am certain that many of these cases of bed wetting are "intentionals" and have nothing to do with relief of bladder or bowels. Stress or insecurity in pack relations seems to underlie most cases in my experience. Or there may be something attractive about the texture of bedding for this use.

Without sharing any details, I have found out that such instances have happened to others who have adopted rescue dogs, but the adopters keep it a secret... as is also my first inclination BUT here I am, telling it to the world on your blog!

Cathy Toft
Davis, California
http://r-plusdogtraining.info
twitter: @gone_to_dogs

Your post reminds me of a story.

Dachshunds are very effective lickers. They are so effective that one time I had thought my dog had wet on the bed. There was a big wet spot, at lease 12 inches in diameter and very wet to the touch, but it didn't smell and it didn't soak down to the next layer. I was so confused until I saw him licking and figured it out.

At that time I was monitoring the dachshund discussion boards and people would report that their dachshund had wet again and again in the same spot when they turned their back, but I could tell it wasn't wetting, it was the same thing. It would either be a wet spot on the couch, or on a pillow, or on their own dog bed. I encouraged people to remember that when a dog pees there is usually A LOT of liquid which also smells like pee.

Anyway, almost nothing to do with your post, except that dachshund owners please make sure to smell the spot before jumping to conclusions.

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http://doxienews.com

I had had Penny, a cocker spaniel rescue, for about 4 years when we were packing for Mexico one night. The suitcases were out, the excitement between DH and I was high, we were pumped!
We turned around at one point and watched the housebroken Penny urinate on our bed while looking directly at us. Needless to say, a trip to the laundromat at 2 am when we had to leave for the airport at 4 am did not win her any brownie points.
The next time she saw suitcases being packed, she did the exact same thing.
For the rest of her days with us, suitcases were kept out of sight and belongings assembled in another room!
Given the circumstances, we felt it was pretty obvious what she was saying to us... like a toddler throwing a tantrum so you won't leave or making a mess to keep you there, she did not want us to leave. And she knew what suitcases were.
Other than that, she had no house issues, despite what people say about cockers being horrible to housetrain.

1) I was dog sitting for a friend and one of my resident dogs jumped up on the bed while I was petting the guest dog, looked me square in the eye, and peed. (He'd been house trained for years and never has "accidents".) Only time he's ever done this.

2) A couple weeks ago I was really busy and my schedule got all out of wack and the dogs were not getting the daily attention they are accustom to. My little one peed in my bed right before bedtime. She could have just had to go, but any accidents to this point have always been on the floor (and there haven't been that many).

I snuggle with my dog on the couch, but she is never allowed on the bed. Most of the time she isn't even allowed in the bedroom. It's not an accident issue; she is extremely clean. In fact I'm sure I'd enjoy having her on the bed, but to me it's totally not worth the risk of her ever peeing there. Ever.

yup sounds like my house. our dogs like to decide who's in charge all the time. my Dachshund mix with Rat Terrier, the younger one, has done this a lot. She has stopped wetting my bed a few years ago, but she and my first resident dog my rescue min pin yeah... potty wars every where all the time.
in fact, my Dachshund mix did this when a neighbor was dog sitting, on my neighbor's bed! UGH!
and the min pin-marking all over the house-UGH! how embarrassing. Never again would she allow my dogs in her home, but she is willing to come by a few times a day if we are out of town for the 1 day.
that's the end of my speech for today.
Erin

what a great site this is.
i popped on here to see if there was anything on bed wetting as i had just had a phone call from a lady who's Ausralian Bulldog had just peed on her clothes and on her bed. one big problem with the bed is that if it is down to the matress it is hard to remove the smell. with the Aus/bull dog this has just happened. so guys any one with successful cures? this dog is well looked after and taken out to toilet. she is 9 months. have not all the story yet. will in a couple of days when she comes to train.
Spirit Australia

This morning I did not notice it but my husband noticed that the bed was wet and it was in the exact same spot our beagle was sleeping. This is not the 1st time. It seems this only happens when we're either taking a nap or going to bed for the night. I'm not sure why he does this because he's potty trained. He's a year and a half old. I haven't seen he pee anywhere else except on our bed. I think our dog has no idea he pees because he's always curled up and when he gets up I'll see the wet spot. I have a vet appointment Wednesday evening so I'll hopefully find out why. It's just weird. Jenny

This should always be the first step when something strange like this is happening. A dog peeing in his sleep is very likely to be a physical issue.

I love this site!  So much helpful information.   I recently (4 weeks ago) adopted a housetrained cocker and after getting tired of cleaning sand, hair and (a couple of small/spot) submissive pees off my bed and waking up to her butt in my face, or her face next to mine on my pillow about 5 days ago I started making her sleep in her indoor kennel (unfortunately doorless) in the lounge room (just outside my bedroom - I live in an apartment).  I reckon she's currently staging a protest - the last 3 nights in a row she's peed in her bed! I go into the lounge room in the morning and she's lying half on her bed and half on the floor, or sitting just outside my bedroom door.

She gets a toilet break before sleep and I know she can hold it in overnight because she used to when she slept with me on my bed!  Now it's to the point where all her bedding (2 dog mattresses plus my old clothes that I given her for comfort) are in the wash or in the process of drying and she has nothing to sleep on but newspaper!  So frustrating! Hopefully she will settle down but any tips would help.

I recently went to the vet part because it was time for his yearly shots and 2nd to ask about the dog peeing the bed.   The did a UTI test and the next day we were told that was not the problem.   The Doctor thought he might have a hormonely problem because of him being netured and sometimes he says that could change some body functions.   He prescribed a antihistamine pill, which sounds strange but the doctor claims that this is something new that they have been testing.   At first it seemed to be working, but he was on these pills 3 times a day, half at a time and then after 3 days he was to go to half a pill at night, since he's only been peeing at night time.   Again this seemed to be working and after 5 days of half a pill at night he peed the bed.   I called the doctor the next morning and asked if we could up the dose to a full pill at night, which we did.   It's only be a couple nights, but so far no pee.  Hopefully this will help my poor beagle from peeing on the bed.   We also have another dog and she has slepted with us for the last 10 years, so it would be hard to tell the 1 year that he couldn't sleep with us while the other one gets to.   There are of course other tests they can do, but as always it would cost money, so hopefully taking this one pill at night will be the cure.   Will keep everyone posted if things change in another week or so.

i was over at my friends house where i am soon to move into with my dog. she went to lift her leg on her couch, she's bothered by it, and frankly so am i?

i am used to her marking outside on a walk, albeit weird for a female to lift her leg on everything to me...i have been told by people its a sign of dominance. 

but what would possess her to lift her leg and piddle in her house when she's never done that before?