Ask Dr. Diane: My Dog Urinates on My Bed!

Dear Dr. Diane,

We adopted a 1.5-year-old female Jack Russell mix from the shelter. She was in the prison training program but only for a few weeks. She is mostly housetrained but does have accidents occasionally. The problem is that she will urinate on our beds randomly. We cannot figure out why she does this. We have had her since end of August and it’s happened only 3 times but my husband is furious with her and me. I never catch her in the act as it’s always
after the fact she has done it that I find it. Please help! My husband and I fight about getting rid of her but while I understand his frustration (and mine!) it’s not a continuous thing that she does. Thanks.

First, have your puppy examined by your vet to determine if there are any physical issues, i.e. bladder or urinary tract infections or other physical problem that are responsible for this behavior. Ask your vet for help in determining the cause of and possible resolution to this problem..

Next, try crate-training her, and teach her to urinate and defecate outside. Take her for regular walks and make sure she receives regular exercise. However, I am sensing that this is a spontaneous, uncontrollable issue. She may actually benefit from medication to help resolve this problem if it continues. Consult your vet.

My suggestion would be to keep her out of the bedroom, or in a comfortable crate in your bedroom until you let her out to do her business so that this behavior does not recur. You may wish to keep her confined in a dog-safe room, puppy pen or crate inside the house. I hope that you and your husband decide to keep her. She is like a human child who makes mistakes. No dog or cat is” perfect” no matter how wonderful they may be. Just like us, they all” make mistakes.” Be patient and compassionate. You have saved her life by rescuing her – do your best to love, appreciate and enjoy her.

Her peeing may be an automatic emotional response to the way she responded to events, traumas, and disturbances prior to her adoption by you and your husband or simply a spontaneous/uncontrollable individual episode. I am certain she is not doing this on purpose. She is a dog you’ve rescued – you don’t know what kind of suffering or trauma she may have endured. Do your best to “forgive” her – as you would a child, for in fact, she is very much like a human child not deserving of punishment or banishment but of love, compassion and understanding. I wish you the very best of outcomes for you, your husband and your dog.

Do you have a question for Dr. Diane? We’re proud to say she provides expert tips here on DogTipper so please send in your questions on our Ask Dr. Diane contact form! Dr. Pomerance is an animal behavior specialist and an expert on topics such as deciding which puppy is best for your family, how to pick out a rescue, and on healing from the loss of a pet.

For More Information on Dr. Pomerance:

• visit www.animalcompanionsandtheirpeople.com
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About Paris Permenter and John Bigley

DogTipper publishers Paris Permenter and John Bigley are a husband-wife team of full-time writers. The couple has authored over two dozen books and 2,500+ magazine articles.

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