Dogs may pee on their blankets for several reasons, including underlying medical problems like urinary tract infections or incontinence, behavioral issues such as anxiety, stress, or marking, incomplete housetraining or regression, and even simple factors like not having enough opportunities to go outside. Getting to the bottom of why your dog is doing this is key to helping them stop and feel better.
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Checking for Health Problems
When a dog starts peeing where they shouldn’t, especially on their own blanket or bed, the very first thing to think about is their health. Many medical issues can cause a dog to lose control of their bladder or feel an urgent need to go. It’s vital to rule these out before thinking about behavior.
Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
A common medical reason is a urinary tract infection, or UTI. These infections make a dog’s bladder feel irritated and full, even when it’s not. This can lead to frequent peeing, straining to pee, and sometimes accidents inside the house, including on soft items like blankets. The discomfort can make it hard for them to hold it until they get outside.
Symptoms of a urinary tract infection dog symptoms can include:
- Peeing more often than usual.
- Straining or crying while peeing.
- Licking their private parts a lot.
- Peeing small amounts frequently.
- Urine that looks cloudy or has a strong smell.
- Accidents in the house, especially in places they usually wouldn’t go, like their blanket.
If you see any of these signs, your dog needs to see a vet. A vet can test their urine to see if a UTI is the problem. UTIs are usually treated with antibiotics and often clear up quickly, stopping the peeing accidents.
Incontinence
Incontinence means a dog leaks urine without meaning to. This is often seen in older dogs because the muscles that control the bladder get weaker over time. It’s a common reason for incontinence in aging dogs. They aren’t choosing to pee on their blanket; they just can’t hold it.
Senior dog peeing problems are not always due to incontinence alone, but it’s a significant factor. As dogs age, their bodies change, and bladder control can become difficult. This involuntary leakage is different from a dog choosing to pee somewhere. It often happens when they are relaxed or asleep, making blankets a likely place for accidents.
Signs of incontinence might be:
- Wet spots where the dog was sleeping or resting (like their blanket).
- Dripping urine while walking.
- Not seeming to know they are peeing.
Your vet can diagnose incontinence and discuss treatment options, which might include medication to help strengthen bladder control.
Other Medical Issues
Besides UTIs and incontinence, other medical reasons dog peeing inside can happen.
- Kidney problems: These can cause a dog to drink more water and therefore need to pee more often. Their bladder might fill up too quickly.
- Diabetes: Dogs with diabetes often drink and pee a lot.
- Cushing’s disease: This hormonal problem can also cause increased thirst and urination.
- Arthritis or other pain: If a dog is in pain, especially in their joints or back, it might be too difficult or painful for them to get up and go outside in time. This is common in senior dogs. They might have an accident on their blanket because it’s easier than getting up and going to the door.
- Bladder stones or crystals: These can cause irritation and a constant feeling of needing to pee, similar to a UTI.
- Neurological issues: Problems with the nerves that control the bladder can lead to incontinence or difficulty knowing when they need to go.
These conditions can make it seem like the dog is misbehaving, but they are actually struggling with a physical problem.
What to Do About Medical Issues
If you suspect a medical issue, the most important step is to take your dog to the veterinarian right away. Only a vet can properly diagnose these problems through exams, urine tests, blood tests, or imaging. Do not try to treat potential medical problems yourself. A vet visit is essential to get the right diagnosis and treatment plan.
Ignoring medical causes means the problem won’t get better, and your dog may be in discomfort or pain.
Exploring Behavioral Issues
If your vet gives your dog a clean bill of health and finds no medical reason for the peeing on the blanket, then the problem is likely behavioral. Behavioral issues can be just as tricky to figure out as medical ones, but they require different solutions.
Stress and Anxiety
Dogs are sensitive creatures. Stress and anxiety can cause many physical symptoms, and peeing inappropriately is one of them. Stress peeing in dogs happens when they feel worried, scared, or stressed about something. They might not even be aware they are doing it.
Common causes of stress and anxiety in dogs include:
- Changes at home (moving, new baby, new pet, visitor).
- Loud noises (thunderstorms, fireworks).
- Being left alone.
- Conflict in the home (people arguing).
- Fear of certain people or places.
- Changes in routine.
When a dog feels stressed, their body can react by releasing their bladder. The blanket, being a place of comfort and security, might seem like a ‘safe’ place to have an accident when they are feeling vulnerable.
Separation Anxiety
A specific type of anxiety that often leads to house soiling is separation anxiety peeing dog. This happens when a dog gets extremely distressed when left alone. They aren’t being spiteful; they are genuinely panicked.
Symptoms of separation anxiety can include:
- Excessive barking or howling when alone.
- Destructive chewing.
- Pacing.
- Trying to escape.
- Peeing or pooping indoors, often near doors or on the owner’s items (like blankets that smell like you).
If your dog only pees on their blanket or in other places when you are not home, separation anxiety is a strong possibility. This problem requires a careful approach, often involving behavior modification techniques to help the dog feel more comfortable being alone, and sometimes medication prescribed by a vet.
Marking Behavior
Marking is a dog’s way of leaving a scent message to other dogs or even humans. It’s a territorial behavior, most common in intact (not spayed or neutered) male dogs, but females and even spayed/neutered dogs can mark.
Dogs usually mark vertical surfaces like walls, furniture legs, or trees. However, some dogs might mark horizontal surfaces, especially if the item is new, smells interesting, or is in a prominent location. Dog marking behavior on blankets can happen if the blanket is in a spot the dog wants to claim, or if it smells like another animal (even one they met outside) or a new person.
Marking typically involves peeing a small amount, often on an upright surface, but blankets are sometimes targeted if they are seen as part of the dog’s territory or if they are new and exciting. Unlike an accident where the dog empties their bladder, marking is usually just a small squirt.
Neutering or spaying can significantly reduce marking behavior, but it may not eliminate it entirely, especially if the behavior has been happening for a long time.
Housetraining Problems or Regression
If your dog was housetrained but has started having accidents again, this is called dog housetraining regression. This can happen for several reasons:
- Incomplete training: Maybe they weren’t fully housetrained in the first place and are still having slips.
- Changes: A change in schedule, moving to a new home, or even just changing the location of their blanket can disrupt their learned habits.
- Lack of reinforcement: Maybe you stopped rewarding them for going outside, and they are less motivated.
- Punishment for accidents: Punishing a dog after they’ve already had an accident can actually make them more likely to hide to pee, leading them to choose less obvious spots like their blanket when you aren’t looking.
If a dog wasn’t properly housetrained from the start, they might not understand that they should only pee outside. A soft, absorbent blanket can feel like a perfectly fine place to go.
Submissive or Excitement Urination
Submissive urination dog is when a dog pees as a sign of fear, anxiety, or deference. It often happens when they are greeting someone they see as dominant (like their owner coming home), being scolded, or when they feel threatened. It’s an involuntary response, not a deliberate act. It’s more common in puppies and shy dogs.
Excitement urination happens when a dog gets overly excited, for example, during playtime or when someone they love arrives. Like submissive urination, it’s usually involuntary.
Both types typically involve peeing small amounts. If the dog is on their blanket when these feelings hit, an accident can happen there.
Seeking Comfort or Attention
In rare cases, a dog might pee on their blanket because they are seeking comfort (the blanket feels safe when they are anxious) or even attention. If a dog learns that peeing inside gets them attention (even negative attention, like being yelled at), they might repeat the behavior. However, this is less common than medical or other behavioral causes.
Looking at Surroundings and Habits
Sometimes, the reason is less about health or deep-seated behavior and more about practical, everyday factors in the dog’s life and home.
Changes in Routine or Environment
Dogs thrive on routine. Any change can throw them off and lead to accidents. This includes:
- Moving to a new home: The sights, sounds, and smells are all different.
- Changes in your schedule: Working longer hours, changing when you take them out.
- New people or pets in the house: This can cause stress or changes in territory perception.
- Changing the dog’s sleeping area: If their blanket moves, they might not feel as secure or understand where they are allowed to pee.
These changes can cause stress, anxiety, or simply confusion about the rules, potentially leading to accidents on their blanket.
Lack of Outdoor Time
This is a simple one, but often overlooked. If your dog isn’t getting enough opportunities to go outside to pee, they will eventually have an accident inside. This could be because:
- Your schedule is too busy.
- The weather is bad, and walks are shorter.
- They aren’t signaling effectively that they need to go out.
If a dog needs to go and can’t hold it any longer, they will find a place to relieve themselves. Their soft, absorbent blanket might seem like a better option than the hard floor.
Poorly Cleaned Accidents
Dogs are attracted to the smell of urine. If a past accident on the blanket (or anywhere else nearby) wasn’t cleaned completely using an enzymatic cleaner designed for pet messes, the faint smell that humans can’t detect can still signal to the dog that “this is a bathroom spot.” This encourages them to pee there again. This is a common reason for repeated accidents in the same spot, including on their blanket.
Steps to Take When Your Dog Pees on the Blanket
Finding urine on your dog’s blanket is frustrating, but reacting correctly is key to solving the problem. Here’s a plan of action.
Rule Out Medical Issues FIRST
As mentioned earlier, this is non-negotiable. Before you assume it’s a behavioral problem or a training issue, take your dog to the vet. Describe exactly what is happening: when the accidents occur, how much urine there is, if there are other symptoms, and how long it’s been going on. A vet visit is the only way to confirm or rule out health problems like UTIs, incontinence, diabetes, kidney issues, etc. This step is crucial for your dog’s well-being and finding the right solution.
Clean Thoroughly
If your dog has an accident, clean it up immediately and thoroughly. Simple soap and water or household cleaners are not enough. They don’t remove the odor completely at a molecular level for a dog’s sensitive nose. You must use an enzymatic cleaner specifically designed for pet urine. These cleaners break down the urine crystals that cause the persistent odor.
- Remove the blanket if possible and wash it with detergent and an enzymatic cleaner (check product instructions). You might need to wash it multiple times.
- Clean the area under the blanket as well, as urine can soak through.
- Allow the cleaner to work for the time recommended on the bottle (often 10-15 minutes or more) before blotting dry.
Failing to clean properly almost guarantees the dog will pee there again because the scent guides them back.
Manage the Environment
While you are figuring out the cause and working on a solution, you need to prevent your dog from peeing on the blanket.
- Remove the blanket: Temporarily take the blanket away, especially when you can’t supervise your dog. This removes the ‘target’ area.
- Restrict access: Don’t let your dog have free run of the house unsupervised, especially in the area where the blanket usually is. Use crates, gates, or keep them on a leash with you.
- Supervision: When your dog is out, watch them closely. If they start sniffing around, circling, or showing signs they need to go, immediately take them outside.
This management is temporary but essential to break the habit and prevent more accidents while you work on the root cause.
Rethink Training & Routine
If medical issues are ruled out, revisit housetraining basics.
- Increase potty breaks: Take your dog outside more frequently, especially after waking up, after playing, after eating, and right before bed. This reduces the chances they will need to go inside.
- Supervise outside: Make sure they actually pee when you take them out. Don’t just open the door. Go with them and reward them heavily with praise and a treat when they go in the right spot.
- Re-establish the signal: If your dog used to signal when they needed out but stopped, work on recognizing their cues (standing by the door, whining, sniffing) and responding immediately.
- Go back to basics: Treat your dog like a puppy in training. Use positive reinforcement only. Reward desired behavior (peeing outside) instead of punishing accidents. Punishment makes things worse and can lead to sneakier accidents.
Consider if dog housetraining regression has occurred. If so, you need to go back and reinforce the original training.
Address Stress & Anxiety
If stress or anxiety is the likely cause, you need to identify the triggers and help your dog cope.
- Identify triggers: What happens right before the dog pees on the blanket? (You leave, a specific person comes over, a storm starts?)
- Reduce exposure: If possible, minimize exposure to the trigger.
- Counter-conditioning and desensitization: This involves gradually exposing the dog to the trigger while associating it with something positive (like treats or praise) to change their emotional response. This is often best done with the help of a professional.
- Provide comfort: Create a safe space for your dog, like a crate with a comfy bed, away from noise or activity. Use calming aids like diffusers, calming vests, or background noise.
- Increase exercise and mental stimulation: A tired dog is a calmer dog. Ensure your dog gets enough physical activity and mental challenges (like puzzle toys).
- Consult a vet or behaviorist: For moderate to severe anxiety, especially separation anxiety peeing dog, a vet may recommend anti-anxiety medication. A certified applied animal behaviorist or a positive reinforcement dog trainer specializing in behavior issues can develop a specific plan to address the root cause of the anxiety.
Dealing with stress peeing in dogs takes patience and a multi-faceted approach.
Neutering/Spaying
If marking behavior on blankets is suspected, especially in an intact male dog, getting them neutered can significantly reduce or eliminate the behavior. It’s not a guaranteed fix, especially if the marking has become a long-standing habit, but it removes the hormonal drive behind much of it.
Consider Submissive/Excitement Urination
If the peeing seems to happen when they are greeted, praised, or scolded, it might be submissive or excitement urination dog.
- Lower your greetings: When you come home, greet your dog calmly. Avoid overly enthusiastic greetings for a few minutes until they are settled.
- Ignore the behavior: If they pee during a greeting or when excited, don’t make a fuss. Just calmly clean it up. Any attention, even negative, can reinforce the behavior.
- Build confidence: For submissive peeing, work on building your dog’s confidence through positive training and avoiding situations where they feel intimidated.
- Have them pee first: If excitement peeing is an issue, take your dog outside to pee before the exciting event happens (e.g., before guests arrive, before initiating a high-energy game).
Stopping Future Accidents
Prevention is always better than cure. Once you’ve addressed the likely reason for the peeing on the blanket, put strategies in place to prevent it from happening again.
Consistent Potty Breaks
Maintain a regular and frequent potty schedule. Take your dog out first thing in the morning, last thing at night, and several times in between. Ensure you are giving them enough opportunities based on their age, breed, and individual needs. For senior dog peeing problems, more frequent trips are often necessary.
Good Housetraining Foundations
Ensure your dog has a solid understanding of where they are allowed to pee. Use positive reinforcement to reward peeing outside every single time. If you see sniffing or circling indoors, immediately interrupt gently and take them out. Never punish accidents after the fact.
Manage Stressors
Identify potential stressors in your dog’s life and work to minimize them. This might involve providing a safe den, using calming products, or avoiding situations that trigger anxiety. Early intervention for stress peeing in dogs is key.
Regular Vet Check-ups
Even if your dog is currently healthy, regular check-ups with your vet are important. This allows the vet to catch potential medical issues, including those that affect bladder control (like UTIs or age-related changes), early on. This is especially important for senior dogs prone to incontinence in aging dogs.
Supervision
Don’t give your dog unsupervised access to areas where they’ve had accidents or areas where you haven’t confirmed they are trustworthy. Crating, using gates, or tethering your dog to you when you are home can prevent unsupervised accidents. This allows you to interrupt any potential accident-causing behavior (like sniffing their blanket intently) and redirect them outside.
Knowing When to Get Help
While many peeing issues can be solved with careful management and training, some situations require professional help.
Persistent Problem
If you’ve tried the steps above – ruled out medical issues, cleaned thoroughly, adjusted routines, and addressed potential behavioral causes – but your dog is still peeing on the blanket regularly, it’s time to get expert help.
Sudden Change
A sudden onset of peeing accidents in a previously well-behaved dog, especially if it’s accompanied by other changes in behavior or health, is always a reason to contact your vet immediately. This points strongly towards a medical problem or acute stress.
Along with Other Symptoms
If the peeing is just one symptom among others, such as changes in appetite, energy level, drinking habits, or other behavioral changes (aggression, withdrawal, excessive licking), these could be signs of a medical issue or significant stress.
Seeking help from your veterinarian or a certified professional dog trainer/behaviorist is not a sign of failure. These experts have the knowledge and experience to help you figure out the complex reasons behind dog peeing on bed or blankets and develop an effective plan to get things back on track.
Table of Common Causes and Signs
Here’s a quick look at possible reasons why your dog might be peeing on their blanket:
| Reason | Description | Common Signs |
|---|---|---|
| Medical: UTI | Infection in the bladder or urinary tract. | Frequent, small pees; straining; licking; cloudy urine; accidents anywhere. |
| Medical: Incontinence | Involuntary leakage of urine, often due to weak bladder. | Wet spots where sleeping; leaking when relaxed; common in older dogs. |
| Medical: Other | Diabetes, kidney disease, pain, bladder stones, etc. | Increased thirst/peeing; difficulty moving; other health changes. |
| Behavioral: Anxiety | Stress, fear, or worry (incl. separation anxiety). | Accidents when left alone or triggered; destruction; barking; pacing. |
| Behavioral: Marking | Leaving scent to claim territory. | Small amounts of urine; often on upright surfaces but can be on prominent items like blankets; more common in intact dogs. |
| Behavioral: Regression | Forgetting or backsliding on housetraining rules. | Accidents start again in a previously trained dog; triggered by changes. |
| Behavioral: Submissive | Peeing due to fear, feeling intimidated, or greeting. | Happens during greetings, when scolded, or feeling threatened; usually small amounts. |
| Behavioral: Excitement | Peeing due to being overly stimulated. | Happens during play, greetings, or excitement; usually small amounts. |
| Environmental: Routine | Changes in schedule, home, or family. | Accidents start after a change; dog seems confused or stressed. |
| Environmental: Access | Not enough opportunities to go outside. | Accidents happen when left too long; no other signs of medical/behavior issue. |
| Environmental: Cleaning | Previous accidents weren’t cleaned completely. | Repeated accidents in the exact same spot. |
Remember, this table is for quick reference, not diagnosis. Always start with a vet visit.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Can I punish my dog for peeing on the blanket?
A: No, absolutely not. Punishing your dog after they’ve had an accident, especially if you didn’t catch them in the act, is ineffective and harmful. Dogs don’t connect the punishment to something they did minutes or hours ago. Punishment can make them fearful of you, fearful of peeing in front of you (leading to hiding accidents), or increase anxiety, which can actually worsen the problem. Focus on cleaning thoroughly and positively reinforcing the desired behavior (peeing outside).
Q: Should I remove the blanket forever?
A: Removing the blanket temporarily is a good management strategy while you figure out and address the reason for the peeing. However, once the underlying medical or behavioral issue is under control and the dog is reliably peeing outside, you can gradually reintroduce the blanket under supervision. The goal is to fix the problem, not just hide it by removing the blanket.
Q: How long will it take to stop my dog from peeing on the blanket?
A: The timeline varies greatly depending on the cause. A UTI can be resolved quickly with antibiotics. Behavioral issues like anxiety or marking might take weeks or months of consistent effort and training. Incontinence in older dogs might require ongoing medical management. It’s important to be patient and consistent with your approach.
Q: My dog only pees on the blanket when I’m not home. What does that mean?
A: This strongly suggests separation anxiety peeing dog. The blanket, smelling like you, might be a target for stress-related soiling when they are distressed about being left alone. You need to address the separation anxiety, likely with behavior modification and potentially medication from your vet.
Q: My old dog just started peeing on their blanket. Is this just part of aging?
A: It could be age-related incontinence in aging dogs or senior dog peeing problems due to conditions like arthritis making it hard to get outside. However, it could also be a UTI or another treatable medical issue. Never assume it’s “just old age.” Always get a senior dog checked by the vet for any sudden change in behavior, including house soiling.
Q: My dog is neutered but still pees on the blanket sometimes. Could it be marking?
A: Yes, even neutered dogs can mark, though it’s less common and usually less frequent than in intact dogs. If the peeing is a small amount and happens on prominent items or after another animal has been around, it could still be a form of dog marking behavior on blankets. However, consider other behavioral reasons like stress or incomplete housetraining as well. A vet check to rule out medical issues is still necessary.