pls help dog suddenly weeing on our beds, at end of tether...[sad]

[dandycandyjellybean]

Some of you may remember Kenny our rescue Staffie, got him after mentioning on here we were thinking of having a puppy and was suggested that we get a rescue. we have had him now nearly a year, and what a year it has been. I have worked really, really hard with him as he had multitudes of 'ishoos', especially with other dogs and separation anxiety - chewed all the fur off the end of his tail in about 10 minutes being crated at the vets! (coming home to wees and poos everywhere, has trashed every beautiful wooden door in the house and chewed a small hole in our plastic front door. I've spent hundreds of pounds working with trainers and buying different collars/leads/dap sprays, toys etc). Not to mention having to talk my husband down every time he has caused expensive damage. But I've persevered and felt that we were really getting somewhere. He is very, very loving and affectionate and loves being whereever we are.

He is generally settled now and well behaved. No major stress in the house out of the ordinary. However, yesterday he did a massive wee on my dh's bed. I spent a fortune having his quilt laundered and ages getting it out of his mattress. For unrelated reasons bought myself a new quilt yesterday, he's done a massive wee on this today. Both times we were in, so not stress related, no fireworks, he isn't weeing more often or anywhere else so pretty sure it's not an uti. I know it's stupid but I feel so upset, I rang the rescue place in floods of tears for some advice, but other than shut him downstairs (he hates being shut away and trashes the doors)! they couldn't really help.

I had a rescue because it seemed wrong to get a puppy when so many dogs need good homes, but I really feel like I can't take any more. Part of me really just wants someone to come and get him...(have had a very hard year with other stuff dad diagnosed with terminal illness and other probs related to that, as well as having a 12 month battle with atos over my dh's disability bens) I just can't cope with having to keep thinking about where he is in the house all the time or having to keep washing bedding. Don't know what anyone can do/say, just need to tell someone really.

[dandycandyjellybean]

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[bundaberg]

i can't help with his general behaviour, but i would absolutely keep him shut out of the bedrooms

[ListWriter]

I don't know how to help either but didn't want to not respond.

I'd be really sad and frustrated too. Maybe he had more issues than they realised at the rehoming place..? It seems really rubbish now that they can't offer you more support than just saying to keep him downstairs.

Can you badger the rescue centre some more, tell them that either you need them to help you or you're bringing him back?

[ButThereAgain]

Oh you poor thing. Dog ownership can be so stressful sometimes!

When he wee'd and messed in the house before it was to do with anxiety, but I wonder whether this new outbreak of weeing on beds could be more to do with his having grown in confidence -- not a symptom of anxiety but a more assured action of just marking somewhere lovely as his own?

My terrier went through a phase of weeing on beds when he was still quite a youngster, and I think that he just loved the beds, thought they were fab places and wanted to stake his interest in them.

This habit of his disappeared when he was neutered (which I think reduces a male dog's need to mark out his territory quite so insistently). Is your dog neutered?

But I don't think that neutering is a rock solid solution to such issues and I'm sure training can help too. Perhaps you need to teach him not to go on the beds at all?

It just seems worth bearing in mind that if he is much more relaxed now, a different training tack,not associated with reducing anxiety, might be helpful. In a way it might be evidence of a progress (of sorts!) to a more confident and happy dog, albeit one who still needs some lessons in where to wee!!

I know it is heartbreaking when nice things are spoilt by our dogs. But hang on in there and remember the good times too! I'm sure he is gorgeous.

[daisy5569]

My basenji has never been allowed upstairs, however on the occasions when he does manage to open the stair gate and charge up there he is guaranteed to wee up the banisters at the top of the stairs, wee up the side of the bed and on occasions piddle on the beds.

He has always done it and I think its down to marking his territory, he was neutered late in life at 12 yrs and this didnt make any difference, think if he gets the opportunity to go upstairs its piddle time! He's done it for so long its almost like a learned behaviour now so I just try to keep him downstairs and if I hear him open the stair gate its a case of rush and get him down before the weeing begins!

Dogs are a pain at times but mine is my grumpy old man and I wouldnt be without him

[Topseyt]

I think it is marking territory, if you are sure it cannot be a UTI (I would be inclined to get him vet checked for that though, just to be safe).

I would definitely shut him out of the bedrooms from now on, and get him used to the idea that he just isn't sleeping in there anymore.

I have a labrador and a cocker spaniel. They live downstairs in our house. They are not allowed upstairs. It was just our decision when the lab in particular was a power-chewer pup that we wanted a dog-free zone where things would be safe from his destruction. He got used to it and it hasn't been a problem, but then he was forced to get used to it from when he was just a few weeks old really.

Have you cleaned everything with a strong solution of biological washing powder? That should digest all the proteins and be more successful at removing any tiny hint of the scent of urine, which could attract him to wee in that area again.

[dandycandyjellybean]

sorry to post and run, will try and answer tomorrow, on reflection there are perhaps a couple of things which may have really stressed him, will relate tomorrow when I'm not crazy doing mother/carer type stuff. Thank you all so much for your lovely kind replies, I think I would have caved if I had been torn off a strip! Talk tomorrow.

[ceres]

our staffie used to do this. no idea why - he wasn't stressed or anything, and the little git used to sleep in our bed anyway so it wasn't like he felt he had to claim it! I think it was possibly a teenage thing.
he did it about 3 or 4 times, I just made sure the bedroom doors were kept firmly closed so he couldn't go in there on his own.

sounds like you have done a great job helping him with his other issues and i'm sure you will get through this too. good luck, hopefully it is just a phase.

btw Kenny is a great name for a staffie!

[SJP83]

If it was a new quilt maybe he was marking it. Definitely keep him out of bedrooms so you don't have to keep laundering if he does it again. I've got a crazy dog too. Not a staffie but a Parsons. He goes through stages, not weeing in the garden, running at flat bed trucks, 'shouting' at people having picnics. Wouldn't be without him though. If it's a phase he'll come out the other side...and then start a new one. X

[bellasuewow]

I fostered a rescue staffie and she weed on sofa and bed when we were out she also chewed like crazy and caused loads of damage, in every other way she was utterly adorable and loving but it was so tough. When we were there she was asleep in her bed so I think it was really bad separation anxiety as we walked her so much but before we had her she had been found abandoned with dog bites on her, just given birth and very distressed state very nervous. Anyway she was adopted by a family with three other large dogs and they said her separation anxiety went away when she was left with the other dogs as she bonded very well with them and they were playful like she was. This is only my story but I hope it helps in some way I am sure staffie rescues will have come across this before.

[kitsmummy]

Have had both of my dogs from puppies (one rescue, one not) and they both weed on the bed twice in their first year, not entirely sure why but they both did. I think it's quite common for this to be a "spot" for dogs.

Not a solution to the weeing, but I thoroughly recommend M&S waterproof sheets! You wouldn't know they were waterproof to lie on them (don't feel plasticky) but they do stop dog/child accidents seeping through

[1MitchellMum]

Firstly wonder if it's a medical issue? Our boy kept weeing indoors before being diagnosed with/treated for Cushing's. Not suggesting your boy has that (and there are other symptoms) but just worth checking medical stuff. Could you put him in a crate in the bedroom?

[Floralnomad]

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