Dog Bed Wetting Causes and Solutions

Dog bed wetting is a serious problem. More dogs are returned to shelters for failure to become properly potty trained than for any other reason. The responsible dog owner will take the time to learn to properly housebreak his dog as a first priority upon the dog's arrival to his or her home.

However, there are a few instances in which your dog my experience bed wetting problems that are not "training problems" per se. This article seeks to help identify and address those exceptions. If your dog falls into none of these categories, chances are you just need to begin a responsible potty training program with him.

Dog Bed Wetting Can Be Caused by Health Problems

The first thing to rule out when dog bed wetting behavior begins to occur is whether your dog is afflicted with a health problem that is causing the behavior. If you have an older dog or an adult dog who has not previously had problems with bed wetting, this troubling new behavior may be the result of something health-related beyond his control. If a previously house trained dog starts exhibiting bed-wetting behavior, take him to the vet as soon as possible so the doctor can help you identify any health-related sources of this problem.

If the bed wetting behavior is not health related, that's a big plus as it indicates that your dog is healthy and the problem is behavioral and can be corrected with a caring, and patient training program.

How Was the Puppy Raised?

Another frequent cause of dog bed wetting is seen in puppies raised in unsanitary conditions. A dog is born with natural instincts which tell him to avoid eliminating in his den or his home. However, some puppies which have been raised in unsanitary conditions where they are forced to spend time in their own filth will lose this natural reluctance to soil their quarters.

For this reason, if you're investing in a new puppy, it's important to inspect the kennel where he and his mother were kept to make sure the breeder is diligent about cleaning up after the puppies and their mother and that she maintains hygenic conditions in her breeding facility.

If you find that your puppy has no qualms about soiling his kennel or crate, you'll need to pay extra special attention to creating a feeding, watering and elimination schedule for him so that you can make sure that he never has the opportunity to make an unsupervised accident.

He Can't "Hold It" Forever!

The third potential cause of dog bed wetting is a dog being forced to hold his bladder for longer than he is physiologically capable. It is unrealistic to expect a young puppy to wait to go to the bathroom for more than a few hours at a time. The rule of thumb is to take the puppy's age in months and add one. That equals the number of hours he can be expected to "hold it" in the kennel. If your puppy is only 3 months old, he will probably need to go out every four hours or so during the day, and may need to go out during the night as well.

It is up to you, as a caring puppy parent, to make sure he has the opportunity to form good habits from a young age by taking him outside to eliminate as frequently as is necessary.

If you address the three issues above, there should be no reason that your dog will continue to have a bed wetting problem in the face of a realistic potty training regimen. I've written several informative articles about potty training puppies and adult dogs, including sample schedules to help you get off to a good start. Please read these articles and if you have further questions, you can contact me!