It happened again – your dog pooped on the bed. Not only do you not know why, but you also don’t have a clue what to do about it. The good news is that we have the answers for you for dog pooping on bed.
Dog Pooping on Bed: Why It Happens
Dogs poop on the bed for many reasons. We’ve identified the ones that we feel are the most common for a dog pooping on bed.
Fecal Incontinence for Older Dogs
Older dogs often poop on the bed because they simply can’t hold it in. Dogs are considered seniors at 10 years of age, so if your dog is over that, this may be a cause for dog pooping on bed.
New Dog
Some dogs are spiteful, so when there is a new dog in the house, they try to show how upset they are by pooping on the bed. Dogs know it’s wrong to poop on the bed and it will make their owner upset, which is why they do it.
Lack of House Training
A lack of house training can lead to dog pooping on bed. Most house-trained dogs can hold it until the morning. However, if the lesson hasn’t been learned fully, it’s a reason for a dog pooping on bed.
Health Issue
Inflammatory bowel disease and urinary tract infection can cause a dog to poop on the bed. These health issues among others should receive medical attention for treatment. If you believe your dog is pooping on the bed due to a health issue, call for a vet visit.
Separation Anxiety
An adult dog with separation anxiety may get so nervous that he/she needs to defecate. To hide this bad dog behavior, your pup may poop in bed and hide it with blankets.
New Home
A new home can cause a lot of anxiety. This anxiety can also make it hard for a dog to control bowel movements.
A dog may be upset about moving to a new house as well. To show how upset your dog is, he/she may poop on the bed.
Fear
Many times during thunderstorms or fireworks, dogs will take comfort by jumping on the bed to hide under the covers. Unfortunately, the anxiety of the loud noises can lead to dog pooping on bed.
Food Allergies
Food allergies can cause digestive issues leading to uncontrollable bowel movements. Even house-trained dogs have accidents, especially when they have an upset stomach.
New People
Visitors or new people living in the house may cause inappropriate elimination. This could include house soiling as well as dog pooping on bed.
What to Do About Dog Pooping on Bed
Now that you have some reasons your dog is pooping on the bed, let’s dive into what you really want to know – what to about dog pooping on bed.
Increase Frequency of Potty Breaks
Dogs shouldn’t go more than 4 hours without going outside to relieve themselves. Set up a schedule that works for you and your family members to ensure your dog is let outside at specific times throughout the day. If no one is home for long periods to let your dog out, consider finding a dog walker.
Visit the Vet for Health Problems
If your dog pooping on bed just started happening on a regular behavior, it’s a good idea to consult with your vet about your dog’s behavior. It may be a health problem like inflammatory bowel disease, gastrointestinal upset, or bowel obstruction that can be easily treated.
Introduce New Food Slowly
Switching dog food too quickly can cause gastrointestinal upset and loose stools. Be sure to add new food to current dog food little by little each day until all of the food is the new food.
Continue Potty Training
If you have a puppy that is house soiling and pooping on the bed, it’s important to continue potty training until there are no accidents. While it can be frustrating in the beginning, you’ll be so thankful you kept it up when you don’t have to worry about it anymore.
Be sure to ask family members to help with young puppies. They can’t go long hours without using the bathroom like adult dogs. Young puppies need to go out every 30 minutes or so.
At your wit’s end with potty training, read: Last Resort for Dog Potty Training
Senior Dogs
Senior dogs may poop on the bed because they suffer from a medical condition that causes fecal incontinence. While treatment for the medical condition may help, it’s important that senior dogs go outside more often than adult dogs. Just like with a puppy, an older dog should not go long hours without the ability to use the bathroom outside.
Anxiety Due to Sudden Change
A new house, different schedules, etc. are reasons a sudden change can cause dog pooping on the bed. While it is annoying and disgusting, give your pup some time to get used to the sudden change.
Crate Training
Some dogs won’t poop where they sleep, which is why crate training works well for them. Train your pup to relax in a crate while you’re not home to stop the inappropriate elimination.
Doggy Door
A doggy door is a great idea for a dog pooping on bed, especially if it’s because no one is home to let the dog out certain times for a potty break.
Nature’s Miracle
When you have a dog pooping on bed, it’s important to clean it up well with enzyme neutralizer or the scent of the poo may be left behind encouraging your pup to do it again.
Consider this product from Amazon to keep the situation from happening repeatedly.
Potty Pads
As a last resort, consider pee and poop pads for dogs for options where your pup can poop, especially if he/she is suffering from fecal incontinence.
Automatic Cleaning Dog Potty
For another option when your pup can’t hold his bowels long enough for you to come home and take him out is an automatic cleaning dog potty. We recommend this one: BrilliantPad Self Cleaning Automatic Indoor Dog Potty
How to Know What to Do When Dog Pooping on Bed
The first and most important step in stopping a dog pooping on bed is to identify the underlying cause. If there are medical issues, a vet visit should be the first step.
However, if there is no medical issue, the underlying cause should be decided upon before moving forward with how to resolve the situation of dog pooping on bed.
Not all dogs are the same, so not all solutions will work. Try one or two and if they don’t work move on to some other solutions until you find the one that works for you and your dog.
