Why does my dog pee on my clothes? An annoying problem for sure, and not something you’d want to live with every day, and there are usually some common dog behavior problems you can’t escape, regardless of age.
The reason why your dog pees on your clothes can be from underlying medical conditions and incomplete training to behavioral issues, it could just be that your dog is marking its territory. However, it is best to contact a vet if you think your dog might be sick.
While that is the short answer, dogs peeing on your clothes could mean different things depending on your dog’s age, its breed, and how you raise your baby. Also, if your dog isn’t spayed or neutered, there is a high probable chance that it will pee on your clothes or wherever it feels the need to mark its territory.
Why Does My Dog Pee on My Clothes
As frustrating as it is, dogs targeting your clothes, walls, and bedclothes with urine is hardly rare. This inappropriate canine urination behavior calls for many reasons in general, but your dog is not doing this out of spite. Your dog doesn’t hate you. As irrational as it may be, your canine is trying to tell you something, or it might just be stressed out and yearning for your attention.
Regardless of gender, this is a common dog behavior. However, a proper investigation should be done while determining why your little pup is acting out this way and how you can stop this. Being educated on what your puppy needs amidst this situation could save you from a lot of frustration and stressful weeks.
Possible Medical Conditions That Could Cause Your Dog to Pee on Your Clothes
The default reasoning behind your dog peeing on your clothes or things that smell like you has been chiefly considered as urine marking, but you must not leave out the medical conditions behind this behavior as well. If your dog suddenly starts inappropriately peeing, it could be a sign of a severe medical condition.
- Urinary tract problems or infections
Urinary tract problems or infections are among the most common reasons your dog is peeing on your clothes or anywhere it sits. In most cases, your baby can be treated with a diet change, medications, and supplements from a vet depending on the type of disease. But in a more severe case like your dog having bladder stones, you should arrange an immediate visit to the vet for surgery.
- Canine urinary incontinence
A relatively common problem in dogs is urinary incontinence. Incontinence makes your little pooch pee involuntarily, and it might not even realize it’s peeing after all. Primarily seen in older dogs, the possibility of a younger dog with this problem is relatively high.
There are several causes for incontinence in dogs. Hormone-responsive incontinence is one of the common forms of incontinence in dogs. It occurs in both sexes of a neutered dog, but a female dog is more prone to it. A trip to the family vet as soon as you notice something off is critical.
- Cystitis (Inflammation of the bladder)
Cystitis, which is also known as the inflammation of the bladder, is a term generally used to describe any inflammation-causing diseases. An infection caused by bacteria is one of the most common reasons for cystitis in dogs. It generally causes discomfort and pain to your dog; this condition also comes with the sign of blood in the urine.
Cystitis caused by the bacteria infection usually makes your dog squat and strain for several minutes for a small amount of urine. It could also be one of the reasons why your dog pee’s everywhere despite training.
Fully treated based on the type of infection or cause, antibiotics are generally used to treat this bacterial infection. Diseases like diabetes and crushing disease can also affect your dog’s urinary tract. Regardless of seeing any signs and symptoms mentioned, a visit to your family vet needs to be arranged if your baby seems off.
Could Separation Anxiety Be the Culprit?
Separation anxiety is also seen as common dog behavior. Separation anxiety usually happens to a dog that is overly attached to its owner. We don’t hate our little pooch wanting attention from us, but giving it no space to grow on its own could be dangerous. From barking and howling the whole day while you’re away, to inappropriate urination can be caused by separation anxiety.
Some of the other symptoms of separation anxiety behavior in your dog would be whining and breaking stuff around the house. The inappropriate peeing on your clothes might be a result of your pup relieving its stress caused by separation anxiety.
Even though your dog peeing on your clothes is frustrating, inappropriate peeing is a symptom of separation anxiety. Curing your dog’s separation anxiety should stop it peeing on your clothes or anything that smells like you.
While there is no easy way to get rid of separation anxiety from your dog, it is not impossible. The process is prolonged, but your dog should be okay with consistency and love. However, you should report severe separation anxiety to a vet, and your pup should be on the medication it needs for temporary relief. Gradually, your dog will be free from separation anxiety, and hopefully, your clothes will be dry.
House Training Went Wrong
One of the most frequent and common reasons why your dog pees on your clothes or bed are because of incomplete house training. Even though it is mainly trained, some dogs will go about and find their place inside the house to make a poo or pee. This kind of behavior usually starts if the dog gets left inside the house for hours without a chance to relieve itself and finds a spot that it likes.
Bathroom breaks out of the house are necessary for any pets if you don’t want a mess inside. You, as an owner, should take your pet out several times a day or less, depending on the age of your munchkin.
If you think house training is the problem, you should start training your baby immediately. Dogs tend to break habits pretty quickly.
The first step to breaking the habit is rewarding your pet after you let him relieve it outside or in the desired area. On the contrary, if your baby is housebroken and suddenly starts to pee on your clothes or inside the house, make sure to call your vet and schedule an appointment.
“I Shall Mark My Territory”
A common behavioral issue in some dogs is territory marking. It’s your dog’s unusual way of saying, “This is mine.”Possible intruder alerts, like your neighbor’s dog or some unfamiliar face at the house, could kick start this behavior. Dogs usually mark their territory with urine, and your clothes might be the first thing it marks, considering you’re all that your baby has. However, as beautiful as the reason behind it sounds, we don’t want our clothes or house to smell like urine.
This behavior usually happens with unspayed or unneutered dogs regardless of gender. Most unspayed males generally produce more testosterone than the ones that are spayed. So you’re looking at a dog with more aggression and the need to mark its territory as often as possible while in search of the perfect mate or asserting dominance over other pets. Unspayed female dogs usually mark their territory while searching for a mate, and mostly to let them know she’s here.
After carefully examining with a vet, checking out other possible reasons your pets could be doing this, and considering neutering can stop this behavior. After the surgery, make sure your pet’s proper training is implemented.
Techniques to stop it from territory marking:
- Dogs can sniff out their marked territories. To cut ties with the scent from your dog, using cleaners that are specifically meant to remove the smell of urine should do the trick. If you find your clothes constantly wet, you should probably clean them well and put them away where your dog can’t reach them.
- The next time you see signs that your dog is in the process of peeing on your clothes or inside the house, consider making a loud noise to stop it in its tracks. Then proceed to take your dog outside and offer a treat after it is done with its business.
- Confinement can be fundamental. Confine your dog in an area such as a crate. It is an excellent way to help him from possibly peeing inside the house or, in this case, your clothes. Crate training your dog is usually an excellent way to stop it from soiling wherever it pleases but only if you make sure to give your baby proper potty breaks.
Being Considerate
As frustrating as it may get, yelling or punishing your little munchkin is never the right option. In most cases, behavioral issues can easily be dealt with, but sudden changes in your dog’s behavior could sometimes be due to underlying medical conditions.
You should constantly assess the situation and cross-check with your vet to assure your dog’s good overall health and issues.
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