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Why Did My Dog Poop On My Bed? (7 Common Reasons)

Categorized as Why Does My Dog
why did my dog poop on my bed

You’re in for a rude awakening when you come home from work and find your dog has pooped on the bed. You’re not the only one with this problem. Dogs of all ages and breeds can develop a tendency to poop on beds.

But what does this mean? Why do they feel the need to get up there? And how can I stop them from doing it again? Here are seven of the most common reasons why dogs might poop on your bed, as well as some solutions on how to stop this behavior.

1. Your Dog Thinks of Your Bed as a Comfortable and Safe Place to Potty

Dogs have a natural instinct to want to potty where they feel safe and comfortable. For many dogs, their owners’ beds are the place they feel the safest.

Coupled with scents of their favorite humans and improper house training, this can create a bad habit of going on beds. Or perhaps they simply don’t want to go outside because it’s scorching hot outside and raining like mad.

The weather is a common reason why dogs might not want to go outside.

If it’s too hot outside for you, it’s definitely too hot for your dog. Dogs can’t sweat as we do, so they overheat very quickly in warm weather. It is uncomfortable and potentially dangerous for them to be out in the heat.

If you have a yard, get them under the shade of a tree to do their business or build them a potty area in the shade. If you don’t have a yard, you can designate an indoor potty area in a spare room or bathroom where you have good ventilation.

You can lay a newspaper or better yet, a grass potty pad, to catch the mess. These pads are made to look and feel like real grass, so your dog will be more inclined to use them.

All you have to do is place the pad in an area where your dog frequents and they will quickly learn that this is the place they should go to the bathroom.

If it’s too cold for your dog to go outside, then think about providing some warmth for them by putting them on their coat, but be sure that it isn’t so tight that they can’t move around comfortably and pant with ease.

2. Your Dog Hasn’t Had a Chance to Do Their Business All-day

Dogs need to go out and do their business, just like we do. If they don’t get a chance to relieve themselves all day or they don’t have access to an outside potty area, they might decide to relieve themselves at the nearest, most convenient place. Unfortunately, that happens to be your bed.

3. Your Dog is Feeling Nervous or Anxious

Dogs who are nervous or anxious will try to relive their anxiety through assortments of different ways. Some dogs might chew on things, others might chew or rip up cushions. While in your case, your dog might be relieving their anxiety by burying their business on your bed.

Dogs can become anxious for a number of reasons, such as:

Being Left Alone for Long Periods of Time

Dogs are naturally pack animals, so being left alone makes them anxious. If you’re going to be away for an extended period of time, whether it’s during the day when you’re at work or overnight, you should consider getting a friend or family member to come over and take your dog out for a walk.

If you don’t think this is feasible for whatever reason, you can crate them or close them in a room with some soft music playing to try to calm their nerves. Also make, sure they have access to water and their food dish at all times. A full belly will help calm your dog’s nerves.

You can use something such as an automatic dog feeder and pet fountain to help ensure they have food and water throughout the day.

Having a Changing Environment

If you or someone in your family has recently moved to a new house, then your dog might be feeling anxious. Some dogs like their home environment to be consistent and changes can make them feel insecure.

Usually, with time, your dog will begin to feel at ease in their new surroundings and they’ll be back to normal again. Just keep providing them with plenty of love and affection and give them lots of positive reinforcement such as praise, treats, and extra attention and soon they will begin to feel more secure and comfortable.

4. Your Dog Is Feeling Fearful

When dogs get scared, they can also react in all sorts of different ways to get away from that fear. Some dogs might feel threatened and they’ll try to confront the source of their fear. Others might feel the need to flee and run away from it all.

In the case of your dog, they might just try to run away from where they feel threatened and since your bed is elevated off the ground, they believe it’s the safest place they can go. Unfortunately, the side effect of this is that sometimes you end up with their mess on the bed.

Dogs can become fearful for a number of reasons, such as:

Experiencing Loud Noises or Traumatic Events

If your dog has experienced some sort of loud noise or traumatic events such as during a thunderstorm or a house party, they might begin to act fearful in that kind of environment.

If this is the case, you’ll need to gradually build up their confidence again by taking them out on walks and introducing them to different environments slowly so they can learn that there’s nothing to fear.

Being Around New People or Animals

If you’ve had a new person or animal come into your home, then your dog might feel threatened by them and they could act in ways they normally wouldn’t. If this is the case, it will help to introduce them to these new people or animals slowly.

5. It Could Be a Sign of Dominance or Territorial Behavior

Dominance or territorial behavior could be another reason why your dog might be pooping on your bed. Dogs often use their sense of smell to mark items and places, so it might be that they are trying to claim your bed as their territory.

This could be even more likely if you’ve another pet in the house or if there are dogs in the left, right, or across your home. For your dog, this is their way of saying to these other dogs to “back off.”

6. It Could Be a Sign of an Underlying Medical Condition

A medical condition is another possibility that can’t be excluded from the list of reasons why your dog might be pooping on the bed.

Some examples of medical conditions that might be behind this behavior are:

Older dogs might start to develop incontinence or mobility problems, which can make it difficult for them to go outside. This might lead your dog to probe other options, such as using your bed as their alternative.

Diarrhea

If your dog is suffering from diarrhea, then they might need to go to the toilet more frequently. They might not always be able to make it outside in time and this could lead them to relieve themselves on your bed or somewhere else inside of your home.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Your dog might also develop IBD as they get older. This is a condition that causes inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. IBD can lead to chronic diarrhea and this might cause your dog to soil in all places they can reach.

If your dog’s popping behavior is followed by other symptoms such as vomiting, loss of appetite, and an increase in drooling, then you might want to take your dog to the vet as soon as possible.

7. Your Dog Hasn’t Been Fully House Trained Yet

Your dog might also have decided that your bedroom is a great place to poop because they still haven’t been fully house trained.

They might not understand that they aren’t supposed to relieve themselves inside the house and as a result, they continue to do so in your bedroom.

In cases like these, you’ll need to start working on potty training your dog as soon as possible. You can use positive reinforcement or even set up a few safe zones around your home where they can take care of their business without making too much of a mess.

How Do I Stop My Dog from Pooping on the Bed?

There are a number of ways you can stop your dog from pooping on the bed. In this part, we’ll look at some of the most effective methods you can try.

1. Narrow Down the Culprit

Before you can come up with a solution, you’ll first need to narrow down the reason why your dog is pooping on your bed.

You can do this by looking at how long they’ve been doing it for and where else they’ve been going to the toilet. The more information you have about their behavior, the better equipped you’ll be to solve the problem.

These are some questions you may want to ask yourself:

  • How old is your dog?
  • When did this behavior start?
  • Have they always done this under certain circumstances, such as when you’re not around or after visits to the vet?
  • Do they show any signs of having an underlying medical condition?
  • Does your dog have access to other places in the house where they can go to the bathroom?
  • Have there been any changes recently that could have led them to do this more frequently?
  • Are there certain sounds that might be clues for you to follow up on? maybe there is a new construction site near your home?
  • Can you think of anything that might be triggering this type of behavior?

The answers to these questions can help you narrow down what could be making your dog decide to poop on your bed. Once you’ve come to a conclusion, you’ll be able to come up with an effective solution.

2. Establish Better Potty Training Habits

The first way to stop them from behaving in this way is to establish better potty training habits by taking them out for walks and rewarding their behavior when they do something right. This will teach your dog that doing their business outside is rewarded.

Creating a potty schedule is another way you can help streamline the process. By taking your dog out for walks at specific times, you can encourage them to relieve themselves at these times.

By having a designated time every day where they know they will be taken outside to pee or poop, they will start to understand that this is the only time they should be doing their business.

3. Take Your Dog To The Vet

Another thing you should keep in mind is taking your dog to the vet. This is especially true if there are other medical symptoms that follow their decision to poop on your bed. Your vet will be able to detect any medical conditions that might be causing them to relieve themselves inside the house and provide you with the appropriate treatment.

4. Use A Deterrent

Making your own natural deterrent is a great way to stop your dog from pooping on your bed.

To make it, you’ll need:

  • 1 cup of apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup of water

Mix all the ingredients together in a spray bottle and shake well. Shake before each use. Combine all the ingredients in a spray bottle in a 50/50 mix, shake it up and spritz around the areas where you don’t want your dog to poop.

5. Address Any Behavioral Issues

If your dog is pooping on your bed because of the aforementioned behavioral reasons such as separation anxiety or fear, your first step should be to address these issues.

Each issue is unique and will require a specific plan to fix. For example, if your dog is pooping on your bed when you’re not around, they may be experiencing separation anxiety. To get to the root of this type of behavior, you’ll need to desensitize them to being alone.

If you need help dealing with a situation like this, it might be better to ask for professional help. You can hire a dog trainer or a dog behaviorist to help you deal with the issue.

Conclusion

There are a number of reasons why your dog might be pooping on your bed and a variety of solutions to stop this behavior.

By taking some time to assess the situation and ask yourself some questions, you can start to form a plan on how to address the problem. Establishing better potty training habits and addressing any underlying behavioral issues are great ways to get started.

Related Questions

1. Why Does My Dog Poop In The House At Night?

There are a variety of reasons why your dog might be pooping in the house at night, most of which can be divided into behavior-related or medical reasons.

Behaviorally, dogs may poop in the house when they’re stressed or anxious, often as a way to relieve themselves.

Medical reasons for nighttime pooping can include diarrhea caused by an infection, parasites, or food allergies.

2. Why Does My Dog Walk and Poop at The Same Time?

It is possible that your dog may have a health issue, such as diarrhea and anxiety, which can cause them to walk while they are pooping.

Additionally, it is possible that your dog’s diet might be too high in carbohydrates or simply wrong for their digestive system.

Changing the portion size and type of food you offer will determine whether these are the reasons why your dog is walking and pooping at the same time.

3. Why Won’t My Dog Poop Outside?

There could be a few different reasons why your dog is refusing to poop outside. One reason may be that they are feeling nervous or anxious about going in public.

Another reason could be that they think the weather is too cold, and they would rather wait until it’s warmer outside.

By Andrew Garf

Andrew Garf has loved dogs, especially German Shepherds, since he was 10 years old. Though he also loves burgers, training dogs is his real passion. That's why he created the website TrainYourGSD.com - to help dog owners learn how to properly train, care for, and bond with their German Shepherd dogs.