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Have you found your dog peeing on the furniture? If so, don’t feel bad! This is a common problem that many pet parents have with their dogs.
In this scenario, you may notice that your room smells like urine. Where could that smell be coming from? It’s hard to find it sometimes. So, you may wander over to sit on the couch and get comfy, only to find a wet spot. You may also notice the urine odor has gotten much stronger. UGH! It may slowly dawn on you the dog has been peeing on the furniture.
If you’re in this situation, then you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we’ll take a look at how to keep your dog from urinating on the furniture! Let’s get started!
Why Is My Dog Urinating on the Furniture?
This is a very frustrating problem to have. It’s also difficult to figure out why your dog is doing this. If he keeps on, your furniture could be ruined. So, what causes a dog to go on the furniture?
There are several factors that can be causing your dog to urinate on the furniture:
He may be sick: a medical condition could be causing your dog to urinate. For instance, a bladder infection may make it difficult to hold on longer, until he gets outside. Your dog could also be suffering from diabetes, have internal parasites, and more.
He could be marking his territory: a dog who is the alpha male in the home may urinate on the furniture to mark his territory and assert himself. In this case, the dog will continue to mark his territory if he feels it’s threatened.
He may be incontinent: this problem is common in older dogs. They have a hard time holding their urine in until they make it outside. And in some cases, the dog may urinate involuntarily.
He may have anxiety or maybe submissive: some dogs may feel anxious and/or submissive. In this scenario, the dog may urinate when a person walks into the room or if someone stands over them. This could be due to trauma the dog suffered in the past. In other cases, a dog that has separation anxiety may also urinate on the furniture when left alone.
He may be doing this because of other dogs: if a new dog is brought into the home, the dog already living there may begin acting out due to jealousy. This can lead them to urinate on the furniture.
So, if your dog has all of a sudden started urinating on the couch or another piece of furniture, then consider what’s going on in your home. Is there a new dog? Has anything in your home environment changed? Has anything changed in the family? (Such as one of the kids heading off to college, someone getting married, etc.). If you can’t pinpoint any major changes, then it’s a good idea to call the vet.
Your dog may be suffering from incontinence, or he may have another medical condition that’s causing him to urinate on the furniture. So, it’s good to have him checked out by the vet. The vet may be able to make a diagnosis and provide treatment that ends this behavior.
How to Stop Your Dog Peeing on the Furniture
If the vet says your dog is OK, then you’ll need to consider some other ways to keep your dog from going on the furniture. Here are some methods that may work!
1). Have Your Dog Spayed or Neutered
Spaying or neutering your dog may end the peeing on the furniture problem. This is because the dog will no longer feel so territorial (that’s the theory, anyway!). However, do keep in mind that some dogs may still feel territorial even after their surgery.
Even so, make sure your dog is spayed or neutered. This is a great way to keep your dog healthier, and it can even lower aggressive behavior. And it may put an end to the peeing problem.
2). Clean the Area the Right Way
Thorough cleaning is necessary if your dog is peeing on the furniture. When they go in the same place all the time, the odor becomes even stronger. And it means they will probably go back to the same place each time. Yuck!
So, make sure to clean the area in the right way. This means steam cleaning the floor and furniture. If the couch has a cover that can come off, then wash it at the highest, safest temperature for the fabric. It may even be necessary to clean the area and fabric more than once to remove the odor.
For carpets, you can also use enzymatic cleaners. However, keep in mind that just because you remove the smell, it may still have an odor that your dog smells. And this may encourage him to keep going there.
3). Spray Furniture with Enzymatic Spray
There are certain smells that dogs don’t like, which can prevent some dogs from peeing in certain areas. Dogs don’t like vinegar, for instance. However, that’s not a practical solution. So, it’s best to use an enzymatic spray. Here’s one to try:
Roccco & Roxie Professional Strength Stain & Odor Eliminator: this product will remove the urine smell of both cats and dogs from carpets. It also eliminates stains and residue that may reside after cleaning.
4). Train the Dog to Pee in a Different Place
This process involves taking your dog to a new place to urinate. It uses positive reinforcement training methods to help retrain your dog where to use the bathroom. You can do this by taking your dog to a new place to pee. This might be in the yard, for instance. Take your dog to the same spot every day until it feels comfortable and safe to your dog. When he’s not nervous or anxious, he may start peeing here.
When you start this training, be sure to stay consistent. And when you’re out with the dog, make sure not to rush him to go potty. Let him take his time; wait until he pees and poops before going home. The process is faster if you take him to the same place every time you go outside.
If your dog does his business, then be sure to praise him! You may even give him a small treat when he does the right thing.
Keep this process up, and over time it may cure your dog of peeing on the furniture.
So, there you have it! Remember, if your dog suddenly starts urinating on the furniture, be sure to take him to the vet for a checkup. Your dog may have a medical condition that’s causing him to pee on the furniture.
However, if the vet gives your dog a clean bill of health, then try these others methods to retrain your dog. You may be successful in getting him to stop peeing on the furniture and start going in a favorite spot outside instead!
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Tom
Tom has always loved to write since he was little - he wanted to be either a writer or a veterinary doctor, but he ended up being a professional writer while most of his works are based on animals. He was born in San Francisco but later moved to Texas to continue his job as a writer. He graduated from the University of San Francisco where he studied biotechnology. He is happily married and a soon to be father!
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