My dog peed on me while I was sleeping!
Ewww! It is so disgusting! But anyhow that dog doesn’t care.
Many dog owners have to go through this and it’s the joy of having a dog. Isn’t it?
Well, you were sleeping and you don’t know what happened when he came, why he came, and what he did before peeing. It’s a mystery. Right?
Like in other scenarios when your dog peed on you while you were doing something or playing with him, we would ask you to keep an eye on the surroundings and what has happened before he peed. You could stop him too if you catch it early. But you were sleeping, man!
Let’s try to solve this mystery.
My dog peed on me while I was sleeping – What could be the reason?
There are so many possible reasons. Before addressing them, let us ask you some questions.
- Is your dog fully potty trained?
- He is more than 9 months old?
- If he is properly crate trained?
- Where does he sleep?
- Are you wearing his urine scent?
- Why are you giving him access to your bedroom?
- Anything around him being changed?
- Is he getting enough potty breaks?
- His way to the potty spot was clear at night?
- Did he pee on your bedding before?
After reading through these questions you might have come to an idea why this happened.
Here are some possible reasons:
Reasons why your dog peed on you while you were sleeping:
- Urine marking
- He is not fully potty trained
- Mayeb, He came to you to ask for potty and peed
- He smells pee there
- His way to the potty was blocked
- He wanted attention
- Any medical condition
- Separation anxiety
Let’s dive deep into the possible reasons
1- Urine marking:
“Urine Marking” is said to be the most common and obvious reason for which dogs pee on people.
It is possible that you might have felt insecure for any reason, maybe you played with another animal or maybe you’ve got a new friend.
So your dog thought that he should mark you as his own “property”.
2- He is not fully potty trained:
If your dog is not yet fully potty trained and he is already getting too much freedom, he can do this. Not on purpose but by accident.
How to know that your dog is not fully potty trained:
- He is more than 9 months old
- Tells you that he needs to go by whatever cue you have taught him
- Goes without an accident for weeks.
This is why we said in our guide to potty training a puppy that you should confine him to a certain area of the house when he is not fully potty trained.
3- He came to you to ask for help:
It is possible that at night, he needed to go potty and came to you to wake you up so that you could take him to the potty spot. But he couldn’t hold and peed on you.
Yes! It can happen if he is not fully potty trained or depends upon you to go.
4- He smells pee there:
If a dog smells pee anywhere, he would go there again.
Try to remember, did you pick him up when he just peed? And have you changed your dress after that?
It is possible that by chance the scent of urine transferred to your clothes and he could smell it.
Or maybe at some time he peed or just leaked on your bed or blanket and he could smell that and want to go there again.
5- His way to the potty was blocked:
Did you train your dog to go outside or the pee pad?
Check if his way to the potty was blocked?
He had to go but couldn’t, he came to you to ask for help but went there, right in the middle of your body.
6- He wanted attention
Did he want your attention? Dogs don’t really pee to get attention but it can sometimes happen especially if he is being ignored for a long time.
Read more: How to stop a dog peeing for attention?
7- Any medical condition:
It could be because of any medical condition like UTI or diabetes when the dog’s bladder becomes so weak that they can’t hold it.
If your dog was sleeping with you, and he is suffering, he could pee on you because of the disease.
Read more about medical conditions that might hinder the process of potty training.
8- Separation anxiety:
According to rspca, common symptoms of separation anxiety are destructive behavior, excessive barking and weeing, and pooping in the wrong places.
If he has been left alone in the day, and he is not trained properly to be alone, he can get separation anxiety. And this could be the reason for him peeing on you. Maybe he wanted to spend more time with you and due to the symptoms of anxiety, he went there.
How to stop your dog from pee on you while you are sleeping?
- Too much freedom too early: This is one of the most common mistakes dog owners make, they just give a lot of freedom too early.
He should be confined in a certain area of the house, ideally, an area with a tiled floor, until he is fully potty trained. - Crate Training: You must properly crate train him.
- Regular potty breaks: If he is not fully potty trained, you must provide him with regular bathroom breaks. Don’t forget to set your alarms according to his schedule.
- Way to potty spot: Make sure that his way to the potty spot should be clear.
- Limit his access: You can keep your bedroom door shut at night or limit his access to the place where you go to sleep.
- If it is separation anxiety: Go see his vet.
- If it’s a medical condition: Go see his vet.
- Check the bedding with UV light: Every now and then, check the bedding with a UV flashlight. If there are any stains of urine, clean up immediately with an enzyme cleaner.
What to do immediately when your dog peed on you while you were sleeping?
When your dog pees on you while you are sleeping, you should get up immediately and wash yourself up.
- Do not be attentive towards the dog.
- Do not scold him or yell at him.
- Put him back into his crate.
- Close the room.
- Check with a UV light if there is urine on the bed, if so, clean that immediately.
Here’s the best enzyme cleaner for dog urine to be used on bedding and clothing. - Figure out the reason (from the above list and solve it)
- Do a better job with your training and setting limits.
If nothing seems to work, you can get in touch with a professional dog trainer.
When to worry about your dog peeing on you?
- If you notice that your dog is peeing in his sleep then you should check with the vet.
- If the dog is leaking small amounts of urine every now and then, you should take him to the vet.
Takeaway:
If your dog peed on you while you were sleeping, that can or cannot be a cause of concern. It can be due to him not being fully potty trained. He might be urine marking at you. It is also possible that he is suffering from any medical condition or maybe it happened just by accident. All you have to do is find out the reason and just solve it. Limit his access to your bedroom and double-check the crate training.