Help with urinating in bed?

[ShirleyK]

I have a 5-month old Border Collie, Gracie, who is very smart, to no surprise! However, she continually urinates in her bed. I have gotten her a new bed (in case the old one was scented) and have washed other beds in ammonia. She didn't do this when she was a puppy! Her crate was always clean. And now, it doesn't matter how often we take her outside (which is frequently) she will just lie in her bed and wet it. She was born and raised outside in a barn which was very clean when we got her as a puppy. We put a bell at the door in the utility room and she will ring it when she wants to go out and play but not when she has to use the bathroom. I have no idea how to train this out of her! I thought if I gave her a way to tell us she had to go outside, that would do the trick but it is not working. Can anyone give me any advice?

 

I would really appreciate it.

 

Shirley

[Patty Abel]

she probably doesn't know she's going. some female dogs develop or are born with this. i would make sure she doesn't have a bladder infectionJ(vet check-up). the vet will suggest one of several meds to help her "hold it" at night if she is otherwise healthy.

 

 

 

 

I have a 5-month old Border Collie, Gracie, who is very smart, to no surprise! However, she continually urinates in her bed. I have gotten her a new bed (in case the old one was scented) and have washed other beds in ammonia. She didn't do this when she was a puppy! Her crate was always clean. And now, it doesn't matter how often we take her outside (which is frequently) she will just lie in her bed and wet it. She was born and raised outside in a barn which was very clean when we got her as a puppy. We put a bell at the door in the utility room and she will ring it when she wants to go out and play but not when she has to use the bathroom. I have no idea how to train this out of her! I thought if I gave her a way to tell us she had to go outside, that would do the trick but it is not working. Can anyone give me any advice?

 

I would really appreciate it.

 

Shirley

[juliepoudrier]

^^ What Patty said. IMO, she's probably a bit young to be suffering from incontinence, but I guess it's not unheard of. I'd first check to make sure she doesn't have a urinary tract infection. Also, as far as I know, washing in ammonia won't kill the urine odor--you really need something that contains enzymatic cleaners specific for canine urine and feces.

 

J.

[aljones]

I third Patty's recommendation of a vet check. I have a dog with diabetes insipidus (DI), but before we arrived at that diagnosis, he had multiple urinary tract infections. Both conditions can cause frequent and plentiful urination.

 

Does Gracie seem to be consuming a lot of water? If so, you might read up on DI to see if any of the other symptoms apply, but it's not a very common diagnosis.

[MaggieDog]

In actuality, ammonia actually smells very similar to markers found in urine and feces so your use could be making the issue worse instead of better. Finding a good enzymatic-based cleaner would be a great first step.

 

Once health issues are ruled out, I'd be upping supervision and confinement as needed. I especially like tethering the pup to your belt so you can see early signs of needing to potty and take them out. Timers can also be quite helpful in scheduling trips outside once you know the normal interval for your pup (i.e. set it for just before the length of time at which she usually has an accident).

[martySQ]

Yes..Urine and ammonia smell very similar... if you cannot find the enzyme cleaner quickly, use vinegar. rinse the bbed in vinegar after you wash it...that might help until you can find the proper cleaner... vinegar is not as good as the enzyme cleaner, but can help in a pinch. (I use it on the tile floor sometimes when I need to in a pinch...seems to help)

[ShirleyK]

Thank you all for your suggestions! I am going to try all of them! Thank you so much for your thoughts on using the ammonia. I think you are right and I never thought about it. I just believed it was a strong cleanser that would cut the smell.

 

And she does drink a lot of water but we just thought that was a Border Collie thing. I will rule out any physical issues first. We have never owned a Border Collie before and are enjoying her so much!

 

Thank you again for being willing to help!

 

Shirley

[aljones]

You're welcome, Shirley--please keep us posted on how the vet visit goes, and good luck getting this issue under control. (I know how frustrating it can be!)

[Pearse]

Has she been spayed?

 

Some spayed bitches develop incontinence due to relaxation of the sphincter that controls their bladder. It can be controlled by medication but it is a lifelong condition and the urination happens most commonly when they are asleep and unaware.

 

Pearse

[ShirleyK]

Has she been spayed?

 

Some spayed bitches develop incontinence due to relaxation of the sphincter that controls their bladder. It can be controlled by medication but it is a lifelong condition and the urination happens most commonly when they are asleep and unaware.

 

Pearse

 

She has not been spayed yet. I think as has been suggested that I need to check her out medically first. It seems to me if it were a training issue, she would not purposely wet her bed. But if it smells, maybe she thinks that is what she is supposed to do. We'll see how it plays out.

 

Thank you for your input.

 

Shirley

[Beth G]

Pepper used to do this and we found out it was due to a UTI.