Mocha is back in the doghouse...peed on my bed!

[sharona1973]

Okay...so Mocha was doing really well being allowed to be able to roam free in the house during the day when I'm at work. He was accident free since last Thursday and over the weekend and yesterday.

Well....this morning I took him out before I went to work and he didn't want to go pee because he just didn't want to. I was worried that that might mean he wouldn't be able to hold it before I got home. Anyway to cut the long story short, I had to work a little longer today and got home a little later than I normally would and came home and well, I knew something was wrong when Mocha didn't immediately go potty when he was let out. I couldn't find the "accident" until about 15 minutes ago when I started to get ready for bed....and found that Mocha had peed on the bed!!!!!

I take responsibility for it because I let him roam around the house and was gone too long....this tells me that he is not ready to be out of the crate yet...even though he did so well the last few days. I am so disappointed that he chose to pee on the bed of all places. I am wondering if he was marking....or at least choosing the bed because he wanted it to be his? He has been sleeping on the bed at night and has not had an accident. I don't know why he would pee on his own bed?

Anyway...I'm definitely no longer allowing him to roam freely anymore while I am at work. But I am wondering if I can still let him sleep on the bed at night or should I crate him at night too?

Thanks.

[Kade]

When you're home, is he consistent with letting you know when he has to go out? If so, I would still let him sleep in the bed... but I'm turning into a softie so other opinions may prove more valuable.

[sharona1973]

sigh.....

Yes, I would say that Mocha is about 90% housebroken. He did really well last week all day while I was at work about 8 hours and I think one day I was gone about 9 hours.

Anyway, Mocha usually doesn't have accidents at home. He doesn't ring the bell, but he sits by the door and I just recognize the signs that he has to go out...he has me trained quite well.

He did have an accident yesterday evening.....it was cold and pouring outside and he indicated twice he had to go out and I took him out but he didn't go potty.....after being let back in the second time, it was 10 minutes later and he went to the door and proceeded to pee right there. I shouted "no" and tried to stop him, but he just kept peeing.....I did pick him up and took him outside...but I guess the damage was done....and then yesterday he peed on the bed (it wasn't made....does that make a difference? )

I did let him sleep on the bed last night...but I had him leashed again....it made for a bad night....he was very distracted and kept barking and growling at something in the early morning hours. Usually he sleeps until I get up and stays on the bed until I get off the bed.

I hate that we're off our schedule.

But I guess I have to crate him today. I would put him in a small bathroom, but the last time I did that, he peed on the floor in there (this was 2 months ago) and he seems more distressed in the bathroom than in the crate. So it's back in the crate for maybe another month or two.

I hate to say it, but if he had peed on the floor, I would have said it was my fault for being home late and let him still be out....but since he peed on my bed, it's still my fault for being home late but I have to be just a little mad at him for peeing in his "bed".

[Kade]

You know, going back to the crate for a week or so might crystallize things for him.

I feel your pain, though -- Winston is basically wonderfully potty-trained, but if he's near the gray rug in the office, he'll pee on it. *eyesrolling* Sometimes it's hard to say what's going on in those little walnut brains.

[mrsgrubby]

I would think it would be ok for Mocha to sleep on the bed. I am sure he peed on it because he just couldn't hold it and knew he was not supposed to pee on the floor. He was trying to obey, but since he did not pee in the morning, he HAD to "go".

Years ago I had a dog jump in the bathtub and pee because he knew he couldn't pee on the floor and I wasn't paying attention to let him out.

[Barrett]

Both of my dogs had a thing about peeing on door mats when they were puppies. I went through a long period where I had to pick up all door mats and bathroom rugs and put them away. Both of my dogs have peed on my bed as puppies too. I think Bailey did it about 3 times, even though she was fully potty trained by 3 1/2 months of age. My dogs are litter trained and trained to go out side so I know it wasn't because they couldn't hold it. I had a litter box in the bedroom right next to the bed. Personally I think they were marking because my cats were laying on the bed all day. When I caught my pups doing it I think they were doing it intentionally. Lucy even lifted her leg a little like a boy does. I simply removed bed privileges for a few weeks. They had to sleep on a big fluffy dog pillow next to the bed... ..until they were a little older.


Barrett

[sharona1973]

Thanks everyone. Personally I think/agree that he was probably marking because the bed is usually the cats' "safe zone". In fact, the prior few days, the cats were visibly and very confidently sleeping on the bed, curled up contendedly....and I think Mocha was choosing to pee there when he had to go. I'm sure he had to pee also, just chose to do it on the bed.

Another thing I'm noticing is that he is just taking his sweet time now when he goes outside....just piddling around and taking forever to do this business....I guess it's those terrible "twos"...

But I let him sleep on the bed last night unrestrained.....he woke me up at 2 a.m...with eyes on me...or I felt eyes on me and woke up with him sitting on the floor wagging his tail at me (in the dark) and took him out. Then he woke me up again at 5 a.m.....I feel like his schedule is alittle screwy now since I put him back in the crate, but I'm not willing to risk my bedsheets again or risk having him think that everybedding in this house is his to pee on.

[sharona1973]

Well, Mocha has reverted to being a little devil.....I was doing laundry in the bedroom and sorting and ironing clothes. I did notice that Mocha was sitting by the bedroom door looking out....I should have followed my instincts and taken him outside, but I was busy.....

So busy that as I was sorting clothes, I noticed him on the bed sitting on my clothes I had ironed and laid out to hang.....and he had peed....on the bed and on my clothes......

He was sitting on the bed earlier chewing on his toy while I was sorting socks.....

I just don't know what to do anymore. He usually tells me when he has to go out...and we practiced ringing the bell tonight too. And today while he was home with my partner she said that he jumped up to tell her he needed to go out. And I'm the primary dog trainer here...I feel like I've failed.

I guess I need to crate him at night now too. I don't know what's going on in his brain....if this second time of peeing on the bed means he doesn't know that he shouldn't do it and will continue to do it from now on.

I can't leave him in the crate in my room because he cries his head off and he can jump on the bed freely because he's a jumper and I can't restrain him to a doggie bed on the floor.

I just don't understand why he's doing this. I know it's my fault for not taking him out when I thought I had to.....I usually am very good about that, but I was busy doing laundry and he didn't whine, but I should have recognized the signs and now I feel like I've failed him and myself for letting him pee on the bed.

I'm looking forward to the day that he is fully potty-trained...I sure hope that day will eventually come.

[Jamilupine]

okay, I'm a little late getting to this, but I just want you to know Sharona, that I just went through (and may still be going through) this with Lucy. I don't know why she's doing this, but I like the idea mrsgrubby brought up about knowing they shouldn't go on the floor so they find somewhere else.... Here's what I'm doing:
Since Lucy doesn't pee on the bed at night, I don't want to take that privledge away from her. So, she is no longer allowed on the bed unless she is invited. During the day she is NOT allowed on the bed at all. at night, she can't get up on the bed until I ask her too. It's a little tough becuase she still thinks she's allowed up there, but she's learning.

A lot of people did suggest night-crating...I just am chosing not to follow that advice at this time. If she does it agian though, I will be at my last option - which is going back to crating her at night.

It is VERY frustrating, I know what you are feeling. There was one night I limited all contact with Lucy for an hour or so becuase I was so angry with her and I just didn't want anything to do with her. I don't think you've failed Mocha at all, just continue to work through this. It seems that perhaps this is just a phase most pups go through?

Good luck!

[yesiames]

I feel you guys! Sammi did the oddest thing and did #2 on my bf's shorts, and then later on the bed! She's never had any accidents in the bedroom and it makes me wonder if she's mad at us :P

Anyways, hang in there guys, I will too...

[sharona1973]

Hey Jami and yesiames, thanks for the responses on Mocha.

Well, as an update.....I didn't take bed priviledges away from Mocha. Thursday night I leashed him like I used to and he slept on the bed with the leash on and well, was restless and thus made me lose sleep. So Friday night and from then on, I've allowed him to sleep wherever he wants to at night because he has yet to have an accident overnight (which I find odd, but happy about it...knock wood).

Anyhow, I've been mostly not allowing him on the bed during the day if I'm in the bedroom unless I invite him on (like if I'm still in bed). And he doesn't get on the bed unless we're in the bedroom and usually only if it's bedtime. The cats sleep on the bed during the day.

Also, I allowed him to actually be free during the day when i went to work on Friday because he just seems happier and he didn't have an accident and has been accident free since Thursday night. In fact, he is doing something odd now....he doesn't go out as much anymore.

Yesterday I attempted about 4 times before bedtime to take him out and he just didn't feel like peeing at all. The last time he had gone out was 6 p.m. and it was now already 10:30 p.m and he just didn't want to go. So...I just went to bed. At about 3 a.m. Mocha came up and started licking my face...so I got up and took him outside and then we went out again at 6:30 a.m. when I got up.

Tonight, I let him out at 6 p.m. before leaving for some errands and when I got home at 9 p.m and took him out, he didn't want to pee...so we may be repeating this tonight. BTW, he was uncrated today.....I was gone about 8 1/2 hours....and he did fine...no accidents. Puzzling.

Anyhow...I'm sorry to be so long-winded....I guess I just wanted to tell yesiames that Sammi will grow out of this too. I have no idea why she pooped on your bf's shorts and then on the bed. Doggies just do the strangest things...we just keep loving him and being patient. It does pay off...thanks for the support you two!

[Shadowkins]

Just reading your posts and it was like reliving Shadow's youth (+ 2years). I am convinced it is a terrible two thing...they are testing to see what is acceptable or not.IMO
I know the first time I had to ovenight Shadow at a kennel ( cause my Dad was very ill) the next day when I got home he ran to my bedroom and peed on the bed! He didn't need any words for me to know he was p***ed off, shall we say.
Other times he would try it when I was changing the sheets.
Funny thing though , he still to this date does not whine when he has to go out, he just sits there and stares at me with those big brown eyes. At night, the stare just goes right through you and you wake up. It's like having a "human" baby, even in your sleep, your always on alert.