There’s nothing worse than trying to keep your home clean, fresh and clear, and you have a dog that loves to mark its territory on your furniture! Not only is it gross and unsanitary, but it can be so hard to get the smell of dog pee out of fabrics!
As dog owners, we truly love our little furry companions. But when they regularly decorate our homes with their pee, it can really start to test our patience, and put a strain on the dog/owner relationship. You can literally smell pee from miles away, too, which can make you want to fumigate your home and stop inviting friends over in case Fido here fancies another tinkle.
Whilst it can be highly frustrating, it is not at all uncommon for pets to pee on the furniture, and more dogs do it than you probably realize. So, how do you stop them from doing it, and why do dogs pee on furniture in the first place? With our guide, we will show you why dogs pee on furniture and how you can prevent it!
How do I stop my dog from peeing on furniture?
To get your dog to stop peeing anywhere it wants to, and on the furniture in your house, you are going to need to train it. You will have to ensure that your dog is fully and properly house trained if you want it to stop peeing wherever it pleases.
Another way that you can prevent your dog from peeing on the furniture is by surgical intervention, by removing your dog’s womb, or neutering them, you can cut down their need to mark their territory massively!
Unfortunately, stopping your dog from peeing on your furniture is not as easy as it may seem, and it will take a lot of time, effort and training to get long term results. Luckily, we have a few things that you can do to prevent your dogs from urinating everywhere.
7 Ways to Stop Your Dog from Peeing on Furniture
If you are fed up with cleaning up dog pee, then it is time to put some preventative measures in place. We have a few ways that can help stop dogs from peeing on your furniture, so that you can get back to the things that matter.
Neuter or spay your dog
Many veterinarians will tell you that spaying and neutering your dog is much healthier for them, as it reduces the risk of them developing various infections and diseases as they age. Not only this, but spaying and neutering your dog can also help prevent aggression, diseases and marking.
Some veterinarians advise that you neuter or spay your dog, as this can stop them from marking their territory so much, and therefore not peeing as much. By neutering or spaying a male or female dog, you can actively eliminate household urinating by up to 50%, particularly in male dogs.
Most male dogs will mark their territory by peeing, even if they do not need to pee. By removing the male reproductive system, you can reduce the risk of your dog peeing inside on your furniture!
Spray the furniture
You can also stop your dogs from peeing on your furniture by spraying the furniture with an enzymatic spray. These can be purchased online and will work to keep your dog away, remove stains, and is safe for pets. There are a wide range of products that you can use to stop pets from marking the same area, many of which can be found online.
On the other hand, you can spray unfavorable scents and ingredients on your furniture to ward off unwanted visitors, such as your whizzing pup. The best scents to use for this are citronella, orange, lime, vinegar and eucalyptus. Simply mix these scents in with some water or vinegar in a spray bottle, and apply to the areas where your dog wants to pee.
Whilst this is a quick fix for a dog that likes to mark its territory, your dog may just pee elsewhere in your home, and would benefit from some training for more long lasting results.
Train your dog to pee elsewhere
Dogs love to please their owners, and they do not enjoy upsetting us or being chastised. Therefore, dogs can always be trained to adopt new behaviours and activities. This is why you can train your dog to pee in other places.
The most important thing with training a dog is ensuring that the training measures in place are consistent and clear. This is even more essential if you have multiple people caring for your dog, as they will all need to ensure that rules and training procedures are followed and enforced.
Try crate training
Crate training is one of those divisive methods of dog training. Some owners see results and think crate training is a good thing, whereas others believe that it upsets some dogs. Whether you want to implement this with your dog is entirely up to you, but keep in mind that having your dog in a crate is perfect for preventing any peeing on the furniture.
For crate training to work, you must put the dog inside a crate when they are due a pee. If they have not been outside or on a puppy mat for a while, and you think they may need to pee, then keep them in the crate for playtime rather than running freely around the house.
Then, only remove the dog from the crate to go pee outside, or in a designated spot, or for walks. This is an excellent method for housetraining your dog and stopping any further peeing in unwanted places. However, you will have to be very consistent with crate training and use it only for house training your dog. A crate should not be used as a punishing device, and only for assistance in training your puppy.
Crates are incredibly easy to find, and many are readily available online for purchase. We recommend trying one such as MidWest Homes for Pets Dog Crate which comes in a variety of sizes for all breeds of dog.
Ensure your dog has enough time outside
If your dog seems to find a place indoors and on your furniture to pee, and this is happening far too often, then it may be time to extend their time outdoors. This can help prevent your dogs from peeing on the furniture, whilst also being a fun and stimulating activity for them.
Dogs love being outdoors and having time to play. The more time they spend outside, the more likely they are to go to the toilet outside, too. By taking your dog on regular walks, for exercise and playing with them outdoors, they will more often than not use the bathroom outdoors, and when they do this, you need to positively encourage and reward them.
Positive reinforcement is the most effective and efficient way to train a dog, as they love to please, and respond well to positivity and happy responses from their owners. It’s all in the treats!
Do not let the dog on furniture
This seems like a fairly obvious answer, but you should not allow your pets to go onto the furniture. There should be healthy boundaries in your home, and your dog should not cross them. We understand that those puppy dog eyes are hard to resist, but you are going to have to.
By restricting where your dog is allowed, you are also limiting the chances of them peeing where they are not supposed to. In addition, dogs may try to become the alpha in the pack, and will want to prove to you that they can do anything they want.
By sitting on the furniture, they are affirming their spot, and trying to make you submit to them. This is also why dogs like to pee on furniture, it is a way of marking their territory and telling you who is boss. You need to nip this behavior in the bud as soon as possible!
It can seem cruel to stop your pets from spending quality time with you on the couch, or sharing the bed at night, and it will be hard as they try to break your will. However, it is paramount that you establish boundaries as soon as possible.
Make sure you clean thoroughly afterwards
In relation to dogs marking their territory, they do this as it leaves their scent there. After marking their spot, dogs will return to the same place and mark it time and time again. If this particular spot is on your furniture, then you are in trouble!
The smell of urine in your home can be very unpleasant and potent, and so you will want to thoroughly clean the area everytime it happens. Make sure that you steam clean floors, and wash all fabrics with urine on in a high temperature wash. In addition, you will want to spray upholstery and carpets with enzymatic cleaners to get rid of the scent entirely.
You will also have to scrub deeply, to make sure that your dog cannot smell it either, as it may be tempted to return to the spot. Try using a spray on the area once you are done, so that it deters your furry friend.
Why does my dog pee on the furniture?
So, now you know exactly how to stop your dog from peeing on your furniture, but you may be wondering why this even happens in the first place.
Without knowing what causes this behaviour, you cannot really begin to prevent it from happening. So, why do dogs pee on furniture?
Marking territory
The most common reason dogs pee on furniture is to mark their territory. This is typical for most male dogs, as they will try to assert dominance over you, and mark out the home as their own.
They do this by peeing wherever they please. It spreads the dog’s scent everywhere and shows intruders, foes, enemies, new people or other dogs who the boss is.
Anxious feelings
Another reason that dogs may pee on your furniture and in various places in the house, is because of nervousness and anxiety. Some dogs are naturally more anxious or stressed than others, and this can be reflected in their behaviour.
A big change in a dog’s life can result in an anxious dog. For instance, a new pet, or a change in circumstances, such as a new home, or a baby can overwhelm a dog, and they do not know how to react. Instead, a dog may resort to peeing in places that they shouldn’t.
Dogs are very loving, loyal and sensitive little animals, and what they do is never out of anger or spite. Anxious and nervous dogs need a lot of love, care, attention and positive reinforcement to change their ways. In addition, they may need a routine to stick to, to help them adjust to any changes.
You can also try a calming anti-anxiety bed for your furry friend. These types of beds are designed for nervous dogs, to help them feel safe, cozy, comfortable and as if they are with their mothers.
If your dog suffers from severe anxiety, or these symptoms persist, then it may be wise to speak to a veterinarian, who can give you medical advice, or even anti anxiety medication for your furry friend.
Submissive behaviour
When dogs get too excited to see new people, their owners, or welcome visitors into their home, they may begin peeing uncontrollably.
This is a submissive behaviour that is very hard to prevent. We would advise speaking to a veterinarian for some advice on how to stop this behaviour.
Medical issues
If your dog has not had a problem with housetraining before, and is seemingly house trained before it starts peeing on furniture, then this could be down to a medical problem, and there could be an infection or disease.
Your dog may be suffering from incontinence, which often comes with old age, or it could have diabetes or other diseases that are causing it to pee uncontrollably, like never before.
If you notice any changes in your dog’s behaviour, then it is always best to seek professional medical advice, or take your pet to see a veterinarian immediately.
No house training
If you have not house trained your dog, then you can expect accidents to happen. Without a proper routine, consistent training and positive reinforcement for good behaviour, your dog will think that it can do whatever it pleases, whenever it pleases.
This includes peeing on your furniture. To avoid this, make sure that you house train your dog properly. You should also be prepared for a tough few weeks or months, and a lot of cleaning. We recommend using puppy pads in conjunction with a lot of treats, and attention for peeing in the right places!
Conclusion
To conclude, there are a number of ways to stop your dog peeing on your furniture, but you will have to consider why they do this in the first place. Some dogs mark territory, whereas others are submissive or anxious, and may pee uncontrollably.
Whatever the case, make sure that your dog is properly house trained, and rewarded with lots of love and treats when they pee in places other than your furniture!
