Our dachshund urines in our bed..

Question
Hi, My moms boyfriend has a 9 year old weiner dog names shaq. We moved in a few months ago and we was my buddy, he followed me around EVERYWHERE and slept with me every night. This problem started happening randomly and I'm concerned as to why..

He is potty trained which makes this a weird problem. A couple months ago while he was sleeping with me he pee'd during the night, so I put him out and closed the door (took the sheets off and washed them in the morning). A couple days later the same thing happened.. He did this a few more times and I started to leave him in the living room at night. I did yell at him a bit as I put him out, but did not hit him or anything. Then it was as if he was purposly peeing in my bed! When id leave the room during the day, or even to go to the bathroom, he'd run in a pee!! When i come out hes by the door and acts as if he did something wrong.. Honestly once this started happening i would smack him on the ass once and he'd run away. I started closing my door but people like to come in my room and leave the door open, or if im in a hurry i'd forget, of course he didnt and would run in, pee, and run out... Now not only does he do that, but he'll hike his leg on my sisters bed, and go to sleep in the blankets..

Also, his owner isn't really nice to him. When I want shaq off a chair I point and say down, and in a second hes down. But if his owner wants him down he just pushes him off. Sometimes he falls on his back on the rocks outside and it looks like it hurts.. I always try to comfort him, I have never hitten him before this happened, like I said I was extremely nice and we were buddies.

It's just weird because he was my buddy, and even when he pee'd on the bed I was still nice to him (other than the 5 seconds after) What can I do to let our relationship be what it was like when I first moved in? I hope I included all the details I could. Thanks hope to hear from you soon!

Answer
Greetings, and thank you for contacting All Experts!
There are several potential causes that may be causing Shaq to urinate on the bed and since it is difficult to determine exactly what may going on without seeing him, I will try my best to list them all.

When a dog is well potty trained and starts urinating out of the blue, there generally is something either physical or mental going on. The urination is therefore a sign of something not right, and therefore is abnormal and needs investigated.

Physically, there are many ailments that may cause a well potty trained dog to start urinating in the home. Kidney disease, chronic urinary tract infections (more common in females), and bladder stones, are just a few. Since Shaq is mostly doing this in the night in bed, there may be a urinary incontinence problem.  Since he is a male and 9 years old, you may want to consider the possibility that sometimes dogs may start dribbling urine as they age since the bladder sphincter is loosened during rest or sleeping. Therefore I would submit a urinalysis to rule out any medical conditions and have the vet see him before assuming there may be something behavioral going on. If he suffers from urinary incontinence a medication known as phenylpropanolamine (now try to pronounce that!) may be helpful.

Now, scolding/hitting a dog that is urinating either for a medical problem or a behavioral problem will only make matters worse. The fact he is running while peeing is suggesting that he is urinating out of submissive urination. Many dogs will urinate when they feel intimidated and stressed. It could be that Shaq feels stressed from all the new things going on in his life lately. Moving into a dog's territory and being exposed to new noises and the presence of more people can be stressful for a small dog used to a routine. Dogs are pack animals and may have a hard time adjusting to a disruption in the household dynamics that may ultimately lead to confusion and anxiety. When dogs are stressed they often feel more compelled to urinate because their urine smell makes things smell like normal again. This has a calming effect on a dog. It's their way of manifesting their discomfort. By urinating on yours and your sister's bed he is trying to mask  new smells with his familiar scent. He is not trying to send you away, but he is possibly just hoping to calm things down and resume a normal routine. You can help him out in this.

You may want to first of all invest in a good dog urine cleaner with enzymes to launder your bed sheets and other areas he is urinating on. Enzymes will remove the smell completely, so the dog doesn't smell it anymore and erroneously think: "Oh, this is the 'correct' place to urinate, let me do it again." Nature's Miracle is a good enzymatic cleaner.

So, what is the treatment plan for Shaq? Let's try to give this guy some routine and reassurance. No more spanking, yelling at him for urinating before it gets worse. A simple firm ''no!'' to disrupt the urine flow and carrying him outside swiftly should suffix. If he continues to urinate outside for his business, then lots of praise, to let him know outside is the place to go.

To give relief to the anxiety he may be feeling, a dog appeasing pheromone called Comfort Zone for Dogs with D.A.P., might help out in some cases. It's available in all major pet supply stores. It's a plug-in, like an air freshener, that helps dogs relax due to the presence of pheromones. You can give it a try.

It would be a good idea to play with Shaq and hand feed him treats as much as you can. Take him out for a walk, lots of fun! Teach him a few commands and give treats for complying. Giving him some structure in his life will have a calming effect, introduce the nothing in life is free program and try all to abide to it, it is highly recommended, here is a guide:
http://www.mobilespca.org/Uploads/Documents/Training%20Your%20Dog.pdf

With new rules implemented, a good exercise regimen, and more structure in his life, he should feel reassured about his position in his pack and relax more. Also consider: a tired dog is a good dog!

And please let the owner know that it is very dangerous to push a Dachshund off a chair, they have very sensitive backs and an injury may contribute to possible long-term back injuries that  may cost a great amount of money to fix;)
http://www.everything-about-dachshunds.com/dachshund-back.html

Sounds like Shaq needs a little time to get used to all these new changes. Bond as much as you can and give him lots of exercise and structure but in a positive way. Also, don't forget to have him go potty outside before keeping him in the home to reduce the likeliness of accidents. It may take some time to help him out but it is certainly worth it and you will ultimately have a stronger bond. I hope this has helped, my very best wishes!