Dog peeing on daughters bed

Question
I have a 3 yrs old Cavalier/Cocker mix. She is a very sweet dog, however she had been going into my daughters bed and peeing on it.  Last night she did it while my daughter was sleeping in it.  Our dog sleeps in our bed or on the floor every night, but she gets up goes into my daughters bed and pees in it.  We have been keeping the doors close but at night it is too hot to keep the door closed all the way.  If we forget to close the door for 5 mins she will sneak in and pee.  I wash my daughters bedding in put vinegar in the wash as well to kill the smell.  She is trained & we thought she was doing this because we would be gone sometimes during the day but now she has been doing it even when we are home all day and playing with her.  I need help, it is killing me to know she is doing this.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Answer
Hi Sharlene,

Anytime a reliably house trained dog starts having accidents in the home, you need to rule out a medical cause for the problem. Bladder infections are very common in female dogs, and it makes "holding it" uncomfortable. If your dog is having a bladder infection, she probably knows it's very wrong of her to eliminate in the house, and is sneaking away to a place she feels secure, to pee. You shouldn't punish your dog for a medical problem, she can't help it. Give her frequent opportunities to go to the bathroom outside until you have her examined by a doctor. And most importantly, don't blame your dog if you forget to close the door! Until this is resolved, treat your dog as you  probably did when she was a puppy: Don't give her the unsupervised run of your home, take her outside often, and when she can't be watched like a hawk, crate or contain her to part of a room using childgates.

Use an enzymatic cleaner, such as Nature's Miracle or Simple Solution to more effectively clean the bedding.

Only if she checks out fine by a vet should you look at other causes for this problem.

Generally, peeing in the owner's bed takes place after a stressful event. It is very common after a dog was scolded. This is why many dog owners think that their pet is being spiteful. The truth is the dog is very upset and vulnerable and when a dog is in that state she is more likely to make herself feel better by peeing in your bed, or the bed of a family member.

Where a dog sleeps is of much status-related import. Sleeping on YOUR bed makes him your equal. Also, being on a physically elevated level can fuel a dog's perception that he is top dog, even over the people of the house. So keep the dog off your bed and other people furniture. If the pup is assertive, have her sleep in her crate in the kitchen during the "behavior modification" process.

The solution is very simple. Prevent your dog from ever having access to your daughter's bed. A babygate in front of her bedroom door would be a good start.  Your dog needs to see you as more of a "pack leader". There are some basic tenets that can help establish you as an "Alpha" and maintain a viable pecking order within the pack. You can read more about this here:

http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm

Best of luck,
Patti