Generally, dogs feel stressed in a dirty environment. Therefore, you will never find them pee in their sleeping space unless there are some serious issues. In that case, you are probably wondering what could have led your four-legged friend to start peeing in his water bowl. It is crazy behavior that can stress you out.
Usually, a dog will pee in its water bowl to communicate a problem it might be experiencing. More so, he could mark his bowl to ensure no other pet uses it, or fear and anxiety can all lead to this problem.
To discover more about why your dog is urinating in his bowl, continue reading to the end. This article contains fascinating information on why your dog demonstrates these awkward peeing behaviors.
Why Does My Dog Pee In His Water Bowl?
1. Fear and anxiety
Has your dog always maintained high levels of cleanliness by following training tips instilled in him? A sudden change in behavior like peeing in his bowl can be startling. However, what you do not know is that fear and anxiety can cause such behavior.
When did your dog start peeing in his water bowl? What happened before the start of this unacceptable behavior? Environmental changes such as frequent guests in the house, introducing a new pet, or moving to a new house can cause fear and anxiety in your dog, resulting in acting out.
If your dog is fearful and a new pet is introduced to the house, it can feel intimidating, resulting in high anxiety levels.
2. Marking
Dogs are territorial. You have probably noticed your dog peeing on the same spot while at home. It can be on a particular tree or post. The purpose is to communicate with other dogs in the neighborhood that is its spot, and others should not release themselves there.
Similarly, when a dog starts peeing in his water bowl, he is probably marking his utensils. The big question is, have you introduced a new pet? Is the new pet constantly using the dog’s bowl? If that is the case, the dog might pee from time to time in his water bowl to prevent other dogs from using his bowl. It will even pee when there is water in the bowl to make sure the other animal does not drink from it.
3. Communication
Your dog will pee in his water bowl as a way of communicating. It is essential to evaluate all the changes that might have taken place in your home. The act of a dog peeing in its bowl is a communication strategy. It might be telling you it is not comfortable with guests all the time in the house. Get to understand the dog’s communication, and you can stop worrying about its peeing behavior.
Why Does My Dog Pee In His Food Bowl?
· Urinary problem
A urinary tract problem is one of the reasons your dog might be experiencing uncontrolled urination. Is your dog suffering from urinary tract problems? This could be the best explanation for its unacceptable behavior. This health issue makes it challenging for the dog to hold urine until it goes to its potting space outside. This will result in peeing on the near object, which might happen to be its food bowl.
Has your dog always gone out for potting but suddenly adopted this behavior? It might be experiencing issues holding urine. You might also observe that it is leaving urine spots around the house. Before punishing it or ruling out this issue, it is best to consult with the vet. The veterinarian will conduct a medical examination, eliminating all possible medical issues that could cause the inappropriate dog urination.
· Fear and anxiety
Does your dog exhibit behaviors like fear, anxiety, and stress? Such behaviors can be the cause of uncontrolled urination. Consider the stressful conditions that your dog might be going through. Some environmental changes could facilitate the development of such urinary problems.
It is essential to understand when the behavior started. What changes happened around your home? How consistently does the dog pee? Dogs do not like sudden changes and could develop anxiety as a result. For example, suppose the dog started peeing in his food bowl shortly after bringing a new pet, a new baby, or frequent visitors. In that case, it could become agitated, resulting in uncontrolled urination.
· Poor training
The reason why your dog could be peeing in its food bowl is if it lacks proper training. Lack of socialization skills makes it challenging for them to go out for potting, especially if it is exposed. Thus, your dog will result in peeing in a space where it feels safe, undisturbed, and comfortable.
Also, without proper training, the dog might be unaware that it is doing something wrong. For example, if it has never gone outside for potting, it may be unaware of its actions. So, instead of punishing it, try offering potty training step by step.
· Marking
If there are highly territorial animals, are dogs. They use their urine as a marking tool to mark objects and places. Usually, it will tend to mark its territory outside where there are competitors.
However, it can also mark its territory if there is a competitor in the house. Did you bring a new pet to the house? Does the new pet regularly use its food bowl? In this case, your dog might pee in its food bowl to prevent the other from using it. It acts as a sign of dominance that the other pet should not continue using its bowl.
Why Does My Dog Pee In His Bowl After Eating?
· Anxiety
Are there other dogs in the house? If yes, it is possible your dog is being bullied by others resulting in anxiety. In this case, your dog might pee in his bowl after eating; it can be an indication it is suffering from anxiety. This causes it to pee on the only space it is sure others will not bully it.
· Marking
Since dogs are territorial, marking is another reason why your dog pees in his bowl after eating. It is essential to consider the environmental changes before he started this behavior to determine if they are the causes. Such factors can relate to the introduction of a new pet.
The following questions can help you determine the cause for his behavior. When did it start peeing in his bowl? Is there a new pet in the house? Does the new pet regularly feed on its bowl? If your dog started this behavior after you brought a new pet, it could be the reason why it is marking his bowl.
Marking, in this case, acts as a warning sign that the new pet should not use its bowl at any time. Does the new pet regularly use the dog’s bowl after it has finished eating? If yes, the more reason your dog pee in his bowl after eating.
In this case, there is nothing much to worry about. However, you can separate the two pets while eating. Also, you can train the new pet to strictly never use the other dog’s bowl for any reason. This increases some sense of security, and the dog will relax and stop peeing in his bowl after eating.
· It is full
Do you usually overfeed your dog? If you usually add more food after the dog finishes its first bowl, it will find a way to communicate to you. The method might be so present, but at least it would have accomplished its goal.
The dog might be peeing in its bowl to indicate it is full and does not need more feeding. Get to know the quantities that you are supposed to feed your dog to avoid wasting.
How To Stop My Dog From Peeing In His Food Or Water Bowl?
· Offer training
One of the tips on how to remedy this situation is to offer quality training. For example, did you recently adopt your dog? Chances are it had not received any potty training. Thus, when it is in your house, it sees nothing wrong peeing in his bowls. Besides, their previous home might have been crowded, leaving no room for potting.
It is essential to establish your dog’s background history relating to the level of training. If the adoption papers say it has not trained, it is time to schedule it with a professional trainer. Also, when you free you could enhance its training at home. By providing adequate training, the problem would be fully resolved.
· Medication
Since one of the reasons why your dog is having inappropriate urination is health problems, it is essential to consult a veterinarian. The vet conducts all the tests associated with this problem and comes up with an appropriate recommendation.
If the dog has some medical issues like the urinary tract, it will be prescribed some medication. With time, the medication will solve the mystery, and the dog will immediately stop this urinating behavior. Let the medical checkup be your first thought if the behavior has changed suddenly.
· Separation during feeding time
Have you introduced another pet in the house that is increasing your dog’s anxiety levels? For example, if there is a new pet in the house, your dog might be peeing in its bowls as a way of marking its territories. This might be more so if the new pet has no boundaries and keeps eating and drinking from the dog’s bowls.
In this situation, feed the two pets at the same time using their bowls. Keep the bowls away from each other’s sight. Also, you can offer training to the new pet, ensuring it keeps off from the dog’s bowls. In this way, the dog will eat confidently and will not have to mark its territory.
· Avoid sudden changes in the environment.
Dogs do not like sudden changes as they prefer consistency. Some of these changes cause the dog to become fearful and anxious, resulting in inappropriate urination. Frequent visitors, traveling, a new baby or a pet in the house can result in anxiety.
If you expect guests, train the dog to always remain in its cage until they are gone. In this way, you lower the anxiety levels and reduce the development of possible incidents. When it comes to the presence of a new baby or another pet, train the dog to get along by playing together. Let the dog learn it is normal for a child to cry from time to time, thus, keeping its anxiety level in check.
· Take the dog to go potting outside.
During what period does this inappropriate urination happen? For example, is it at night when you forget to wake up and let the dog out to go pee or during the day when you leave it alone for long hours? Usually, dogs do not like to dirt their sleeping space. Thus, if it wakes up to pee in its bowl, the possibilities are it has no elsewhere to go.
It is essential to determine the frequency of your dog’s urination. This will ensure that even when you are not available, you have a dog sitter to take care of it when not around. Since it has regular feeding time, it should also have a regular potting time. Understand it’s porting and take it out whenever the time is right, and you will eliminate the peeing issue.
· Keep the bowls away after eating.
After the dog has finished its meal, take the bowls away. It could be peeing in the bowls as there is an opportunity to do so. However, when you eliminate the opportunity, the dog will have no other way other than to stop the behavior.
Why Does My Dog Pee In My Other Dog’s Food Bowl?
· Marking
Since dogs are territorial, if the other dog’s bowl crosses to its territory, it might pee on them as a reminder they should keep off its space. To resolve the issue, you can try spending time with both dogs together to get acquitted with each other. Also, you can try keeping their bowls in their specific feeding location, which should be out of sight from each other.
· Medical issues
If your dog is suffering from inappropriate urination, it is likely to pee in another dog’s bowl unaware. First, visit a vet and have it checked to be sure. The medical problem is treatable through medication or simple operation.
· Lack of training
Is it possible that your dog has not received proper training before? If this is the case, it might be doing this unintentionally. For example, if it was used to living in a tiny shared space with no potting space, it could be used to peeing on other’s bowls. If this is the issue, proper and nice training can help solve the issue and provide an easy transition.