Dogs do some strange things such as rolling around in the grass or barking into the night. Sometimes dogs even pee after a bath. So, it’s natural to wonder, “Why does my dog pee after a bath?”
There are several reasons why a dog might pee after a bath. They are being too excited or anxious, drinking before or during the bath, that’s their routine to do so, or because of some illness or disease.
Why Does My Dog Pee After A Bath?
There are quite a few reasons your dog might pee after a bath.
Before we get into them, we always recommend double-checking with your vet. Every dog is unique, so while these reasons will address many possibilities, your dog peeing after a bath might be due to another.
With that said, let’s get into the reasons why your dog might pee after a bath.
Reasons Why A Dog Pees After A Bath
The first reason a dog might pee after a bath is submissive urination.
1 – Submissive Urination
Submissive urination is what happens when dogs feel anxious or excited. Since dogs can get scared by lots of things, it might even happen during a bath. Why would a dog be anxious or excited during a bath though?
The reason why is because baths can be scary for dogs. While dogs get along with water far better than cats do, a bathtub is slippery, and this can make a dog think it’s going to slip or fall and get hurt.
Also, maybe the bath ends up being a little too fun for your dog, which can cause them to get overly excited.
What’s The Solution?
The solution, in this case, is to train your dog to enjoy bathtime and to provide them with support so they feel safe during the process. Start by introducing them to the bathroom, to the bathtub, then to the water. Give them treats throughout this whole time.
When your dog feels comfortable, and this may take a few times, introduce more and more bathing until your dog is getting a full bath. Continue to give them treats as you do so. It also helps to have everyone in the house help out so the dog will feel comfortable no matter who is giving the bath.
As a side note, it never hurts to invest in a bath mat.
If they’re peeing after a bath because they’re too excited, then it’s time to figure out what’s making them so excited. Afterward, remove or reduce that reason. Keep doing this until your dog stops peeing after a bath.
2 – Drinking Before Or During The Bath
Maybe you’ve noticed that your dog drinks some water before or during the bath. If it is, this can lead to a situation where your dog might pee after a bath. If it is doing this, make sure they’re not drinking any soapy water (and contact a vet or poison control if they do). However, even if the water is clean, they may need to go to the bathroom simply because they drank something.
What’s The Solution?
The solution here is to train them to stop drinking before or during the bath. You can remove their water bowl before the bath to start with. Also, you can train them on certain commands that you can then use to stop them from drinking the bath water.
3 – That’s Their Routine
Depending on when you give your dog a bath, their bathroom time may be shortly after the bath anyway. If your dog has developed the routine to pee after a bath, the bath itself may be sending them a signal that it’s time to go to the bathroom.
What’s The Solution?
If this is the case, you can always give your dog a bath at a different time of the day. You may also have to train them not to go right after a bath too.
4 – Illness Or Disease
We don’t like to think about our pets suffering from illness or disease, but these are both possibilities. Sometimes, such as with urinary incontinence or a urinary tract infection (UTI), this can cause peeing issues. If this is the case, you’ll likely be experiencing issues with your dog peeing not just after baths, but lots of other times too.
What’s The Solution?
The solution is to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. We recommend doing this if your dog is peeing a lot in general or if they seem unable to control it.
In Conclusion: Why Does My Dog Pee After A Bath?
So, when it comes to, “Why does my dog pee after a bath,” the answers are pretty straightforward. Now you know what to do if you’re faced with a doggy peeing issue.
What other strange things has your dog done before, during, or after a bath? How about in general? We’d love to hear your stories in the comments below!