Having a dog at your home brings so much joy and fun. Right? But it becomes frustrating when that puppy starts creating problems for you, like peeing everywhere in your house.
Let’s get to the most important question here- “How To Prevent a Dog From Peeing On The Carpet?”
In this guide, we’ll discuss some tips and tricks to prevent your beloved friend from peeing on the carpet.
Why do dogs pee on the carpet?
It becomes annoying when you come home from a hectic day to your treasured pet-like child, and you see urine, and the bad smell lingering in your living room or bedroom worsens your day even more.
But before scolding your cuteness, understand why your dog is doing it.
Well, there can be many reasons why your dog is peeing.
1. Age
Puppies are like human babies, which need training according to their age. They can’t differentiate between what’s wrong and what’s right and act out on their instincts.
2. Lack of potty training
Mostly the dogs which get adopted are not potty trained as they grew up outdoors. This phenomenon is very common with dogs or puppies which don’t have any record of their background.
However, if you have already housetrained your dog and it still pees, then you need to ensure that your dog doesn’t have any medical issues like urinary infection or some physiological disorder.
3. Anxiety
Dogs are great when it comes to guarding your home against theft, and people often leave them alone at home for the same purpose.
However, sometimes they develop this strange phenomenon called separation anxiety. This happens when you have to unexpectedly go out for a longer period of time, leaving your pet at home.
4. Sudden change in their routine
Creating a routine for yourself builds an infrastructure in your brain, which makes that behavior more automatic. The same thing happens when you set a routine for your dog.
For instance, if you take your dog out for a walk at a specific time, then after a certain period, it’ll be conditioned to go at the same time, and an unexpected change in their routine makes them pee on the carpet.
So, if you are taking your dog outside every weekday, then be consistent with the routine.
5. Renovation at home
Sometimes your dog makes a particular spot his peeing spot, like a bathroom or, say, outside your home. When you renovate your home or change your area, you are also changing your dog’s peeing spot.
To avoid this situation, you need to make your dog familiar with the new environment.
6. Urinating due to fear
This can happen when you scold your puppy or get frustrated by it. It often makes your puppy feel intimated by you and results in urination.
This submissive urination fades as your puppy starts to grow and gain some self-confidence, usually by 6-12 months of age.
7. Medical issues
When your dog relieves itself in small amounts, then this is an indication that it has a serious medical issue like a urinary stone or urinary infection.
Any medical issue may also result in your dog vomiting on the carpet, which can make matters even worst.
For instance, if your dog is potty trained, old enough to find its way to its peeing spot, and have never peed on your carpet, then you need to take it to a vet.
Mistakes to avoid when your dog peed on the carpet
Here are some common mistakes you need to tackle or avoid when your dog peed on your precious carpet.
1. Scolding
You may get irritated and frustrated when your dog pees on the carpet over and over, but try to understand their problems and needs.
Getting angry or scolding them is the worst mistake you can make, as it will only make them fear you and hide their pee and poop.
And if your dog is submissively urinating, then scolding and getting angry will make it urinate more and lead to a malicious cycle.
2. Ignoring the problem
This is even worst than getting angry at them, as your dog may have a serious medical issue that you are constantly ignoring. Don’t let it sink in, and contact the vet in your area.
Also, if your dog is on any specific medication like steroids, then it’s common for them to drink more water which ultimately leads to increased mishaps.
3. Not attending your dog outside
Simply making your dog go out by himself at a definite time and day will not solve the problem.
You need to go along with your dog as you never know if he relieved himself entirely or not. This can cause him/her to urinate inside even after his potty break.
4. Not addressing their sentiments
In numerous cases, peeing on the carpet is a sign of inward emotions or previous trauma. Your dog may be scared, stressed, or just anxious.
Dogs, especially puppies, sometimes get stressed by a new baby or guests. They also get intimidated by the posture or tone of voice of a guest, which results in relieving themselves.
5. Not using appropriate products
If you don’t use the right products to clean that urination marking, then chances are that your dog will recognize its marking and will relieve on the same spot again.
Does dog pee damage your carpet?
One of the questions that come to every pet owner’s mind is- “Does my dog pee will really damage my carpet?”
The answer is a big yes. Your treasured pup can really ruin your carpet. Here’s how:
1. Carpet stain
The very first damage your dog pee does is leave stains on your carpet. The chemicals your dog’s pee emits react with the fabric of your carpet, resulting in stains.
2. Odor
The most obvious damage after leaving its stain is a bad smell. Dogs have a high amount of ammonia in their urine which results in leaving a pungent smell lingering in your house.
This smell can get even more worst if not treated instantly.
3. Develop mold
When your furry friend constantly urinates in the same spot, the pee gets absorbed into the carpet. This moisture results in building mold, which can lead to harmful health issues.
4. Bacteria
Your dog’s pee leaves a wet spot on your carpet, which has the potential to grow bacteria and other harmful microorganisms in that spot.
These bacteria can lead to problems like allergies, airway inflammation, irritating eyes and etc.
How to prevent a dog from peeing on the carpet?
The next step in the process is to stop them from urinating on your carpet and make them accustomed to urinating in their particular spots.
1. Training your dog
The best way to stop them from urinating on your carpet is to train or retrain them. You can train your new puppy to go outside or in the bathroom to relieve himself.
If you have an older dog that has started to urinate in the house, you can retrain it until it gets used to the new routine.
A dog works like a child; if you’ll reward him and appreciate what good he did, it will do it again and wait for the reward.
2. Take your dog outside regularly
Another way to solve this problem is by taking your dogs outside at intervals or at certain times of the day.
On average, your dog needs to be outside at least 3-5 times per day after each meal to relieve himself. It should not be forced to wait longer than 8 hours before having a bathroom break.
3. Use enzyme-based cleaners
These carpet cleaners contain certain enzymes that prevent both dogs and cats from peeing on your carpet. They eat up the odors when they come in contact with urine, preventing your dog from recognizing its spot of peeing.
If your dog is urinating in the same spot over and over, these enzyme-based cleaners can help you break the malicious cycle of your dog urinating in the same spot.
4. Closely watching your dog
Never leave your new dog or puppy out of your sight. Keeping a close watch on them will let you know when they are about to urinate, so you can either use a puppy pad or take them outside.
How to prevent a dog from peeing on the carpet using certain solution?
Now that we figured out what are the possible reasons your dog is urinating and how you can stop them, let’s get moving with how you can clean the spots your dog has urinated using some DIY cleaning solutions:
1. Lemon juice
Lemon juice is a natural odor remover that you can easily find in your pantry. You simply have to squeeze some lemon drops or spray commercial lemon juice mixed with water on the stain.
The pleasant smell of lemon will keep your dog at a distance and remove stains and odor from your carpet.
You can also use powder-based carpet cleaners that are easy and safe to use around children. Just sprinkle it onto the affected spot and then simply vacuum the area.
2. White vinegar
A quick solution to remove both stain and odor is to use white vinegar. The acetic acid that white vinegar contains will prevent your dog from coming near the spot.
However, always patch test on a small area because vinegar has the potential to stain or discolor the carpet.
Mix half water and half vinegar and spray the solution on the spot he loves urinating.
3. Rubbing Alcohol
Using alcohol is the best way to get rid of the bad smell of your dog’s pee from the carpet. It also acts as a sanitization method to prevent bacteria to grow on that spot.
4. Using ammonia
Using ammonia is your last resort to keep your dog at par from urinating on the carpet.
Use a mixture of ammonia and water and spray it on the spot. This will make his irritate his eyes and will scare him off the carpet.
Conclusion
What’s done is done now your next question should be to think- “How To Prevent A Dog From Peeing On The Carpet?”.
There are many ways to prevent your dog from peeing on the carpet, like giving them training and providing them with bathroom breaks, but what’s important is to not get irritated and angry with them and try to understand their behavior and tackle it.
FAQs
Why has my dog started to pee on the carpet?
There can be many reasons, like urinary tract inflammation, kidney diseases, previous trauma, or getting intimidated by the owner.
Try to examine their behavior and the reason behind it. Contact the vet if there are any medical issues with your dog.
What smells do dogs hate?
You can prevent your dog from urinating on the carpet by spraying products like lemon juice, rubbing alcohol, citronella, and lemongrass.
How to prevent a dog from peeing on the carpet?
By following the steps given in this guide, you can successfully prevent your dog from peeing on the carpet.
Daleyza knows a lot about carpets! She has worked with carpets for over 7 years and can help with things like putting them in, keeping them clean, and replacing them. She really likes carpets and spends most of her time learning about new ways to work with them. When she’s not learning about carpets, she enjoys reading books. She’s really good at helping people choose the right carpet for their homes and making sure they’re happy with it. If you want to know more about carpets, Daleyza is the person to talk to!