Dealing with Stains and Odors While Housebreaking

Friday, March 01, 2019 09:23:17 AM America/Los_Angeles

Your new pup is quickly becoming an important part of your family. However, the unwelcome mess and unpleasant smells that come with housebreaking are diminishing your joy. You don't have to regret your decision to adopt. Instead, use these tips to minimize the impact of stains and odors on your indoor environment while housebreaking your new pet.

Shorten the Learning Curve

Many pet families rely on puppy pads and other devices to soak up anything a puppy leaves behind. However, these aren't always the best solution for a variety of reasons.

  • Some pets balk at the idea of using pads that are heavily scented or treated with chemicals that are meant to reduce odors. This can lead to them preferring your carpets and rugs over the pee pads.
  • The goal of housebreaking is to teach your dog how to communicate their needs. By using puppy pads for too long, dogs can get accustomed to going indoors. This directly defeats the purpose of housetraining.
  • Making the jump from pee pads to outdoor environments can be difficult. Dogs rely on their sense of smell to lead them. By using pee pads, you're teaching your dog to associate that smell with their toilet habits.

Puppy pads are a necessary part of housebreaking. However, their use should be severely limited. Instead, opt for an indoor or outdoor DoggieLawn. DoggieLawn is a patch of real grass, so your dog comes to understand that this is the proper place to do their duty. This simple choice eliminates extra training steps and moves your dog outside faster. The lawn will absorb the urine and the urine odor and requires no maintenance aside from picking up solids like you would on a walk. 

Prepare the Area

It's commonly suggested that pet parents confine their learning animal to one area of the home during their housebreaking period. This helps keep any potential problems to one easy-to-control area. These tips will help you prep your potty training area for maximum odor and stain prevention.

  • Pick an area that is easy to seal off from the rest of the home. A door or puppy gate will help keep your animal within its confines while also preventing odors from spreading throughout the home.
  • Choose a non-carpeted area. Linoleum is best, as hardwood floors and other finishes can sustain expensive damage from urine's ammonia content. If you can't get your pet off of the carpet, make sure to cover the entire area with puppy pads.
  • Put a layer of newspaper underneath your pee pads. Not only does this help soak up any spillage, but it also makes it easier to scoop up soiled pads for disposal.
  • If you decide to use an indoor potty for dogs, circle the area around the device with puppy pads. When young pups can't quite make it to their potty, these pads will reduce the impact on your flooring.

When prepping the area, avoid using harsh cleansers and strong fragrances that can irritate your doggy's delicate nostrils.

 

dog grass

Keep Up with Maintenance

Your daily routine has the largest influence on the state of your home during potty training. Use these tips to maintain your training space and the rest of your home.

  • Make an effort to remove soiled pads as soon as possible. Letting them sit gives your pup more chances to tear them up or spread it around the room.
  • Invest in a high-quality stain remover with enzymes that are specially formulated for pet stains. These chemicals are designed to remove stains and odors without ingredients that can compromise your pet's health and happiness.

  • Place an air purifier in the training room to draw odor-causing particles out of the air. Avoid incense, sprays, and other chemical fragrances. While the strong scent might temporarily cover up the smells, they could actually chase your pup away from the goal.

    Schedule frequent outside relief breaks. There will be times when you take your doggo outside only to have them run back inside to use the pads. That's okay. Persistence and regularity are key. Keep up with your schedule until your dog makes the connection.

    Indoor dog potty training for dogs takes time and dedication. However, these steps will ensure that your home's air and carpets don't sustain longterm damage from the effort.

  • Cleaning Tips
    Despite your best efforts, accidents will happen. When they do, us these tips to make them less of a problem.
    • If you don't have one, consider buying a carpet cleaning machine. When stains pop up, this device makes it easier to scrub it out.
    • Can you smell foul odors but can't visually locate the source? Use a blacklight to bring hidden urine stains into the light.
    • Add vinegar to a spray with warm water and a carpet cleaning solution. Spritz onto urine stains and rub into the fabric with a brush or cloth. Let it sit for a while, then sprinkle the area with baking soda. Use your carpet cleaning machine or vacuum to whisk away the baking soda along with the stains and smells.

    Use these tips to make your housebreaking journey easier for you and your new pet. 

TAGS: dog-training fake-grass housebreaking odors pee-pads potty-training real-grass stains
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