Comments on: Ask The Audience: Puppy Cleanup

By: Cody

Cody — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 05:00:21 +0000

You’re definitely going to want a smaller ‘crate.’ Crating only works for housebreaking purposes because they’re so reluctant to ‘go’ where they have to sleep and relax.

By: Cody

Cody — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 04:58:14 +0000

It’s the same for dogs if you’re cleaning their mess.

By: Jayme

Jayme — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:36:36 +0000

Great blog. I’ve learned a lot just reading the conversation. Thanx

By: Carpet Cleaning NY

Carpet Cleaning NY — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 02:59:30 +0000

I couldn’t give you any dog training techniques but I can tell you how to clean up those urine and feces. It’s important when cleaning pet stains to not only clean the area but also kill the bacteria within the area. When bleach is not an option (furniture, carpets, clothing, etc. ) enzymes work great. By the way, pet odor smells come from bacteria, not the actual excretions. The enzymes will eat up the bacteria and the odor. It then turns to a gas and disappears like magic. Note – When enzymes are mixed with water, they stop working after 24 hourst. Buy enzymes in the powdered form and stay away from watered down products.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 04:40:43 +0000

Hi,

I am a licensed veterinary technician and over the years have worked with some pretty awful potty issues (my own dogs and others).
I agree with many of the tips other posters have said, but have a few to add.

1- Discontinue the puppy pads. It sends the wrong message to the puppy. Dogs understand rules best when they are black and white and straight forward. Allowing a puppy to use a pee pad in the house sometimes, but wanting her to go potty outside at other times ( like when you’re home ) can be very confusing. Its like saying telling someone that they can have ice cream, but only when it rains..or something else that sounds ridiculous.

2. The bell technique- is a good idea, but I find it hard to actually enforce. I think it is better suited for a dog past the potty training stage, used as a way to announce that the dog wants to go outside, rather than barking in the house.

3. Positive reinforcement – using key words ecstatically like “Good Potty!” immediately followed by a tasty treat ( this should be done the second she has finished her business) every time she goes potty outside, even if it was only a dribble of pee that made it to the grass as you carried her out. Puppies need praise or punishment at the exact moment the desired/undesired behavior takes place, so you have to be quick.

4. The umbilical leash! – While it can be annoying to drag a puppy around your house while doing your household chores, I think that this is one of the most successful techniques. This gives you the chance to learn visual cues to warn you when she is ready to go. A little annoying, but really speeds up the learning process.

5. More Trips outside than you could possibly need.
- The more chances you can take your puppy out on leash, even for a few minutes, the more opportunities your puppy has to learn that outdoors is a designated spot for potties. Do this rain/sleet/snow. Dogs are more resilient than we think. When I trained my lab Barliegh, I took him out the backyard on a leash every 30 minutes that I was home, No Matter what. It really payed off.

When you’re not home during the day, the play pen is a good place obviously. Although a crate would be better because a dog is less likely to soil a smaller enclosed area where it sleeps ( like a crate). I understand being fearful of neurological fear, but still think teaching her that crates are as safe and comfortable as a play pen is a good idea for the future, if she ever has to be boarded or if some sort of emergency happened and she needed to be crated, it would help ease the stress if she was already familiar with it. (Also you can add water dishes or better yet lixit bottles to a crate)

6. NO Free feeding.
Scheduled feeding times (Am and PM meals) are great for puppy training and for the duration of Dogs lives. It allows you to monitor how much your dog is eating/drinking/and how long it takes your dog to digest, so that you are more in control of the potty situation.

7. Cleaning

Urine off or Urine Gone or other similar products, usually available at your local veterinarian or Pet store are the Best way to go as far as a cleanser. There are Enzymes in the formula that break down the components of the urine. This is important because after you clean up a mess without these enzymes, various proteins, hormones, scent molecules are still left over, undectable to us, but a dog will still detect them and continue to remark these spots (boys and girls both mark). As for absorbancy….Im not too sure. I typically would just use rags. I bet those bissell little green wet/dry vacs would be great though!

I hope some of those tips might help. Good luck on your potty training efforts!

By: Shamwow

Shamwow — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 09:25:54 +0000

it is a very excellent and very imoressive blog. avery one should visit this blog.

By: Robin

Robin — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:00:33 +0000

First off get rid of the pee pads, they are a waste of money, and they train the dog to pee inside.

Secondly I clean up pee accidents with cloth towels and bleach water. Then wash the towels.

Also I agree with all the others take the dog out constantly ( just as if you were potty training a little kid) every 2 hours, after waking up, after eating and drinking, out kitty goes until she does her business, regardless how cold it is.

By: Coupon Artist

Coupon Artist — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 01:02:41 +0000

When our pups were babies, the best thing to sop up peepee mistakes was with either adult diapers or feminine pads (I used to get them free from CVS/Rite Aid/Walmart with coupons). They are very absorbent for this type of thing, far more so than paper towels, so you can dab over the spot and it cleans it up. I could use 1 pad per accident. Follow up w/ Natures Miracle and a swipe with a dedicated towel just to get the residue off.
I too agree with other posters who said that puppy pads make it harder to train a dog. We had puppy pads on our balcony right off the room we kept the dogs in, and they had a lot of accidents at or near that door or elsewhere in that room (even when the door was open and they were free to go outside and go on the pads). As soon as we removed the pads and had them only going outside, they had no more accidents in the house at all.

By: Puggles

Puggles — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:11:51 +0000

I wish I had wood floors, I have professionally done my carpet twice already but I love my frenchies!!!

By: Diaper Cakes Becca

Diaper Cakes Becca — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:12:16 +0000

As far as something green to clean it up with to conserve paper towels. I know you can find pick stacks of washcloths at Wal-Mart, Target and even the Dollar Stores. Maybe you could go get a big stack of washcloths that are SPECIFICALLY for this task (less than $10.00). You could then keep used/soiled ones separate from the other laundry in the house and wash them on a small load when they accumulate (rinse them out in the sink before placing them in the basket (or on the basket to dry)).

Papertowels are such a huge suck on a budget…and it is a shame to fill up your garbage bags with them!

Another poster said something about shamwow….and I think that might, actually, be a good road to go down, too. I’ve never used them but I would think you could have three in rotation that you use specifically for this chore and they would see you through this stage in “Fido”’s life!!

Good luck…..(sorry about your mum, my thoughts are with you and your family!)