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Ideas & Advice > Rug Size Guide > How to Get Your Dog to Stop Peeing on Rugs
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How to Get a Dog to Stop Peeing on Rugs

Dogs are a delightful addition to any home, but no pet is perfect. Some dogs have frequent accidents on floors and rugs due to lack of potty training, anxiety, or other medical disorders. There are ways to clean dog pee out of rugs, but the ideal solution is to stop your dog from peeing on the floors altogether. Fortunately, we have created a guide to address that issue and clear up any confusion on why dogs pee on rugs.

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  1. Why do Dogs Pee on Rugs
  2. Tips on How to Deter a Dog from Peeing on a Rug
  3. Using Positive Reinforcement

Why do Dogs Pee on Rugs

Age (Lack of Potty Training)

  • Potty training is not something that just happens overnight; puppies and dogs new to indoor living need to be diligently trained to take care of their business outdoors and to signal when they need to relieve themselves. 

Changes at Home

  • Changes in family structures and life as a whole can trigger confusion and anxiety in your dog. If someone moves out of the home, a baby is brought home, or a new pet is introduced to the home, your dog may be anxious enough to start having accidents inside. Likewise, divorce and stressful environments can impact the dog’s mood and anxiety levels. 

Separation Anxiety

  • Separation anxiety is one of the biggest reasons dogs have accidents inside or begin to have destructive tendencies. In these cases, your vet or an animal behaviorist may help find ways to calm your dog’s anxiety and prevent them from peeing on rugs in the future. 

Routine Changes

  •  A new work schedule may throw off the dog’s pattern for going outside, so they need time to adjust to the new timing. Even if you switch to working from home, that change may be enough to set off the anxious dog and trigger accidents.

Previous Accidents

  • Dogs often pee outside to mark their territory, but if they smell old urine inside the rug, they may be tempted to re-mark their territory by peeing on it again. If you suspect this is an issue, check the carpet with a black light to see any residual urine. Then, clean the space with an enzymatic cleaner. 

Medical Issue

  • In their old age, dogs often lose control of their bladders. However, dogs at any age can have medical issues that make them have accidents indoors. Varying hormone levels, kidney problems, cognitive issues, and other diseases can all impact the dog’s bladder, so if you see a change in their behavior not attributed to any of the issues above, you may want to take your dog to the vet. 

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Tips on How to Deter a Dog from Peeing on a Rug

Whatever the root cause of your dog’s accidents are, there are many popular solutions to deter a dog from peeing inside and reinforce positive behavior. 

Training

  • Even if you already trained your dog, you may want to retrain them with a new method to reinforce the importance of going outdoors. The scheduling method, kennel method, and potty pad method are three of the most popular options for puppies and other indoors dogs. If your dog struggles with behavioral issues or no reinforcement is working, speak to your vet for behavioral tips and recommendations. 

Use a Commercial Carpet Solution

  • Some carpet cleaning solutions serve to clean pet urine out of the rug and deter them from going there in the future. Rug sprays and cleaners that contain strong-smelling ingredients like lemongrass will eliminate the urine odor from the rug and discourage your dog from peeing on that spot again. 

Lemon Juice

  • Lemon juice is a common ingredient in dog repellants (substances that help prevent dogs from peeing in a particular place). Since dogs have such a strong sense of smell, they find the scent of lemon juice highly unappealing and overwhelming. Because of that, dogs will avoid going to that area, sniffing in depth, and will decide not to mark their territory there. 

Deterring a Dog from Peeing on a Rug (Continued)


Rubbing Alcohol

  • Rubbing alcohol is one of the recommended solutions for getting pet urine and smell out of a pee stain. Aside from that, alcohol will also act as a disinfectant against bacteria and microbes in the carpet. 

Give Your Dog Frequent Potty Breaks

  • Whether you are retaining your dog or seeking to change the dog’s schedule, giving them frequent potty breaks is one way to break the cycle of peeing inside and encourage them to take care of business outdoors. Be sure that your dog takes their time outside; encourage them to go to the bathroom before letting them back in if they have not peed in a few hours. 

Keep a Close Watch on Your Dog

  • If your dog is scouting for a spot inside, it is best to take them outside before they choose to mark their territory on the rug or floor. They may not know how to communicate that they need to go out, or they may be facing anxiety that causes them to relieve themselves indoors. Regardless of the root cause, keeping a close eye on your dog will help you take them out when needed and reinforce positive behavior. 
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Deterring a Dog from Peeing on a Rug (Continued)


Vinegar

  • Vinegar is another smell that dogs find overpowering because of its acidic smell. While it is a strong odor to apply to your rug, the smell will fade and will even eliminate odor from previous accidents.

Crate Your Dog When You Aren’t Home

  • If your dog is prone to anxiety, it is best to speak to a vet or animal behaviorist to find solutions to lessen your dog’s fears. Crating the dog when you aren’t home is one way to keep them out of trouble, and dogs avoid going in their crates whenever it’s possible.

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Stick with Positive Reinforcement

When it comes to training a dog in any behavior, negative reinforcement is not the most effective method. With critical tones, intimidating postures, or controlling behaviors, you may inspire fear in your dog. Since fear and stress are primary factors in why dogs pee inside the home, negative reinforcement that causes those emotions will not help in breaking through the undesirable behavior. Instead, positive reinforcement is the best way to cultivate your desired behavior and create a more secure, loving bond between you and your dog. By encouraging them when they properly take care of business, you convey exactly what is done right and what positive rewards they receive when they exhibit that behavior. Treats can be used to encourage the dog, but even verbal praise and affection are enough to reward many dogs.

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Having a dog pee inside the home on floors and rugs is unpleasant, but there are ways to clean the rugs thoroughly and encourage your dog to adapt better habits. With the proper knowledge of potential triggers and confusion that your dog may be experiencing, you may now better care for your dog and get your dog to stop peeing on rugs.

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More Questions People Ask

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