Is your dog peeing in the same spot over and over again? Are you not sure how to housebreak your dog who loves to pee on carpets? Today, we’re going to answer the question “why do dogs pee on the carpet?” We’ll also cover “Apartment Living! How to Deal with Dog Urine on Carpet.” Keep reading for some fabulous tips on getting rid of that stinky stench once and for all!
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Why Do Dogs Pee on Carpets?
So, you have a dog who seems to always urinate on carpets. It’s important to remember that there can be many causes for this behavior. But, in this article, I will focus on the most common reasons why your house-trained dog may be urinating on carpets.
Reason #1 Substrate preference
I’ve trained many dogs over the years, and I have spoken to many pet owners who seem to have a similar problem with their cats. One of the most common reasons a dog may be peeing on carpets is because he may like the feel and texture of it. Yes, its that simple! Dogs and cats can have a substrate preference for the areas they like to do their business in.
Here’s an example: My late dog, Baby would never pee on our wooden floors. Our entire home consisted of wooden flooring-except a small for a small patch near our stairwell. This was the only patch in our house that had carpet. This was also the only spot Baby would urinate on. Similarly, our cat Sansa has an unusual substrate preference. She does not seem like to clay or paper based litter. In fact, the only place she pees on is in the shower drain.
Reason # 2 Territorial reasons
Like their wild cousins- the wolves. Dogs are territorial animals, so they often urinate in a specific spot to mark their territory. It’s important to remember that marking a spot is not the same as releasing their bladder. Marking is just a way of letting other dogs know that the specific area belongs to them.
So, if you find that your dog is leaving fairly small amounts of urine on the carpet, then chances are they are territorial. Now, one of the most common misconceptions people have is that by neutering a dog you will take away the possibility of them becoming territorial. By neutering your dog, you will indeed decrease the possibility of them developing terriotial behaviours.
However, even a fixed dog can show signs of territorial behaviour. Lets look at an example! When I worked at the pet store owners would bring in their dogs everytime. Many of these dogs were unfixed, and so they would constantly urinate overtop of another dogs urine.
Similarly, my dog Baby was spayed at a young age. But, she was always a territorial dog. Whenever I used to get other dogs into the house, they would urinate overtop of her “marks” on the carpet. Conversely, she would do the same. It’s like a back-to-back competition.
Reason# 3 Lack of proper cleaning
When you live in an apartment, it may be difficult to let your dog do their business if you don’t have a backyard. So, its quite natural for dogs to have accidents in their house. Now, you may clean that urine with a couple of Lysol wipes, Dettol sprays etc. Everything might look fine and clean to you! But, your dog has a sharp nose!
Dogs have the uncanny ability to recognize all the previous spots they have urinated in. They will also urinate on another dogs urine which may have been cleaned with common, household detergents.
Not sure if A Dog May be Well Suited to your lifestyle? Your Apartment? Have a look at our article Apartment Living With Dogs: How To Make It Work
Reason# 3 Because another dog already got there first!
This one is a combination of #2 and #3. Say you move into a new place that was inhabited by another dog who was accident-prone. Your pup not only smells the strange dog’s urine and feels driven to “stake his claim,” but he also assumes that the carpet is the proper place to go since the other dog clearly used it! The carpet could smell totally clean to you, but remember, your dog has a significantly stronger nose. To him, it smells like his bathroom! So, is it possible to housebreak a dog in an apartment with carpet flooring stained by urine of another dog? Yes, absolutely. First, though, you’ll need to get rid of that residual urine odor. Let’s talk about that!
Apartment Living! How to Deal with Dog Urine on Carpet
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Have you figured out why your dog is peeing on your carpets in your apartment? Want to learn some awesome ways to clean up the evidence?Let me tell you, I’ve worked in pet stores long enough to know that this is one of the dilemma pet parents face! In fact, I myself have faced the problems of pet urine stains and odor on carpets. So here are some pawesome tricks and tips that are guaranteed to work!
- If the urine is still fresh and wet then blot the area! don’t let the carpet soak up the urine. Prevent absorption by bloating urine with newspaper or toilet paper!
- Dogs can smell their own urine, so even if you use things like Dettol
or Lysol to clean the mess they’ll still be able to track down their spots. How do you solve this problem? Simple! Invest in pet urine stain and odor remover. These products are designed to enzymatically remove pet urine odor on a molecular level. My favourite product are Natures Miracle Stain and Odor Remover.
- Now if the urine smell is persistent or if your dog has urinated around the house a lot. Then try to invest in renting a heavy duty carpet cleaner
. Home Depot actually has this amazing carpet cleaner you can rent at a low cost. It’s great for not only removing pet urine stains from apartments but also awesome at making your carpet look new. Don’t have a Home Depot near you? Check your grocery store or other stores like Walmart, Big Lots, and even Dollar General. Many locations rent carpet cleaners.
Apartment Living With Your Dog Can Be Easy
Living in an apartment with a dog who loves to pee on carpets seems like a lot of work. Believe me, I’ve been there! My last pooch used to only pee on carpets and nowhere else. The trick to dealing with this problem is understanding why they’re doing what it and how you can properly clean it. Remember, cleaning the urine properly is only the first step! You’ve gotta go back to the basics of potty training as well.
Do you have an adult dog who’s peeing everywhere? Have a read up on our article on How To House Break Adult Dogs In 5 Easy Steps
