What to Do When Your Dog has an Accident

Are you prepared for a dog accident?

Even if you have the best, most well-trained dog, you’re still susceptible to an accident. If you’re not prepared for that unfortunate event, don’t panic! You just need to follow these tips to make sure your house is ready for a dog potty accident.

1. Catch him in the act. The first step is to catch your dog in the act. If you are indeed lucky (or maybe unlucky in a sense) enough to see it happen, then use it as a great learning opportunity. Make sure you don’t punish the dog. If you do this, you will only encourage them to be more sneaky next time! Instead of punishment, say a command word such as “outside” and then take him quickly to the spot where the dog normally relieves itself.
2. Instant damage control. Use a paper towel ASAP to soak up as much of the urine as you can from your carpet or floor. Do not use a hair dryer to dry it out. The heat will only cause the stain and odor to set. If the dog soils anything washable like clothing, immediately put it through a cold rinse cycle and then wash it normally with your choice of detergent.
3. Fix the deeper problem. Even if you clean up the surface stain, the pet urine can still damage the padding of your carpeting. For this reason, you need to avoid high water-use steam cleaning solutions at all costs! The heat and water can further damage the padding and just make a bigger mess. Plus, the likelihood of mold and mildew growth is exponentially increased! Make sure to hire a professional carpet cleaner who specifically specializes in pet accidents. They will make sure the smell, and more importantly the dust, is eliminated completely.
4. Determine the cause. There is a multitude of reasons that your dog may have an accident:

• Stress. Any major change in your life or your dog’s life can directly impact your dog and cause them to become distressed which leads to house accidents.
• Changes in Schedule. If the dog normally gets taken outside to relieve himself or herself at specific times of the day, then any schedule changes can take a while to adjust. If you can, try to make changes gradually and slowly.
• Home renovations. Changing your dog’s environment can cause some fear and stress.  This is especially true if you have several new people coming in and out of your house while doing the work. New carpets can throw some dogs off and cause them to mark it with their own scent.
• New medications. If you start giving your pet new medications, they can trigger house accidents. Make sure to talk with your vet to learn of any possible side effects.
• Health issues. Bladder control loss could possibly be a sign of an underlying health issue. If you see a change in your dog’s behavior, talk to your vet!

Important Note: Training is key! If your dog is less than a year old, then he cannot be considered fully house-trained. When dealing with a brand-new puppy, accidents will likely become more common and frequent. To train your puppy, start with these tips:

1. Start by taking out your dog frequently. The more the merrier! Then, gradually decrease the number of trips outside.
2. Praise your dog when he urinates in a properly designated spot outside. Make sure to reward the dog with a treat afterward!

At Chinook Chem-Dry, we sincerely hope these tips will help you and your dog! Pet urine is never a fun thing to deal with, however, it’s a problem that you can address and take care of properly with the correct actions.