What Can I Put on My Carpet to Get My Dog to Stop Wetting on It?

Puppies are adorable and dogs are wonderful. Along with dog ownership, however, comes an all-too-familiar problem: accidents inside that can turn into repetitive behavior. This repetitive behaviour can happen because dogs have such a keen sense of smell and are able to detect the scent within the enzymes of the urine. These scents are the canine equivalent of a restroom sign. However, there are solutions to this problem. Some are even as simple as mixing over-the-counter products with water and spraying them on your carpet.

  1. White Vinegar

    • The chemical that makes up white vinegar is called acetic acid, and dogs dislike the way it smells. They are likely to avoid areas sprayed or treated with it. For humans, however, white vinegar is an effective carpet cleaner and urine odor remover. Mix it with water in a 1-to-1 concentration and spray it on areas where your dog frequently goes.

    Lemon Juice

    • Lemon juice is another substance that both repels dogs and is good for use on carpet. Like white vinegar, citric acid acts to both clean the carpet and remove the scent of urine. It also has an added side benefit: it smells pleasant to people but not to dogs. You can use either commercial lemon juice or freshly squeezed. Mix it with water and sprinkle it on your carpet in areas you want to clean, deodorize and prevent your dog from using again.

    Rubbing Alcohol

    • Another chemical with a disagreeable smell for dogs is isopropyl alcohol, or rubbing alcohol. As most people know, it has antibacterial properties and is an effective disinfectant as well. Mix one part alcohol with one part water and spray it on your carpet. You will need to reapply it weekly or after your carpet is cleaned.

    Commercial Repellants

    • Commercial dog repellents are sprays that contain combinations of natural chemicals that dogs dislike and tend to avoid. When applying commercial chemicals to areas that your dog has already used, you will need to first clean it with an enzyme cleaner or vinegar to remove the enzymes left by the urine, otherwise your dog will still be able to smell them and will continue to go back to the same spot. When dry, spray it generously and follow the directions on the label for reapplication.