No pet owner wants their home reeking of dog urine. Even if dogs don’t release as much urine while marking, the pungent aroma of that liquid can still linger.
You have to stop urine marking before it takes over your household. So, how should you go about putting a stop to your dog’s urine marking? There are many things you can do to discourage and even eliminate that behavior. Let’s go over the steps you can immediately take to turn your home interior into a urine-free zone.
Thoroughly Clean Marked Areas
Dogs operate by scent. If they can recognize the scent of their urine on a particular spot inside your home, they will likely return to it whenever they feel like marking again. Your efforts to halt your pet’s urine marking won’t succeed until you remove that smell first. Thorough cleaning is a must in that scenario.
If you spot the urine mark early enough, you can use paper towels to absorb the liquid. Absorbing the urine with paper towels will prevent its odor from seeping into that spot. Some light cleaning will suffice if you can prevent the urine from leaving a strong mark.
You’ll have to utilize a different approach if the urine has already settled in. Pick up an enzymatic cleaner at the supermarket and use that to clean up the mess your dog or puppy made. The Humane Society of the United States warns against using cleaning chemicals because their powerful odors may actually encourage your pet to urinate on that spot again.
Cleaning up that one spot won’t be enough. Since we’re talking about urine marking, there’s a good chance your pet has also splashed other parts of your home already. You must find the other spots your pet marked and clean them the same way to prevent future incidents.
Limit Your Dog’s Access to the Entirety of Your Household
Next, you can confine your dog or puppy to one room to discourage urine marking.
Puppies may not fully understand that urinating around your home is bad. Until they learn that lesson, you can keep them confined to a single room. Keep them there for a few hours, but remember to let them out so they can properly urinate in the designated areas.
It’s also a good idea to place your pet’s food and water bowls in the same area where you’re confining them. They are less likely to urinate in that area if they have food nearby. That should teach them to wait for the right opportunities to answer nature’s call.
This form of dog training works better on puppies mainly because they’re easier to keep in one room. If you have an older dog exhibiting urine marking, you may have to try a different solution.
Increase the Length of Your Dog’s Walks
Stress can be a contributing factor to your dog’s urine marking habits. That’s especially likely if their marking is related to separation anxiety. To resolve your pet’s stress-induced urine marking, you’ll have to find some way to reduce their stress levels. Longer walks outside will help with that.
Go on longer walks with your dog so they can fully enjoy their time with you. They are less likely to feel anxious after that bonding experience. Those longer walks will also consume a lot of your dog’s energy. You want your dog tired after the long walk so they will spend more time sleeping instead of stressing about your departure.
Leave an Item with Your Scent to Stop Urine Marking
You can also reduce your pet’s stress levels by giving them a comforting item. In this case, you can offer them an item with your scent.
Cuddling with that item can put your dog at ease. They will be able to relax better while they wait for your return.
Putting a stop to your pet’s marking spree is possible if you utilize the methods we detailed in this article. Give them a try and see how well they change your dog’s behavior.
Do you need help to stop urine marking? Visit our dog training page for more information.
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