Summer is a particularly exciting time of the year for everyone. With all of the moving parts, activities, and just the overall energy of the season, it's hard not to be a bit overenthusiastic. This goes double for our furry friends. It's not unusual for an excited pup to let their enthusiasm show in an undesirable way on your floor. They're probably not trying to be naughty, but dog urine can cause some serious issues if left on your carpet, tile, or wooden floor for too long or if it's not cleaned properly.
Pet messes can seep into the fibers of your carpet, building bacteria and mildew. They can also soak into the spaces between your hardwood floors, leaving you with the possibility of warped floors in the future. And we can't forget that they tend to soak into any unsealed grout sitting between your tiles. Beyond this damage, any of the mess that isn't cleaned leaves a pretty pungent stench in homes. Believe us when we say that no house guest or family member wants to be greeted with that smell when they enter your house!
Here are the best ways for you to clean your tiles, hardwood floors, and carpet when your puppy gets out of hand:
For hardwood floors, use a dry cloth to soak up as much of the mess as possible. With that done, sponge the spot with a mixture of water and vinegar. Go back over the spot with your dry cloth and you're finished!
If your tiles (or any sealed floor) have taken a hit from your pet, go over the mess with a paper towel. Combine 3/4 of a gallon of warm water with 1 cup of baking soda and 2-3 cups of vinegar. Mop the spot with a liberal amount of the mixture and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Dry it up to finish.
Carpet can be a pesky opponent, but you can face it with the same mixture mentioned above for tiles. The difference is that you'll have to repeat the process several times. Be patient with it and make sure everything is nice and dry when you're done.
Now that your floors are taken care of, allow us to address your pet. We know how much your dog means to you, and making sure your floors stay clean isn't nearly as important as making sure Fluffy is healthy and the problem is addressed properly. Here are a few actions the humane society (www.humanesociety.org) suggests taking when dealing with a dog that shows signs of excited urination:
Take your dog to the veterinarian to rule out medical reasons for the behavior.
To avoid accidents, play outdoors until the problem is resolved.
Take frequent walks to make sure your dog's bladder stays as empty as possible.
Make sure your dog gets plenty of vigorous exercise.
Don't punish or scold him for urinating when he's excited.
Keep greetings low-key. No high-pitched baby talk, hand-clapping, hugging, or rough-housing.
When he's excited, ignore him until he's calm.