# Puppy pee and hardwood floors...



## andi42 (Dec 3, 2013)

Last time I had a puppy, we had carpet... so accidents were a nightmare and the carpet cleaner was out regularly. This time, we have hardwood. I thought it was going to be all great and we were going to crate train without any paper (which I've never done either) and have only a few accidents.. but then someone mentioned that since the puppy is already trained, my best bet would be to put some plastic down by the backdoor with paper on top because if puppy does have an accident, the urine will seep through the cracks in the hardwood into the subfloor and ruin it.... thoughts? I want to make sure that crate training and going outside is in her head- not peeing on paper constantly... but I also don't want to ruin the floors or have our house smelling like urine


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Just supervise her when she's loose, and if you can't supervise, crate. If she has an accident, you'll be right there to clean it up and it won't be an issue. 

Except in some circumstances, I'm pretty against using paper or puppy pads because it can just create bigger issues down the road. I find taking the puppy outside constantly and consistently, and supervising all the time, leads to quick house breaking.


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

Maybe its me but we house broke 5 dogs over the years on hardwood (we bought that expensive petzmyer stuff from the petstore, it denatures the pee ingredients so dog is less likely to want to mark the same spot, Ha)...
Maybe its me, but it doesnt reek of pee (and we have a new roommate who just moved in, after most of the dogs moved out to the country)...
And, we lived in a 3rd floor condo (its big for condo)... and what we did was obtain a cardboard rim(look at the chip displays at Costco or Sams Club, one of the big box stores) its like the bottom of a huge cardboard box they use em for stacking items like chips, kitty litter, the papertowel displays....
and pad that with news papers and you can then lay down a few puppy pee pads (we had very large pups so needed a bigger Target).... and that helped alot... although the hardwood did still get peed on.... just try to mop it up asap....
(Not a proponent of pee pad confusion, we never had any... and one dog- a giant schnauzer still comes to town with me 3 days a week and stays at the condo, although of course she doesnt use pee pads anymore)...


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## andi42 (Dec 3, 2013)

I am a little hesitant to do the paper thing as well because I don't WANT her to learn it's ok to go in the house.. no matter what it is she is peeing on! She will not EVER be out of her crate unsupervised until she is trustworthy and old enough to hold her bladder. I did buy some pet spray to clean up so that there's no scent left and hopefully that will discourage frequent accidents (though if she's peeing there because there's a scent, it's not really an accident...)


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

andi42 said:


> I am a little hesitant to do the paper thing as well because I don't WANT her to learn it's ok to go in the house.. no matter what it is she is peeing on! She will not EVER be out of her crate unsupervised until she is trustworthy and old enough to hold her bladder. I did buy some pet spray to clean up so that there's no scent left and hopefully that will discourage frequent accidents (though if she's peeing there because there's a scent, it's not really an accident...)


Just, with pups! There will be accidents, they are just so immature, and everything makes them pee (being startled, excitement, submission peeing, eating, drinking, etc.... )-- one of my roommates felt so bad, he would go to pet my puppy and she would squat and pee everytime...
The giant schnauzer had a "Native American" nickname Peesinhallway b/c she would finally be able to make it (hold it) down 3 flights of stairs, and then squat and pee right in front of the door to the outside...

Definitely invest in the pet spray (it comes in 1 gallon jugs. you will need it)...


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## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

When my puppy was loose, we were watching him and taking him out every 15-20 minutes so he didn't have a lot of opportunity to have accidents, and those that he had were cleaned immediately. When he wasn't being watched, we had him in an expen on the pergo kitchen floor which cleans easily. We had pads down for him when he was very small and couldn't hold it between when we left for work and lunch time, and lunch and after work, but we didn't train him to use them. He gravitated to them because it was the only absorbent surface other than his bed. He stopped using them around 12 wks old and we stopped providing them. He had no issues housebreaking, and is now exceptionally reliable, even in public places and other peoples' homes. 

If you're going to crate train, I don't see a reason for paper. We DID crate train but figured out day 1 that our new puppy was NOT goin' in that crate without a fight and subsequent shieking, so we gradually trained him and used the expen to confine him in the meantime, which he found less objectionable.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Yeah, I really wouldn't worry about it. Just buy some cleaner (or a 50/50 white vinegar and water solution works well) and clean up any accidents immediately. If you're supervising and taking her out enough, there's no need to use paper or pads. 

For young puppies, I haven't found residual scent to be much of an issue in peeing inside. Usually it's a case of "oh! I have to pee now!" and then just going where they are. Of course, residual scents don't help, but a lot of the time at that age they are just going wherever they happen to be because they can't hold it.


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

I think the OP is worried about the residual scent left in her floors (not just for the pup)... what ever they put in the pet store stuff has this deodorizing stuff in it that kills (to humans as well) the smell....


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## andi42 (Dec 3, 2013)

I am mostly concerned about my hardwoods, and wondering whether I should use the papers to prevent damaging my hardwood floor. Also worried that if I use the paper, that it will be a detriment to our house training progress.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

If you clean it up immediately, there won't be any damage to your hardwood floors or residual smell. I wouldn't bother with the paper. I have hardwoods and never had an issue.


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