By using an assortment of crates, playpens, and baby gates, you can keep your little hoodlum corralled until she’s graduated Potty Training 101 with honors.
Until then, it’s your job to ensure that when she has an accident, you’ve got the most effective tools on hand to make things easy to clean and that you remove any scent that will cause her to return to the scene of the crime!
Here are your super-duper cleaning steps and the supplies you’ll need so that when the inevitable happens, you have a puppy cleanup plan that will dazzle everyone with its simplicity and effectiveness!
So you walk into the kitchen and almost step into a puddle in front of the refrigerator. Your little furball has had the first of what we hope are going to be a limited number of accidents in the house.
Of course; she's on your easy-to-clean kitchen floor, so no need to panic (but I’ll include a cleanup method that will work on carpets too because life happens and sooner or later somebody will allow your baby dog out of her safe zone so let’s have a plan for cleaning EVERYTHING just in case).
The first step is to be prepared: get your cleaning supplies well in advance so you don’t go into a panic when you find accident #1. You’ll be cool, calm, and PREPARED.
STEP #1. Pet Stain and Odor Remover.
For cleaning pet accidents, you’ll need an enzymatic cleaner that will eliminate odors and stains, not just mask them. This is my pick of a very crowded market for the best puppy cleaning spray. Go ahead and get the two-pack because you’ll love it for all over the house. Great for anything that you want to freshen or disinfect naturally without worrying about harmful chemicals.
Order this before your puppy arrives, and you’ll avoid some of the genuinely terrible options out there and be in less of a panic when your puppy has her first accident. Trust me; just because there are lots of good reviews on a product, it doesn’t mean a dog professional wouldn’t choose an entirely different brand because she knows what to look for in the best cleaners for things like puppy stains. Sometimes, the best products come from smaller companies that don’t have the huge budgets to buy their way to the top of the heap of competing products.
For example, I’d only give one star to either of the two top-selling 4+ star brands that claim to eliminate pet stains; unfortunately, most puppy parents will unknowingly purchase those very ones on Amazon. One of those brands has over 80,000 reviews, but when I ordered a bottle to test, the fragrance was so strong that inhaling the spray mist sent me into a coughing episode that lasted several minutes.
Every time I tried to use it, the smell caused the same reaction; I’m pretty sensitive, but not nearly as sensitive as your poor puppy’s nose. I finally gave up and tossed it while thinking of all those poor puppy parents who were struggling to keep from inhaling the wretched stuff (and it didn’t even do a good job cleaning stains!)
BEFORE YOU START TO CLEAN,
GO GET YOUR NAUGHTY PUPPY AND BRING HER
TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIME.
I know you’ve read a million times that your puppy won’t understand why you are upset when you find a puddle or poop event hours after the event occurred. Still, I’ve been helping my clients quickly and successfully house-train puppies for several decades, and I beg to differ.
The typically fairly brilliant puppy is entirely capable of connecting the dots between a puddle on the kitchen floor (and her Mom fussing at her while pointing at it) vs. a happy Puppy Mom dispensing praise and a cookie in the backyard for all potty events that happen outdoors.
It will take repetition, but your puppy can understand this concept, I promise you.
REMEMBER, 90% of the time, it’s probably your fault if your puppy has an accident in the house. If you’re tempted to whack someone with a rolled-up newspaper, you should probably use it on yourself or whoever forgot to keep an eye on the new baby.
Most puppies will give a signal, which I admit can be easy to miss, typically walking in a small circle while sniffing the floor, abruptly stopping mid-play and squatting, and other cues (which is why I plead with you to read the three chapters on potty training in New Puppy 101). If everyone is on the same page, the puppy goes outside on a regular schedule, AND you are making use of a crate and a playpen inside, things will progress much quicker. It’s only fair to your puppy to use lots of patience and put the blame where it belongs.
Your baby puppy has to be taught all the rules of the house, if she didn’t have a good start it’s even harder for her. Unfortunately, some breeders lack experience, and neglect or provide poor early basic training or do silly things like spread newspapers all around for puppies so they learn to go indoors while mere babies. New behaviors can be taught, but it will take time, a good sense of humor, and yes, the patience of a saint!
Never yell at your puppy; she’s not “going” out of spite or laziness. It’s a new concept and will take time to learn.
Absolutely NO shoving her nose in the spot!
If you have a small puppy and are able to scoop her up and hold her in one arm during the first stage of cleanup, hold her while telling her how disappointed you are in her for going potty in the house. It will go a long way to help her remember that Mom really doesn't like it when she uses the kitchen floor as a bathroom. (For a larger puppy, bring her to the spot on her leash if need be so she sees what you are upset about.) Hover her about a foot in the air over the spot and gently but firmly let her know that you are not pleased with her choice of a potty area.
Tell her, “No! No! Bad girl, Nooo potty in the house!” while pointing at the area with your free hand. Repeat: “Baaaad girl! No potty in the house!” Now, if you think she might still have to go, carry her outdoors to your designated potty area, place her in the exercise/potty pen, and change your tone to a bright, happy “Good girl! Go potty outside! What a goood gooood girl!” (remember long vowel sounds). Then give her a few strokes on the head and tell her that you forgive her that you’re not mad at her and that she truly is a great puppy even when she forgets the rules.
I know she’s empty now, and you’re wondering why you should praise her. I think it’s well within the mental capacity of the average puppy to differentiate between her owner being unhappy in the presence of bathroom events INSIDE the house vs being happy about them OUTSIDE the house. It won’t happen the first 5 times you do it, but she will soon associate treat time/praise/happy Dog Mom when she potties outdoors.
Remember: Keep your tone mildly disappointed so she clearly knows that you are not happy (again, no yelling, please). After a bit of fussing and sounding unhappy while pointing to the evidence of her crime, again, either take her outdoors for an extra chance to potty in the correct spot, or if you’re sure she’s empty, put her in her crate for a timeout while you finish cleaning. (It would be nice if the crate is nearby, facing your cleaning efforts so your puppy has time to watch you clean as she ponders the results of her indiscretion.)
When you take her out of the crate, just to be safe, take her outside to the potty spot again, and if she empties out, offer lots of praise and a yummy treat. Better late than never. I’m not calling for hysterics, no leaping and shouting with joy, just a really happy dog mom and a delicious treat to celebrate this small win.
Now, back to cleaning up that floor.
Cleaning Puppy Potty Accidents on Solid Flooring:
Your job is fairly easy on a hard surface. After removing any solids, wipe up what you can with plenty of paper towels, then spray the area liberally with your cleaner of choice and wipe dry. I also advise spraying the floor again immediately after the initial cleaning and polishing with fresh paper towels to remove every trace of odor so the scent marker is removed.
The proper tools can make cleaning up after your new puppy a breeze- well, almost 😊
Remember: Keep your puppy restricted to easy-to-clean parts of the house until she’s been accident-free for 2 weeks. That one rule will save your nerves and your carpets. I recommend a combination of baby gates, playpens, and sleeping crates, or anything that makes sense in your home, to create puppy-safe zones with the least amount of effort. This way, when she does have an accident, it's not a big deal, and you can deal with it quickly because she’s NOT on the white carpet in your bedroom.
“Remember: The least stressful method of house training a new puppy starts with only giving her access to floors that are easy to clean until she’s dependably house trained; period!”
If you really want to be prepared, invest in a small super portable carpet cleaner, which can suction the carpet for you and save lots of time and energy on your part. The Bissel Little Green is fairly inexpensive and will give you peace of mind hidden away in the mudroom, just waiting patiently until you need it!
Since life happens, I’m including tips for removing puppy stains from carpets. Of course, my dear Puppy Peep, you won’t need these tips because you’ve not allowed your new darling to have access to your carpets in the first place but life happens and if it’s not the puppy, it’s the kid’s grapejuice so here’s your new best friend in your puppy cleanup arsenal!
I’m such a fan of this little carpet cleaner. It’s super portable and lightweight, and you’ll find yourself using it for all kinds of minor catastrophes involving upholstery or carpet. Whether your puppy is the culprit or not this thing will pay for itself quickly and you'll be blessing me for recommending it. I did a reel on Instagram raving about it- it's such a great tool to have in your life with a puppy toolkit.
For those poor souls who find themselves without a carpet cleaner (been there, done that), if you don’t have a suitable carpet cleaner or especially if you have a large puppy, it might take a couple more bath towels folded into thick pads and removed as they become damp. It’s also helpful to place a heavy object on top of the toweling to press it into the carpet for an hour or so to be sure and draw out the bottom layers of dampness.
DIY Removing Puppy Stains on Carpet: First, remove any solids, and this is vital; take lots of time and blot up as much liquid as possible. Use loads of paper towels, or better still, if you’ve got a few old bath towels to sacrifice, they’ll do the job nicely. Your aim is to remove as much of the liquid as possible.
The bad news is that the urine will have penetrated the carpet and wicked down to the padding below. Try standing on a thick swatch of toweling for a couple of minutes, and repeat with fresh towels until no more liquid appears. This step is hugely important and worth whatever time, as well as as many towels as you can spare for now and future doggie duty.
After removing all possible moisture, saturate the area with your enzymatic cleaner of choice. Stains on carpeting require this kind of cleaner, which is the only way to be sure an odor won't linger. Follow the directions on the bottle and be prepared to re-treat the area if needed.
Yep. A lot of work, sometimes with no great results, is why untrained puppies must not be given access to hard-to-clean areas. You’ll thank me for this advice if you ever have to clean puppy pee from the carpet; it’s such a headache!
Remember common sense cautions:
Spot-test first to be sure your carpet is color-safe.
Blot, and don’t rub stains to avoid damaging carpet fibers.
Remember to clean up any accidents quickly, and don't skip the enzymatic cleaner which works by breaking down and dissolving urine crystals (not just masking odor). Properly used, they’ll prevent your puppy’s return to the scene of the crime.
Stubborn or old stains might need a second treatment. Follow the instructions on the bottle.
If you are one of those reckless souls whose puppy has already been allowed free access to every room (or if you’ve got loads of carpet to deal with), here’s my favorite upright carpet cleaner from Hoover. I love mine; it’s super well-made and does a great job. It's lightweight and easy to use.
Remember Puppy People: the right tools make puppy care so much easier. The good news is that it’s almost never too late to do some belated repairs.
But what if we are in a room with carpet and want our puppy to spend time with us there? It’s movie night, for pity’s sake, and we want to share the popcorn!
For those times when you think you simply must bring the puppy into a carpeted space, here are the rules that will hopefully keep your carpet pristine and your puppy happy too:
Someone must volunteer to be the designated “puppy watcher” (which I like to refer to as the DPW) and promise to keep their eyes on the puppy.
If you hear hysterical laughter, its me because I have serious doubts that your DPW won’t get distracted at a critical moment and forget about the puppy just as she starts to sniff and circle on the floor 👀 💦 🐶 )
Make reasonably sure your puppy is “empty” and has a trip outdoors before bringing her in.
Put her on a leash and slip the handle over the DPW’s wrist so she is attached to a responsible person who pledges to leap to their feet the moment she begins to sniff the carpet, walk in a circle, or wake up from any napping.
If she falls asleep on your lap, do not put her on the floor when the movie ends. Pick that sleepy baby up and CARRY HER out to the potty spot because she will probably have to go, and the carpet feels so much like grass that it could trigger her to go, since it’s convenient and reminiscent of the outdoors.
