# Peeing on fabric



## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

This pertains to Ziva the min pin but Zoey has issues with it sometimes too. At work they are kept in a large exercise pen, they have 3 beds (1 large dog pillow) and 2 smaller beds, they have water & a potty pad in there. Ziva will pee on the big pillow, I wash it everytime. She uses the potty pad as well. Zoey likes to pee on the bathroom rugs at home. Is there anyway to help them 'differentiate' not to pee on the material? Or is potty pad training kind of defeating that purpose and maybe I need to move to litter box or the indoor grass potties? It gets frustrating having to wash a large pillow every day, I also have tried pulling the pillow out and just leaving a blanket in there, and she will pee on the blanket too.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

I wish I knew. Ours ALL think the rug is a potty pad, unless there is a potty pad ON the rug. We just bought a new diningroom rug, and they were all peeing on it and it made me so mad, so I put potty pads on either end of it, and they used those instead. Then I got rid of one of them and they'd just use the one. Then I just slowly moved it toward the other room where their potty pads were anyway. It was annoying, but I was tired of them peeing on my new rug LOL. Maybe you can put the potty pad ON the square pillow...idk. Or maybe replace it with smaller beds. Its funny, my mom's chi Taylor does this too -- thinks square soft fabric objects and rugs are for peeing on.


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

I don't use pee pads but I know people who do and have had the same problem same as this who use paper get their magazines and books peed on!! I think those grass potty stations look amazing


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## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

flippedstars said:


> I wish I knew. Ours ALL think the rug is a potty pad, unless there is a potty pad ON the rug. We just bought a new diningroom rug, and they were all peeing on it and it made me so mad, so I put potty pads on either end of it, and they used those instead. Then I got rid of one of them and they'd just use the one. Then I just slowly moved it toward the other room where their potty pads were anyway. It was annoying, but I was tired of them peeing on my new rug LOL. Maybe you can put the potty pad ON the square pillow...idk. Or maybe replace it with smaller beds. Its funny, my mom's chi Taylor does this too -- thinks square soft fabric objects and rugs are for peeing on.


That's a good idea to try to put the pad on the pillow, or replace with a smaller bed, it just gets so frustrating. She does it at home a little bit too, it's just so frustrating! Zoey has ALWAYS peed on the bathroom rugs, so we keep our bathroom doors shut now so she doesn't have access to them. 



Daisydoo said:


> I don't use pee pads but I know people who do and have had the same problem same as this who use paper get their magazines and books peed on!! I think those grass potty stations look amazing


I really want one but will have to save lots of pennies as I'll need 3 or 4 (1 upstairs, 1 downstairs, 1 in the crate, and 1 at work....


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

I don't really have any suggestions, but mine are all pad trained, and go no where other than the pads and outside. Maybe when you see them using a rug, or pillow, you can pick them up and sit them on the pad. It would have to be a consistent thing, I think, though. Like every single time until they get it down. Hope you are able to find a solution.


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## Ivy's mom (Feb 15, 2008)

I would remove the big bed. More than likely they Are still smelling the urine, unless you wash it with a good amount of that liquid pet urine deodarizer/cleaner. And if you catch any of them peeing, scold and put them in a time out. As for rugs, I would catch ivy squating n my moms kitchen rug so I put the pad near it and no problem now. Also wash the rug in that same deodorizer. I buy mine at petsmart. I forget what brand but it comes in a big jug.

Lori


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## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

TLI said:


> I don't really have any suggestions, but mine are all pad trained, and go no where other than the pads and outside. Maybe when you see them using a rug, or pillow, you can pick them up and sit them on the pad. It would have to be a consistent thing, I think, though. Like every single time until they get it down. Hope you are able to find a solution.


Thank-you, yes I try to take her/them to the potty pad when they do it.



Ivy's mom said:


> I would remove the big bed. More than likely they Are still smelling the urine, unless you wash it with a good amount of that liquid pet urine deodarizer/cleaner. And if you catch any of them peeing, scold and put them in a time out. As for rugs, I would catch ivy squating n my moms kitchen rug so I put the pad near it and no problem now. Also wash the rug in that same deodorizer. I buy mine at petsmart. I forget what brand but it comes in a big jug.
> 
> Lori


I haven't washed it in the Nature's Miracle yet, I should do that, as I'm sure she's probably still smelling it, I have washed it with some vinegar though.


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## imadigger (Sep 5, 2010)

My Chico does the same thing: pees on the rug inside his cage. I got so tired of washing it every day, that I now just put a towel in there. It's easier to throw the towel into the wash. He goes potty outside, every time we take him out. We try to take him every 3 hours. if he is on the couch or our lap, he will hold it in. Overnight he is in a tiny canvas crate, much like a travel bag that I bought online at Walmart. He has a small bath mat in it and so far doesn't go on that, but holds it in all night. My older dog, Shanghai, will jump up on any bed he can get to (we keep doors closed now) and pee on the bed. Very frustrating. It's like they are marking it for their own. Neither one is allowed on the beds.


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## Tanna (Jan 29, 2009)

One time Paco peed on my neighbor's welcome mat, he thought it was his pee pad. LOL
It was a good hardy pee to not just a sprinkel


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## Shamelle (Jan 20, 2010)

> I have washed it with some vinegar though


Ah.... correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't vinegar smell like urine to animals?
Urine is acidic and vinegar is acidic?


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## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

Argh! So get home from work, put the dogs in the living room (where they go everyday) Zoey promptly walks about 2 feet and pees on the carpet! If she wasn't so stinking cute......So I stopped her in the act and put her on the potty pad, but instead of finishing she goes under the footstool and sulks for half an hour because I 'dared' to scold her (not even that loud or bad) about peeing on my carpet. I swear she is the only dog I have ever met who literally holds a grudge!


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## 17428 (Jul 10, 2009)

I think they are peeing on the things they like!
They are telling the world "Its mine!"


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## CindeRae (Jun 20, 2010)

Cin used to do this too, when confined to small areas. Then I started putting her potty pads in a low cardboard box. She started to realize she needed to be in a box to potty, so that worked well. Then I got her a Rascal Dog little squirt potty box. It's one of those ones with grass and a grate underneath. Well, when I kept the grass in it, it constantly STUNK. But I got rid of the grass and just use the box and the very small-holed grate--I love it. Cin uses it perfectly now too. It's a hard surface and I think she now realizes she shouldn't pee on 'soft' things. It's worked for me! I think even adding the box for the pee pads helped a lot though, because it gave her a clear boundry to pee in. If I were having problems, I would reduce their space to a place to lay and a place to pee when unsupervised, then slowly add more space if they do well. Good luck!!


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## Amandarose531 (Aug 9, 2010)

Godric frequently confuses my kitchen sink rug as a wee pad. ugh I hate it. Gretel used to as well. Not sure there is any breaking it unless just what's been suggested taking them to the mat.

Gretel has wee'd on the neighbors welcome mat, that was, special.


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## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

Have to laugh at the weeing on the neighbors rug....I've got a few neighbors who deserve that


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## kryzif (Jul 28, 2010)

This is the exact reason I don't use potty pads. I think it's just asking for trouble... peeing in places that they shouldn't because dogs are not as smart as we think. For a lot of things they are smart, but the peeing thing can be very confusing. I had 2 dogs that I used pee pads with and it was a disaster. I vowed to never do it again. They just get confused.


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## Deme (Aug 18, 2009)

With Jake I got him off pads ASAP and instead got a massive cat tray and put grass from the garden centre in it. It didn't take long for Jake to learn to toilet out in the garden and not indoors.


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## Tink (Oct 14, 2009)

Tango is 100% pad trained......unless there's a mat on the floor. Or any fabric, like the leg of my jeans hanging out of the laundry hamper and trailing on the floor. Or a magazine. He NEVER pees on the floor, and hasn't since he was about a year old. He seems to think he's doing a GOOD thing finding something to pee on that isn't floor. I dunno. I no longer keep bathroom mats down, and I took up the area rug in the den where they hang most of the time. It was just too much of a temptation for him. I'd rather just throw a mat down to step on when I get out of the bath, and hang it over the side of the tub when I'm done, than to have to wash rugs every single day or week. 

Jazz isn't 100% yet as far as pad training, but she's getting better by the week. She, though, while she may have accidents on the floor, doesn't pee on ANYTHING that isn't her pee pad. She's never messed in her crate, on any of the beds, on mats...nothing! There have been times when I've left something out and I was SURE she would have messed it up, given the way Tango is. But she never has. 

Dogs are smart, but sometimes this level of differentiation is just too much for them, I think. Tango obviously believes that if it's on the floor = it's what he's supposed to pee on. Why Jazz doesn't feel the same way I'll never know. But obviously the behavior isn't peculiar to just Tango, given all the posts about this. I'm at least glad Tango doesn't think the bed or couch is something to pee on! I should be thankful for small blessings, I suppose!


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## Reese and Miley (Jun 24, 2010)

Those grass potties do look nice! Miley doesnt do it anymore, but for a few months she kept peeing on the bathmat in our master bathroom, it was so irritating to have to constantly wash the same thing for the same reason!! She is (somewhat) housebroken, we never did the potty pads so that may not be why Ziva is confused, she just might like to pee on that darned pillow!

Add- Oh, Miley sometimes poops on the mat in the guest bath too. I think they just like to find a warm, comfy spot to do their business rather than just the cold hard, easily cleaned, floor.


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## missm (Jan 16, 2009)

hey, ima bit late lol

when my chi had a problem peeing on a certain rug...i cleaned it well and put some toys on top and a cookie and a chew.... When I couldn't watch her i would pick it up. And when i could I would put toys to cover the surface. She started associating that area with toys..and she doesn't pee on toys  I did it for one month and she completely broke from the habit.

maybe that helps.


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## Dazy Mae (Aug 10, 2008)

I know one thing for sure...I learned that my girls DO NOT like their pee-pads near their sleeping area. For some reason they started peeing on my rugs and I could not figure out why they all of a sudden stopped using their pads....Well as soon as I put their pee pads in a different area (the bathroom instead of the laundry room where they sleep) They started using the pads again! It was really something to see the little butts trot down the hallway to use their pads and then go back to the laundry room to sleep! Hilarious


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