How to Potty Train a Puppy Using Vinegar Water

By Adrienne Warber

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Overview

Potty training a puppy with vinegar water can make training more effective. After your puppy has an accident in the house, he may return to the same spot to potty. Even if you clean the spot with regular soap, the dog may still smell his scent unless you also neutralize the odor. White vinegar is a chemical-free way to disinfect and neutralize the odor of urine and feces. Use a mixture of vinegar and water to house train your puppy.

Step 1

Prepare a mixture of 50 percent white vinegar and 50 percent water. Stir the ingredients to mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture in a spray bottle. Keep the bottle on hand during training.

Step 2

Spray the vinegar mixture lightly on carpeted areas in your house. Only spray a light mist on the carpet. Do not soak it or apply as much as needed during a cleanup. The vinegar odor acts as a deterrent to help prevent the puppy from urinating and defecating on the carpet.

Step 3

Allow the puppy to sniff the vinegar scent. Gently place her nose on an area sprayed with vinegar water. Do not rub her nose in it, because that will scare her.

Step 4

Take your puppy outside to potty frequently during the day to prevent accidents. Puppies have small bladders and may need to go out as many as six to eight times a day during training. Give the puppy an opportunity to potty outside after waking, before bed and after drinking water or eating food.

Step 5

Present the puppy with a dog treat after he potties outside and whenever he avoids making messes in the house. Rewards provide positive reinforcement.

Step 6

Clean up any household pet messes immediately. Use a cleaning cloth to soak up excess urine. Pick up feces with a paper towel, and throw it away. Spray the affected area with a generous amount of the vinegar water mixture until it is saturated. Scrub the mess clean with a fresh cleaning cloth. The vinegar will both disinfect the area and neutralize the odor.

Step 7

Soak a cleaning cloth with the vinegar mixture, and allow it to sit on tough spots for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, rub the debris away with the cloth.

Step 8

Dry the area with a towel. The towel will completely dry hard surfaces, such as linoleum, tile or wood. However, carpet needs to dry overnight. Avoid walking on the spot until it is completely dry. You can also use a blow dryer to speed up drying.

Comments (8)

Aug 8, 2009 puppy-luver1973

I am getting a puppy or a dog from the dog kennels for my birthday so this how to train your dog or puppy with vinegar water is a good idea thank you :-) fr om puppy-luver1973

Aug 12, 2009 puppy-luver1973

it works my friend got a new dog and i told her about this and it worked

Sep 1, 2009 normanddupre

it's not white vinegar, it is applecider vinegar, white vinegar leaves a sour smell worse than puppy pee and will take the finish off your floor.

Dec 18, 2009 snowy and me

ppl can i do the same for a grown up dog???

Jan 4, 2010 cubbie1998

can it work for a grown dog????

Jan 10, 2010 nicci marie

i just read this article.i can't wait to get started,i just gotten a miniture dachshund who just turned five mounths old,i have owned him(leon)now for four weeks,i must say the potty trianing has been terrible,i hope this also works on fellow pets bedding,leon is not bashful.thank you i hpoe this works.

Feb 20, 2010 Spencer110

This has good info in it for any dog owner who's dog has an accident. It's gotta be a lot cheaper than the stuff I use now! I'm going to have our rug cleaned soon and I will definately spray it with vinegar water.

Mar 11, 2010 MarieG

Vinegar will mask the odor, more than eliminate it. An enzyme-based deodorizer, available in most pet stores will work better. A bit more expensive, but work it. The spraying of the vinegar may deter the dog from the area at first. But, if the urine has soaked into the carpet pad, which is likely, the pheromone odors will remain, making it an area he will want to urinate on again.

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