Tips on cleaning potty accidents
One of the downsides to owning a dog is cleaning up after occasional potty accidents. Here are some tips based on my own personal experience.
Cleaning up accidents on hard surfaces (hardwood, laminate, or tile) is the easiest. I usually soak up the pee or pick up poop with a paper towel, wipe the surface with plain water, and lastly spray with Nature’s Miracle.
Cleaning up accidents on carpet is more difficult. Soak up the pee with paper towels by pressing down. Do not rub, scrub, or move side to side, as this will set the pee in more. Simply press down and get the paper towel to absorb the moisture. This process usually takes many paper towels and a bit of time. Generously dribble more water on the area and repeat. Finally, after all the moisture is out, spray down the area with Nature’s Miracle.
I usually do not do anything else, unless it’s a bad stain or there is poop. In this case, you can steam clean your carpets, which we have done before with a rented Rug Doctor. Or you can try the following method:
I learned of this method from Suki & Maximus who recommended it as a way to remove dog stains from carpet. I used this method to clean dried dog pee stains that were on my mattress (I know… eww… gross!). Start with some carpet cleaner (I used some from Rug Doctor, although others say Resolve works great too). Generously apply the cleaning solution to the stain. Then put a clean washcloth over the stain and weigh it down with something heavy. (I used a large laundry basket full of clothes. You might want something heavier for carpet.) Leave it there for a few hours (I waited 4-5 hours). Lastly, remove the cloth and weight, and let the mattress or carpet completely air dry with nothing on it. I found that this method of cleaner, cloth, and weight worked very well for my mattress.
Do not scrub. I attempted to scrub my mattress. This ruined part of the top of my mattress (I wasn’t smart enough to not scrub at all, but was smart enough to stop after I saw some damage).
Do not use ammonia based cleaners. They will attract your dog to have more accidents at the same spot.
Use a solution like Nature’s Miracle that will eliminate all pet odors. This part is critical. The pet specialty solutions will break down the odor causing enzymes that other regular cleaners won’t.
Use cold water. Warm or hot water will set protein stains (urine is a protein stain) into fibers.
Happy Cleaning!
Cleaning up accidents on hard surfaces (hardwood, laminate, or tile) is the easiest. I usually soak up the pee or pick up poop with a paper towel, wipe the surface with plain water, and lastly spray with Nature’s Miracle.
Cleaning up accidents on carpet is more difficult. Soak up the pee with paper towels by pressing down. Do not rub, scrub, or move side to side, as this will set the pee in more. Simply press down and get the paper towel to absorb the moisture. This process usually takes many paper towels and a bit of time. Generously dribble more water on the area and repeat. Finally, after all the moisture is out, spray down the area with Nature’s Miracle.
I usually do not do anything else, unless it’s a bad stain or there is poop. In this case, you can steam clean your carpets, which we have done before with a rented Rug Doctor. Or you can try the following method:
I learned of this method from Suki & Maximus who recommended it as a way to remove dog stains from carpet. I used this method to clean dried dog pee stains that were on my mattress (I know… eww… gross!). Start with some carpet cleaner (I used some from Rug Doctor, although others say Resolve works great too). Generously apply the cleaning solution to the stain. Then put a clean washcloth over the stain and weigh it down with something heavy. (I used a large laundry basket full of clothes. You might want something heavier for carpet.) Leave it there for a few hours (I waited 4-5 hours). Lastly, remove the cloth and weight, and let the mattress or carpet completely air dry with nothing on it. I found that this method of cleaner, cloth, and weight worked very well for my mattress.
Do not scrub. I attempted to scrub my mattress. This ruined part of the top of my mattress (I wasn’t smart enough to not scrub at all, but was smart enough to stop after I saw some damage).
Do not use ammonia based cleaners. They will attract your dog to have more accidents at the same spot.
Use a solution like Nature’s Miracle that will eliminate all pet odors. This part is critical. The pet specialty solutions will break down the odor causing enzymes that other regular cleaners won’t.
Use cold water. Warm or hot water will set protein stains (urine is a protein stain) into fibers.
Happy Cleaning!
Dreaming about your dogs
Do you dream about your dogs?
We do. Does that make us crazy dog people? I'm not sure. Yun tells me he has had anxious dreams of Jujube running away. Even though she stays close to us around the house, she loves to bolt out of the front door and run like the wind. Last night, I had dreams of Loki being around young children and me stressing out telling the mothers to keep their child away from Loki lest he bite them. In the dream nothing bad happened, but I was very stressed and worried.
We do. Does that make us crazy dog people? I'm not sure. Yun tells me he has had anxious dreams of Jujube running away. Even though she stays close to us around the house, she loves to bolt out of the front door and run like the wind. Last night, I had dreams of Loki being around young children and me stressing out telling the mothers to keep their child away from Loki lest he bite them. In the dream nothing bad happened, but I was very stressed and worried.
Random Shiba Links
This commercial featuring dogs in slow motion includes a shiba, which (obviously) is the most awesome one. The shiba shows up at 0:26, 0:36, and 0:47.
Thanks to The Keeks for sharing this on the Dogster Shiba Forums.
Thanks to The Keeks for sharing this on the Dogster Shiba Forums.
Things to do with a puppy
I had a reader ask me what sorts of things might a shiba puppy enjoy doing. Below I offer my tips, but if you have anything to add, please feel free to comment.
Puppies have lots of energy. They are both curious and hesitant about their world. The best part about getting a puppy is that everything is new to him. If you introduce a ball to your puppy, it's the first time that he's experiencing a ball. Here is Loki being introduced to a ball for the very first time. As you can see, he doesn't quite understand what it is. It was so fascinating to observe his reaction. I also remember when Loki first encountered a speed bump on the pavement. He was rather wary of it, but soon learned that it was nothing to be concerned about. I suggest that you slowly introduce many things to your puppy. Get him or her accustomed to all sorts of things, toys, textures, environments, and types of flooring. Also, get him or her accustomed to all sorts of people, dogs, and other animals.
When Loki was a puppy, we played with him using a bunch of different dog toys. You can try some standard games like fetch, wrestling, and chase. Here are some other ideas based upon what we did with Loki. We used some string to play with him. We gave him a puppy kong (Kong Small Puppy Toy
). Sometimes it was filled with dry kibble. Sometimes we used peanut butter. Sometimes we used banana. When he was a little older, we gave him some puzzles to solve to work his mind. For instance, we put kibble in a water bottle and he had to figure out how to get it out. (Later we stopped using a plastic bottle, because he's end up chewing on it. And instead we got a Tug-a-Jug.) And we also had him try to figure out how to retrieve a toy ball on top of his exercise pen. Loki also really enjoyed unstuffing his stuffed toys. I personally don't care for this activity, because it doesn't take long before the toy is completely destroyed. And lastly, of course, all puppies love doing the Shiba 500, which is when they run around like crazy. This isn't something that you do. They just do it all on their own, whenever they feel like it.
Puppies (as do all dogs) enjoy being outdoors. Take her on walks after she has received the necessary vaccinations. Let her explore the vast new world. Take her on hikes, to the beach, to the mountains, to park, to the lake, or to the busy city streets.
Life is about experiencing all that the world to offer. So be sure to offer those opportunities to your puppy.
Puppies have lots of energy. They are both curious and hesitant about their world. The best part about getting a puppy is that everything is new to him. If you introduce a ball to your puppy, it's the first time that he's experiencing a ball. Here is Loki being introduced to a ball for the very first time. As you can see, he doesn't quite understand what it is. It was so fascinating to observe his reaction. I also remember when Loki first encountered a speed bump on the pavement. He was rather wary of it, but soon learned that it was nothing to be concerned about. I suggest that you slowly introduce many things to your puppy. Get him or her accustomed to all sorts of things, toys, textures, environments, and types of flooring. Also, get him or her accustomed to all sorts of people, dogs, and other animals.
When Loki was a puppy, we played with him using a bunch of different dog toys. You can try some standard games like fetch, wrestling, and chase. Here are some other ideas based upon what we did with Loki. We used some string to play with him. We gave him a puppy kong (Kong Small Puppy Toy
). Sometimes it was filled with dry kibble. Sometimes we used peanut butter. Sometimes we used banana. When he was a little older, we gave him some puzzles to solve to work his mind. For instance, we put kibble in a water bottle and he had to figure out how to get it out. (Later we stopped using a plastic bottle, because he's end up chewing on it. And instead we got a Tug-a-Jug.) And we also had him try to figure out how to retrieve a toy ball on top of his exercise pen. Loki also really enjoyed unstuffing his stuffed toys. I personally don't care for this activity, because it doesn't take long before the toy is completely destroyed. And lastly, of course, all puppies love doing the Shiba 500, which is when they run around like crazy. This isn't something that you do. They just do it all on their own, whenever they feel like it.Puppies (as do all dogs) enjoy being outdoors. Take her on walks after she has received the necessary vaccinations. Let her explore the vast new world. Take her on hikes, to the beach, to the mountains, to park, to the lake, or to the busy city streets.
Life is about experiencing all that the world to offer. So be sure to offer those opportunities to your puppy.
Happy Valentine's Day & Lunar New Year
Looking all cozy on this lazy Sunday morning. Loki must be feeling particularly loving today, he let Jujube on the bed today.
Taken from my phone.
Taken from my phone.
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