Does Dog Pee damage laminate flooring?

Dog hiding eyes

Unless you are a quick draw on the mop; dog urine will damage laminate flooring, real wood flooring, engineered wood and tile grout.

Dog pee generally has a PH neutral reading at first but if left it will become acidic. This is what damages certain types of flooring. (It is also what causes the strong odour)

Unfortunately with a lot of flooring the pee will be absorbed into the floor itself or underneath and this is what can make the issue very difficult and expensive.

If you have these types of floors you need to clean the spill/accident immediately to prevent damage to your flooring.

Laminate:
The effect it will have on a laminate floor is that it can cause swelling of the planks, and create a nasty odour once it seeps through to your sub-floor. Once the pee has penetrated the top of the laminate you will need to lift the whole floor in order to clean up the mess.

Real wood/engineered flooring:
Without immediate attention dog pee will damage your wood flooring, so you must wipe up spills as soon as they occur. If this is not possible you will need to sanding down the top layer of the  flooring to remove stains/damage.

Tile Grout:
If dog pee is absorbed into the grout lines you will need to apply a bleach solution to bring the grout back to white. If you are a dog owner it is advisable to use a dark coloured grouting, however  the smell will impregnate all unsealed grout lines so cleaning can become a chore.

The solution: Floors For Paws
Floors For Paws is 100% waterproof and hypo-allergenic. It will not absorb pee or allow it to seep through. You can rest assure that however long it is left on our flooring it will not stain or mark.

Wherever your dog goes; go Floors For Paws https://www.floorsforpaws.com/free-samples/

The Best Flooring for Puppies

Puppy on Floors for paws

The Best flooring for a new puppy

We all know the excitement of bringing home your new puppy; those doleful eyes that make you want wrap your puppy in cotton wool and never let it leave your sight -The proof that love at first sight is real and the kids say ‘you’re the best parents in the world!’

Success; everyone is in love and happy. Now for the practical……

Short of taking your puppy into the garden at 15 minute intervals your puppy is going to pee (and worse) on your carpet at some point. (Crate training can be a good way to avoid this, but personally I find making a puppy sleep near their own mess is a little mean)

So as you clean your carpet for the seventh time in two days you start to think; ‘I need a new floor – ceramic will be good. Its wipe clean – problem solved.’ Unfortunately your little puppy will be like Bambi on ice on smooth flooring, and your vets bills will far out weigh the cost the new floor.

Laminate? Prone to scratching, and moisture underneath the top covering

Stone? Urine can soak into the stone

Wood? Scratches and stains

So What is the best flooring for puppies???

Floors For Paws is stain proof, waterproof, Anti-slip and Anti-scratch. Wherever your dog goes: go Floors For Paws. The world’s best flooring for dogs & dog owners.

For more information on our products and to browse our selection, click here to explore our PawSafe Domestic Range.

If you want the best flooring for your puppy, simply call us today on 01522 300218 to find out more, or  drop us an email to info@floorsforpaws.com

Simple Steps to Toilet Train Your Puppy

Toilet training your puppy should be quite a simple process, as long as you take the time and trouble to get into a good routine. Initially, you will have to build your routine around your puppy’s needs, and these are reliably predictable when they are very young. Puppies need to urinate immediately after waking up, so you need to be there to take your puppy straight into the garden without any delay.

Eating its meal stimulates its digestive system, and puppies normally urinate within fifteen minutes of eating, and defecate within half an hour of eating (although this might vary slightly with each individual). Puppies have very poor bladder control, and need to urinate at least every hour or two. They can urinate spontaneously when they get excited, so take your puppy out frequently if it has been active, playing or exploring.

You may find it useful to keep a record of when your puppy eats sleeps, urinates and defecates. A simple diary list will do. Repeat cue words like ‘wee wees’ and ‘poo poos’ or ‘be busy’ and ‘be clean’ while the puppy is actually urinating or defecating. Use different words for each action so that you will be able to prompt the puppy later on.

Always go with your puppy into the garden so you are there to reward and attach the cue words to the successful actions! Fortunately, puppies are creatures of habit, so as long as you introduce the garden to your puppy as its toilet area early on, you should be able to avoid most of the common pitfalls.

Unfortunately there are many reasons why ‘toilet training’ might not go as smoothly as it could, so make sure you do not make any of the following mistakes:

  • Over-feeding.
  • Feeding an unsuitable diet or giving a variety of foods.
  • Not feeding at regular times.
  • Feeding at the wrong times (which could cause overnight defecation).
  • Punishing the puppy for its indoor accidents (which can make it scared of toileting in front of you – even outside).
  • Feeding salty foods (e.g. stock from cubes) which makes them drink more.
  • Using ammonia based cleaning compounds (which smell similar to urine).
  • Expecting the puppy to tell you when it needs to go out; this is unrealistic, so it is better to take them out at regular intervals.
  • Leaving the back door open for the puppy to come and go as it pleases (a puppy will think that the garden is an adventure playground, rather than a toilet area. Also, what is a puppy meant to
  • do when the weather gets cold, and it is faced with a closed back door?).
  • Leaving the puppy on its own too long, so that it is forced to go indoors (which sets a bad precedent, or even a habit of going indoors).
  • Mistakenly associating the words ‘good girl’ or ‘good boy’ when they toilet, as opposed to the specific cue words. Guess what could happen the next time you praise your dog?
  • Access to rugs or carpet (which are nice and absorbent – just like grass).
  • Laziness on your part, resulting in more wees indoors than outdoors.
  • Leaving the puppy alone in the garden, so you are not there to reward it for going outdoors… how is it meant to learn that it is more popular and advantageous going outdoors, if you are not there to show your approval?
  • It is unfair to expect your puppy to go right through the night when it is very young.
  • Sleeping the puppy in a crate or puppy pen can help with house training but you should let it out in the garden to relieve itself during the night.

Watch The BBC series 10 Puppies and Us to find out how new puppy Maple gets on with toilet training!

Having a flooring which easy to clean and does not absorb moisture due to the double laminated wear layer is of great benefit during these times. Fortunately ‘Floors for Paws’ offers all of this along with style and durability.