Toilet Training a pet

Pets are not just your furry friends, they are family members. They bring a lot of joy (and fur) into your life. It is wonderful having a pet waking you up in the morning, or keeping you company while you watch TV, or having your pet fawn all over you when you get home from work. But while an animal in the house can make a lot of difference to your life, there are some aspects of having a pet at home that you cannot ignore. As a general rule, animals create a big mess at home. The mess happens when they are toilet training, or when they are lapping up water, or eating their meals, or just by trailing dirt around the house. They shed hair everywhere, they might dirty the floor and your carpet and slop food all over the place. So these are things you must think about before you get a pet. Stain removal becomes an integral part of your life when you get home a pet.

Toilet Training

You can train your dog to use their own special toilet or go outside when they need to – it’s a matter of consistency and reinforcement of good habits. Start by protecting your carpets and floors! When the puppy is still frisky but willing to be trained, put down a lot padding on the floor. You can use old newspapers or towels if there is a chance of waste being spilled on the floor. Set a routine when you start training your new puppy. Puppies are likely to have less bladder control because they are still so young, so start by taking them out every 30 minutes or so. Very soon, it dawns on the puppy that it needs to ‘go’ outside the house, and within days, will start to give you cues when it needs to go, such as pacing, whining, waddling, and pawing at the door. By the time your dog is a year old, you will need to take them out less. As a rule of thumb, take your dog out three times a day – first thing in the morning, then around meal time, and finally before bed. There are times when your puppy will conduct his business inside the house. But don’t tell them off when they dirty your floor – instead, reinforce the good behavior of going out by giving them a treat.  In the unfortunate case that your puppy does his business inside the house, don’t tell it off if he makes a stain, but reinforce when he or she does outside with a treat, or with more attention^[1]. Your puppy does not need a scolding if you have Vanish to help you remove the stains off your carpet.

Meanwhile, you will find that cats are relatively easier to train than dogs. You will need litter and a litter tray (buy one with a shallower lip for kittens, so that they can be climbed in easily). You can buy both from a pet accessories store. Many cats are litter trained before you get them home – they learn this behavior by observing and copying their mothers^[2]. But if your kitten is very young and you are about to train it, then start by keeping the tray away from food and water. After you find the right spot for the tray, introduce your cat to it. The cat will walk away from it the first few times, but it will make a mental association with the tray. Again, if your cat makes a mess on the floor, don’t scold them but pick them up and put them in the litter tray. They will learn the lesson pretty soon. As for the mess, well… 

There’s Vanish Stain Removal!

For every kind of carpet stain (and not just those stains caused by dog or cat urine/feces) there are some easy stain removal steps you can follow. But the most effective solution for your pet stain problem is to use the Vanish 3 in 1 Carpet and Upholstery Shampoo, which helps remove any solid or liquid residue from your carpet. Start by testing the shampoo on a small patch of the carpet, to ensure that it does not leach colour. If your carpet remains unaffected, start using the Vanish shampoo as directed, on to the stained area, and leave it to dry for a bit. Leave the shampoo to work on the stain, then simply vacuum away when it dries. The shampoo can remove tough pet stains, as well as odours left behind. Now you won’t be so nervous about letting your pet gambol about on your lovely carpet!

[1] https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/house-training-adult-dog

[2] http://www.purina.co.uk/content/your-cat/cat-training/training-your-cat/litter-training-your-cat