Homemade Potty Training Sprays For Puppies: Effective & Affordable Solution

One of the most annoying parts of potty training I experienced was when my pooch wouldn’t stop relieving himself in the same space. No matter how much soap, water, and disinfectant I used to clean the area, I would always find him urinating in the same corner. 

After a while, that area began to reek of urine. So, I just gave up and made it my dog’s new potty spot.

I wish I had known about how useful these potty sprays could be; this powerful, 2-ingredient homemade spray works miracles for potty training. 

All you need is a light mist, & your dog will never want to go in the same area again. 

How Does It Work?

There are 2 types of urination behaviors in dogs: one is for the purpose of relieving their bladder & the other is called marking. Marking is a bit like puppy graffiti. It exists for the sole purpose of showing other dogs that your pup has been here too!

Some dogs may engage in marking behaviors at home because they feel territorial over their space & want to show other dogs that they have been there as well. 

So, it may become a habit for them to pee in the same corner of the house every day. However, with a pungent potty spray that can remove the odor of urine, your pup will find this smell unfamiliar & uncomfortable, and he won’t return to this spot to potty. 

Materials Needed

For this super easy DIY, you really only need 6 items. 

• White Vinegar
  • I like white vinegar the most because it has a really pungent smell with no color. I noticed that if I continuously sprayed apple cider vinegar on the same spot on my white carpet, a small stain would form.
• Water
  • You can use distilled or tap water (whichever works for you).
• Spray Bottle
• Soap
• Paper Towels
• Dog Treats
  • I love using baby carrots because they don’t require any cooking, & my pup absolutely loves them!
• Optional:
  • Baking Soda
  • Washcloth

Step-By-Step Instructions

So, your pup has peed indoors – yet again! Here’s everything you should do to limit this bad behavior in the future.

1. Gentle reprimanding: If you catch your pup & he’s in the middle of peeing, use a firm “No!” command, pick him up and let him finish outdoors or on a potty pad. He should not think that this behavior is acceptable, as this can form a habit.

2. Mix the ingredients together: Since this potty spray really only requires 2 ingredients to make, it’s very quick to throw together. Add 1 cup of white vinegar & 1 cup of water to a spray bottle. Shake vigorously to combine.

3. Clean area: Clean the area where your pup has urinated. First, soak up the excess urine with some paper towels & then wipe it down with some regular soap & water. 

4. Spray: Lightly mist at least 2-3 sprays of your homemade repellent spray on the affected area. Don’t overdo it, as the smell could become overpowering, & the acidity from the vinegar-water mixture may damage your flooring.  

5. Build an association: Now, you can reintroduce your pup to this area. Chances are he will go directly to where he peed & sniff around, but he won’t recognize the smell anymore. When he catches the smell of the vinegar odor, he will strongly dislike this area & likely won’t come back to pee there. Dogs prefer to pee in areas where there is already a potty scent, so he won’t recognize this area with the strong vinegar scent.  

6. Positive reinforcement for potty training: The best way to ensure your dog doesn’t pee indoors is to give him plenty of chances to go outside. Wait 2 hours after he had his accident & try taking him outside. Use words like “Make” or “Go Potty” to help establish a verbal command. If your dog does relieve himself, then this is an opportunity for positive reinforcement. Give him a yummy treat & tons of verbal praise. If he doesn’t relieve himself, try taking him out again in 30 minutes or an hour. In this way, your dog won’t even want to go indoors anymore! Not only does it smell like the vinegar water combination, but he knows that if he goes outside, he gets rewarded lavishly.

7. Treat stubborn stains: Sometimes, these potty stains are impossible to remove with just this vinegar & water solution. In this case, you might need a more heavy-duty method of getting rid of soiling.
   • First, pick up any fecal matter with a paper towel & throw it in the garbage. 
   • Sprinkle an ample amount of baking soda on the stain. There should be enough to fully cover it.
   • Spray your vinegar & water combination on the baking soda. Keep spraying until you don’t notice any more bubbling. 
   • Let this sit for around 5-10 minutes. The longer you leave it on, the more likely that the stain will lift.
   • Using a damp washcloth, rub off all the baking soda & cleaning solution. The stain should be completely lifted by now!
   • If it isn’t, take a sopping wet washcloth & dip it in soap. Scrub with a forceful circular motion until sudsy. 
   • Then, use a clean, damp washcloth & remove the soap. The stain should be completely gone by this point.

Conclusion

I hope that you found this tutorial for a DIY puppy potty repellent spray informative. This spray is extremely useful because it is non-toxic and will also discourage your puppy from marking inside the house. 

However, the most important thing to remember is to give your dog plenty of chances to relieve himself throughout the day. Also, use loads of positive reinforcement to make the thought of going outside as enticing as possible.

If you found this article informative, please share it with friends! Leave a comment down below if you have another recipe for a DIY potty spray or some tips on the potty training process.

Thanks for reading!