[Laz]

Hi, my family wants to get a puppy, but the previous residents of our house let their dogs relieve themselves inside on the wooden floors for decades. Humans can't smell it, but I bet dogs can! We're worried that the new puppy would assume that it was okay to go inside too, since it will be able to smell the ancient accidents.

We can't seal the floors, and I think that so much stinky stuff has seeped in that smell-neutralizers wouldn't do the trick.

I was wondering if we could train the pup NOT to pee where it smells a certain smell, (maybe peppermint oil?) and then we could put a little of that substance on the floors.

Any thoughts?

Thank you!

 

[Lillith]

If the wooden floors aren't too scratched and appear to still be sealed, you might be able to get the smell out using a product like Nature's Miracle. No harm in trying. Or perhaps have the floors professionally cleaned. Really, if they have been letting dogs go on their floors for decades, it may be good for YOUR health as well if the floors are professionally cleaned, or refinished/replaced if its really bad. Just because you can't smell it doesn't mean it isn't harmful to you.

Unless you can tell exactly where the other dogs have peed, you will probably have to keep your whole house doused in peppermint oil! Sounds kind of impractical, to me. You can still train a pup not to pee in the house even if there is old accident smells, it may just be a bit harder.

 

[Laz]

If the wooden floors aren't too scratched and appear to still be sealed, you might be able to get the smell out using a product like Nature's Miracle. No harm in trying. Or perhaps have the floors professionally cleaned. Really, if they have been letting dogs go on their floors for decades, it may be good for YOUR health as well if the floors are professionally cleaned, or refinished/replaced if its really bad. Just because you can't smell it doesn't mean it isn't harmful to you.

Unless you can tell exactly where the other dogs have peed, you will probably have to keep your whole house doused in peppermint oil! Sounds kind of impractical, to me. You can still train a pup not to pee in the house even if there is old accident smells, it may just be a bit harder.

Thanks for your reply. My hope is that the substance (peppermint oil?) would seep in so we wouldn't have to keep dousing the house all the time!

 

[Lillith]

Thanks for your reply. My hope is that the substance (peppermint oil?) would seep in so we wouldn't have to keep dousing the house all the time!

That's not how it works, unfortunately. You would be better off using a product that actually destroys the smell, such as Nature's Miracle. It has special enzymes which break down the scent of body waste to eliminate it. Peppermint oil doesn't destroy the smell (not to mention, that much peppermint oil might irritate the dog, who have infinitely more sensitive noses than we do) and does wear off eventually. Again, you would have to know where the dogs actually went.

It really depends on how bad the damage is, though. Was this a hoarding situation? In cases with lots of pet waste damaging the floors, sometimes the only option is to replace, and sometimes a good professional cleaning will do the trick. Did the previous owners just move out? I guess I don't know how long pet waste smells remain, but if they're old enough perhaps they won't be of any consequence at all.

 

[Shell]

Hi, my family wants to get a puppy, but the previous residents of our house let their dogs relieve themselves inside on the wooden floors for decades. Humans can't smell it, but I bet dogs can! We're worried that the new puppy would assume that it was okay to go inside too, since it will be able to smell the ancient accidents.

We can't seal the floors, and I think that so much stinky stuff has seeped in that smell-neutralizers wouldn't do the trick.

I was wondering if we could train the pup NOT to pee where it smells a certain smell, (maybe peppermint oil?) and then we could put a little of that substance on the floors.

Any thoughts?

Thank you!

If the hardwood floors were not well sealed, then decades of animal waste is a serious and disgusting problem. I'd be surprised if there isn't a smell (I am in real estate, I have been in hoarder houses). But regardless of smell, it is likely the floors are damaged and will continue to soak up any fluids whether from a new puppy or just a spill from a drink etc.

If they are true hardwood floors, then most likely sanding and refinishing is the best option. If you are in the US, the big box home improvement stores rent floor sanders and while it is a lot of physical labor, it isn't a hugely expensive thing to do if you are able to put in the work.

Adding any kind of scent or oil is just making the floors worse and highly unlikely to do anything towards deterring a pup from peeing.

If it is not true hardwood but rather laminate of some kind, you may be better off replacing the floors completely. Luxury vinyl plank, wood look tile and similar are more moisture durable options than hardwood.

If you are a renter, discuss repairing the floors with your landlord.

 

[CptJack]

If the floors look terrible already, money is a problem and you need a short term solution ? Paint with Killz until you can replace the floors.