There are many different types of smells that dogs dislike. Their sense of smell is vastly superior to humans.
Humans have around 6 million olfactory receptors in their noses, whereas dogs have approximately 300 million.
The area of their brain that is responsible for analyzing smells is 40 times the size of the equivalent area in a human brain.
These things add together to make canine sense of smells far superior to ours. Their smell is so advanced that they can sniff out a single drop of scented liquid in the equivalent volume to 20 Olympic swimming pools.
This means that smells are a very effective way to communicate with your dog and a useful training aid to modify their behavior.
The main component of vinegar is acetic acid. This is a smell that dogs hate and so the vinegar can be used as a deterrent. When your dog smells a scent they dislike, they will no longer pee in that spot.
Dogs will pee in your home as a way to mark their territory. This is a natural behavior for them but can be very annoying for puppy parents.
You will want to nip this in the bud as soon as possible to avoid it becoming a larger problem. In most cases, a deterrent spray and consistent verbal reinforcement should be sufficient to stop this behavior.
To make a urine deterrent spray for your home, you will need white vinegar. Combine this with an equal volume of water in a spray bottle.
Shake well to mix and then spray on your carpet. This is a particularly effective method if your dog continually pees in one specific area of your home. After cleaning up the urine, we recommend spraying this vinegar solution generously across the dampened area.
If you do not neutralize the smell of urine in your home with something stronger, your dog will continue to pee in the same places. If the stench is particularly strong, you can use undiluted vinegar instead of combining it with water.
This method is only effective on fresh urine stains that are still damp.
What smell do dogs hate to pee on?
There are many smells that dogs dislike. One such smell is anything citrus. The oils that are contained in the rinds of citrus fruits irritate the delicate respiratory system of your dog.
To incorporate this into your homemade deterrent spray, you could add 15 – 20 drops of citrus-scented essential oil.
If you opt to do this, the essential oil must be adequately diluted if you spray the mixture onto a surface your dog can lick.
This is because the essential oils can be toxic to your dog in high concentrations.
Alternatively, you could place some citrus rinds in pee hotspots in your home. If you want a stronger alternative, blend up the rinds and sprinkle the resulting powder around your home.
This is also a very useful way to prevent your dog from digging up your yard.
Dogs also hate the smell of chili peppers, such as jalapenos. Their olfactory systems are very sensitive to the spice and they will instantly stay away.
The safest way to use chili peppers is to grind them up and mix the paste with water in a spray bottle. This will deter your dog from peeing in the sprayed areas, without harming your dog’s respiratory system.
If you notice adverse reactions in your dog, we recommend grinding the chilis with the seeds removed.
Ammonia is another smell that dogs strongly dislike. The scent is very overwhelming for them and they will want to stay far away.
Combine equal volumes of water and ammonia in a spray bottle and spray anywhere that you notice your dog peeing.
A solution that is equal parts water and isopropyl alcohol will help to eliminate urine scents from the carpet. This will help to break down the ammonia in the urine.
There are many commercial deterrent sprays you can purchase, such as Nature’s Miracle Advanced Stain and Odor Eliminator.
These are commonly enzymatic cleaners. This means that they contain a chemical compound that speeds up the reaction and breaks down proteins in the pee.
These cleaners will break down the scents in the pee, so much so that even your dog will no longer be able to smell it. Many common household cleaners will only mask the smell of the pee rather than eliminating it.
Before applying one of these cleaning sprays, you should blot the dampness on the carpet using a paper towel or cloth. Once as much moisture as possible has been removed, spray liberally with the enzymatic cleaner.
Place a clean cloth on the top and cover with something heavy. Allow this to sit here for 24 hours to absorb all of the moisture.
