How do I help my dog settle into the new home?

The ASPCA says: During the moving process, try to keep your pet's routine as normal as possible. It adds: However, a new and unfamiliar space can be overwhelming to your pets. Start by allowing them to adjust to one room.

Should I go back to house training basics?

Humane World for Animals says: Choose a consistent bathroom spot outside and always take your puppy there on a leash. Once your puppy has finished, reward them immediately with praise or a treat to reinforce the behavior.

Can odors from a previous owner's pets matter?

A UC Davis veterinary handout says: Marking often occurs in areas where other dogs have urine marked. No source we checked covers odors left by a previous owner's pets specifically.

Dog Peeing in a New House After Moving: Cleanup and What Helps

Q: Why might my dog pee in the house after we move?

The AKC lists among reasons dogs might mark in the house: Bringing a sense of odor familiarity to an environment that is new to the dog (such as when they enter a new home). The ASPCA says: Moving to a new residence can trigger the development of separation anxiety.

Q: Should I punish my dog for an accident I find later?

Humane World for Animals says: Don't punish your pet. Punishment only increases their anxiety and may cause them to hide when they need to go to the bathroom, thereby decreasing their ability to give you a cue when they need to go outside.

Q: How should I clean a fresh accident on carpet?

Humane World for Animals says: Rinse the "accident zone" thoroughly with clean, cool water and blot dry. It warns: Avoid cleaning chemicals such as ammonia or vinegar. Strong chemical odors may encourage your pet to reinforce the urine scent mark in that area.

This guide covers dogs that have accidents or mark indoors after moving into a new house or apartment: possible reasons, how to help your dog settle and learn the new potty routine, and how to clean new accidents and old pet odors. It uses what the ASPCA, the American Kennel Club (AKC), Humane World for Animals, the UC Davis veterinary school and the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) say.

Why a move can lead to accidents

The ASPCA's moving guide says: "However, a new and unfamiliar space can be overwhelming to your pets." It also notes: "Older dogs, puppies and dogs with house training issues will need to go outside often, which might be difficult in an apartment building with lots of stairs or a house without a yard."

On marking, the AKC says: "Marking alters the smell in the house and can help a dog feel more comfortable in their surroundings. It can also be a sign of stress or anxiety." Among the reasons dogs might mark in the house, it lists "Bringing a sense of odor familiarity to an environment that is new to the dog (such as when they enter a new home)". If you see small amounts on walls or furniture, see Dog Marking Indoors: Cleanup That Discourages Repeat Marking.

The ASPCA's separation anxiety article says: "Moving to a new residence can trigger the development of separation anxiety." If accidents happen mainly while you are out, see Dog Pees When Left Alone: Cleanup and What Helps.

For older dogs, the ASPCA says: "Since they're often less adaptable to change, some older dogs might begin soiling in the house if there's a change in their schedule, environment or household."

Sources: ASPCA, Moving With Your Pet; AKC, Dog Urine Marking vs. Peeing: How to Tell the Difference; ASPCA, Separation Anxiety; ASPCA, Behavior Problems in Older Dogs.

Smells left by earlier pets

A University of California, Davis veterinary handout on urine marking says: "Marking often occurs in areas where other dogs have urine marked". It lists among social factors "the introduction of something new, such as grocery bags, people, or furniture." No source we checked covers odors left by a previous owner's pets specifically.

To find old spots, Humane World for Animals says: "In some cases, old messes will have dried invisibly and be hard to locate." It suggests: "Use your nose to sniff out soiled areas." and "If you have a black light, use it to identify soiled areas and lightly outline the areas with chalk." See also Why Does My House Smell Like Dog Pee? Finding the Source and How to Get Old, Dried Pet Urine Stains Out.

Sources: UC Davis Clinical Animal Behavior Service, Urine Marking in Dogs (PDF); Humane World for Animals, Get urine smell and pet stains out of carpet.

Help your dog settle in

The ASPCA says: "During the moving process, try to keep your pet's routine as normal as possible." On arrival, it advises: "Start by allowing them to adjust to one room", and then: "When they seem comfortable, gradually introduce them to other rooms in the house, while keeping some doors shut."

Humane World for Animals says: "Keep their routine and environment as consistent as possible and advocate for them in situations that might spark the behavior." It gives that advice for dogs with submissive urination.

Sources: ASPCA, Moving With Your Pet; Humane World for Animals, How to stop your dog from peeing in the house.

House train again in the new place

For marking, Humane World for Animals says: "Use techniques for house-training an adult dog to modify your dog's marking behavior." For older dogs, once any medical issues are treated, the ASPCA says you will need to "reestablish proper house training with the same methods you used when he was a puppy." It adds: "These methods include close supervision indoors, confinement in a crate or other small area away from previously soiled sites when you can't closely supervise, and a regular, frequent schedule of trips outdoors with tasty rewards for outdoor elimination."

Humane World for Animals' puppy house-training steps say:

One potty spot: "Choose a consistent bathroom spot outside and always take your puppy there on a leash."
Reward right away: "Once your puppy has finished, reward them immediately with praise or a treat to reinforce the behavior."
Supervise: "Until your puppy is reliably potty trained, supervise them closely while indoors."
Crate when you cannot watch: "Another option is crate training, a reliable and humane method for confinement."

The AKC says: "Consistently pairing the cue, the action, and the reward can make bathroom trips more efficient and help reinforce good habits in new environments." Humane World for Animals also says: "Watch your dog when they are indoors for signs that they are thinking about urinating and calmly take them outside." For more on the basics, see Puppy Accidents: Cleanup Steps That Stop Repeat Spots, and if your dog is newly adopted, New Rescue Dog Peeing in the House: Cleanup and the First Weeks.

Humane World for Animals adds: "If your pet is having regular accidents, have them checked by a veterinarian to rule out medical causes."

Sources: Humane World for Animals, How to stop your dog from peeing in the house; ASPCA, Behavior Problems in Older Dogs; Humane World for Animals, How to Potty Train a Puppy; AKC, How to Potty Train Your Puppy and Prevent Accidents Indoors; Humane World for Animals, Get urine smell and pet stains out of carpet.

Do not punish after the fact

Humane World for Animals says: "Don't punish your pet. Punishment only increases their anxiety and may cause them to hide when they need to go to the bathroom, thereby decreasing their ability to give you a cue when they need to go outside." The UC Davis handout says: "Do not punish your dog after the fact by rubbing their nose in it, etc as your dog will not associate it with the marking that happened awhile ago."

Sources: Humane World for Animals, How to stop your dog from peeing in the house; UC Davis, Urine Marking in Dogs (PDF).

Clean new accidents and old odors

For a fresh spot on carpet, Humane World for Animals says: "Rinse the "accident zone" thoroughly with clean, cool water and blot dry." The CRI says "Blot; don't scrub." and "you should still pretest any cleaner on a scrap of carpet or in an out-of-the-way area of your carpet."

For set stains, Humane World for Animals says: "Consider renting a carpet cleaner from your local hardware or grocery store." The CRI says: "Don't use a steam cleaner when dealing with urine spots because the heat will set the stain and the smell." Humane World for Animals warns:

"Avoid cleaning chemicals such as ammonia or vinegar. Strong chemical odors may encourage your pet to reinforce the urine scent mark in that area."

It also says: "Your job will be more difficult if urine has soaked down into the padding underneath your carpet. In some cases, you may need to replace portions of carpet and padding." See Pet Urine in Carpet Padding: How to Tell and What to Do. For hard floors, see How to Clean Pet Urine From Laminate and Vinyl Plank Floors and How to Clean Dog Pee From Tile and Grout.

After cleaning, it says: "As long as your pet can smell their personal scent, they may continue to return to the "accident zone."" More on that: Why Do Dogs and Cats Keep Peeing in the Same Spot? If the smell returns, see Pet Urine Smell Came Back After Cleaning: Why and What to Do. If you are also leaving a rental, see Pet Cleanup Kit's rental move-out guide.

Sources: Humane World for Animals, Get urine smell and pet stains out of carpet; CRI, Cleaning and Maintenance.

Using P-Cleaner

P-Cleaner is the Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator Foaming Liquid from Pet Cleanup Kit. The product listing says: "Our rinse-free, water-based formula tackles the toughest stains and odors from urine, feces, vomit, and other organic messes on carpets, rugs, upholstery, and hard surfaces." It also says: "Works on carpets, upholstery, tile, and more.", "No scrubbing necessary" and "Odor-Free & Residue-Free". Test it on a hidden spot first, as the CRI advises above. Follow the directions on the product label.

Buy P-Cleaner on petcleanupkit.com

Quoted from the petcleanupkit.com product listing.