Your dog urinating and defecating all around the house is one of the experiences, and while you love your dog by its cuteness, you will be fed up with this mess. This is not only due to bad toilet habits, but dogs on heat also do so. They urinate on the floor and to get even worse, they’ll urinate on your furniture. Such a mess is very difficult to clean and the smelly environment of the house will disturb you as well as the guests that come over.
Apparently, dog diapers are one of the most common solutions to this. Diapers offer a quick solution and do not require unnecessary hassle. However, some owners do not like their dogs to wear diapers as they think their dog will look foolish and peculiar.
There are several options in the market besides dog diapers. We will be discussing all of them here. All of them are affordable and effective alternatives and will help you keep your house clean.
Alternatives to diapers:
· Puppy pads:
Puppy pads are absorbent and disposable pads and are like big, flat diapers that you lay on the floor. They give out a scent that will entice your dog over. Once the dog urinates or defecates in the pad, you’’ have to throw it and use another one. So, puppy pads are a cheap, effective, and fun way for your dog to do about its business. If you are also used to changing dirty dog diapers every day, this won’t be a big deal for you.
· Spaying:
When your dog is on heat, you will see blood being left out on the floors for weeks. Diapers offer a short-term solution to this problem. However, spaying is the most effective and permanent solution. Spaying means to have the ovaries and the uterus of the dog removed so it won’t undergo heat cycles again. Also, it won’t be receptive to mating and will be unable to give birth.
According to research, spaying also balances the hormones and your dog won’t face any behavioral issues. As dogs urinate more than usual during the heat, diapers are an effective but short-term solution, while spaying is a better and permanent solution.
· Housebreaking:
Housebreaking your dog is the best and most effective alternative to diapers. If you train your dog to eliminate outside the house or in the yard, you will get rid of changing the diapers again and again. This will also add to the manners and the dog will be well-trained.
However, most owners think that their dog could not be trained because it had grown several weeks old. That’s not the case. Dogs of any age can be trained. However, it is better to train your dog when it is young or else, it will rely on diapers the whole life. So, never wait to train your dog until it is mature. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to teach her proper elimination habits.
· Medical help:
The dog may excessively urinate inside the house if it can’t keep it in. This will require a visit to the vet. Excessive urination can be a sign of health issues, like urinary tract infections. Even if the dog is wearing a diaper, you will have to change it frequently and that too comes with a lot of hassle. Therefore, medical help should be taken into consideration for its solution.
In most cases, frequent urination is also a cause of a physically weak bladder. A vet can help you to fix this problem by prescribing medicines. The medicines can be a course of a few weeks or in some cases, surgery will be required for a long-term solution.
· Homemade diapers:
If you don’t want to waste extra money on buying disposable dog pads frequently, you can make one at your home. They are just like the diapers you buy from the market and also, do not require a long-term solution. The only reason they can be beneficial is that you will be safe from visiting the market more often and spending money on disposable pads.
You can make a diaper yourself by using an old t-shirt or small-sized underwear. These pads need to be washed after every use and there are chances of more leakage if you haven’t used any leakage preventive measure.
Conclusion:
Diapers are an effective way of avoiding mess and smell inside the house, however, they are not a long-term solution. Spaying and housebreaking are by far the most effective way of avoiding the use of diapers and offer a permanent solution. It is better if you don’t let your dogs rely on diapers and train them properly as it can avoid any difficulty for you as well.
However, in most cases, urinating inside the house can be due to a health issue. Therefore, seek medical help before training your dog as it can be more effective.