Puppy training involves constant vigilance. The owner must watch over the puppy's every movement and learn to anticipate when the puppy needs to be taken outdoors to relieve itself. Signs that a new dog or puppy is looking for a place to void include sniffing around the ground, often in circles; whining; and finally, squatting or leg lifting. Keeping a close watch over the puppy in training allows the owner to quickly direct the dog to the appropriate place to relieve itself. Doing this is important for teaching the pup, and also helps avoid messy accidents. It is also important to always reward the dog with positive feedback and sometimes treats, when the animal makes it to an appropriate place.

The use of puppy crate training and puppy training pads are two great ways to avoid accidents and protect carpets and fabric furnishings. Crate training teaches puppies how to hold their bladders, and most disposable wee wee puppy pads feature plastic backing so that the mess doesn't soak through. If the owner cannot be constantly present and vigilant, which most people cannot what with having to go to work, run errands, sleep, and otherwise live, crate training or pen training, in combination with the use of puppy training pads, are great alternatives.

Of course, puppies can be quick about urinating and even the most vigilant trainer will miss the occasional opportunity to take the dog out. Even older, well trained dogs will sometimes have accidents. When these accidents occur, there are a few things to do to ensure that the carpet is appropriately clean and won't smell of urine.

The first thing to do is blot the mess up with clean, white towels. Do not rub, as rubbing works the urine deeper into the carpet fibers and down into the carpet pad. It is much more difficult to get the spot thoroughly clean if the mess soaks all the way into the pad. White, or light colored towels or rags are important as colored towels might bleed dye onto the carpet. Many carpet cleaning sprays have slight amounts of color lighteners that help remove stains. These color lighteners can cause fabric dyes to bleed, especially when in contact with other fabrics.

Use of a carpet cleaning spray is essential to properly cleaning the mess. Once as much of the wetness is blotted up as is possible, use a good carpet spray according to manufacturer instructions. This usually involves a generous spraying of the affected area, a wait time of between five and twenty minutes, then a thorough blotting with clean white towels or rags. Once as much as possible of the carpet spray is blotted up, there is one more step to ensuring that the urine is thoroughly gone.

The last step is to use an enzymatic cleaner. Enzyme cleaners break down organic materials like urine and feces. Most pet supply stores sell liquid and powder enzyme cleaners that are specially formulated to take care of pet urine. Talk to the store employees about which brand they recommend-- many pet store employees have pets and are happy to share their personal experiences. Simply follow the directions on the label. Most liquid enzyme cleaners need to dry naturally without blotting in order to work to the full extent.

This method of cleaning up puppy training accidents is slightly time consuming and certainly dirties several towels, but is a great way to ensure that the mess and smell are thoroughly removed. It is also recommended that the carpets and any soiled furniture be professionally cleaned once the puppy housetraining is complete.