Mourning for my soft furnishings

[Brazilianut]

I love my Labrador pup more than anything. 16 weeks old now and today for the first time I came home from a walk and was hit by the unmistakable lab smell in my home.

Weeing still isn’t under control and having to steam clean my wooden floors but I think the smell is starting to take hold.

All my gorgeous soft furnishings like my cushions and rugs have been put away, the leather sofa has been scratched up. Coffee table has teeth marks in it.

Lots of exercise for pup and teething toys but today I feel upset that I can’t have my home looking and smelling like I like it to, I know it’s an overreaction but I’m really house proud and like my clothes and house to look and smell good.

Anyone with labs/chewy dogs - will soft furnishings ever be safe again will it get better?

Do you need to allow your pup on the sofa? Our dogs have never been allowed on furniture, hence no scratches and cushions all in place and intact.

When is the dog chewing the coffee table? At 16 weeks I wouldn't be allowing the puppy access to rooms unaccompanied, so there shouldn't be chance to chew on furniture. Keep the puppy with you and make sure you have a chew toy to exchange for inappropriate chewing.

What are you using to clean weeing mistakes off your floors? You need something biological to get rid of the scent, steam cleaning alone won't shift it.

My grandparent's doors still had Labrador-teeth marks in them long after poor old Butch had been put to sleep.

It will get better but you've still got a way to go yet. Yes, definitely get a biological cleaner (someone will be along to recommend one I'm sure).

Wax melts and scented candles are your friend!

Yeah, I went through a period of mourning for my once clean and fresh-smelling home after DDog came to live with me. I'm fairly relaxed about it now.

Your house does not need to be taken over by the dogs honestly.

If you have a puppy get them a safe area that you are happy with and if they are not supervised let them settle in there. That will avoid teeth marks on furniture and them getting on the furnishings if you do not want them to.

Get some vet bed and if you invite the dogs on to the sofa have them sit on the vet bed which can be easily washed and quickly dried. As you have a leather sofa worth getting the rubber backed vet bed as it will not slip off but do not let your puppy chew this.

Hate to say it but keep an eye on your puppy and take them out every 30 mins will stop the indoor accidents. Always clean with an enzymatic cleaner which will stop the smell. If you can smell it your puppy can and WILL wee indoors again.

We kept to the kitchen for a very long time which meant it was puppy proofed so when my back was turned nothing terrible could happen.

In other rooms he wasn't allowed on the sofa until he was toilet trained and he was supervised at all times otherwise it was back in the kitchen. We also put down a large play pen with a cheap off cut of Lino under to protect the wooden floors in case of accident.

Your home doesn't have to be wrecked but you do need to consider how to manage the environment around them until they are older.

You need to puppy proof.

Mine was never left unattended to wee anywhere that didn't have hard floors. If I needed to leave him, he was left in the kitchen on lino. Similarly, he was never left where he could chew - you need to set up a pen or crated area where he can't cause any damage.

Young labs can be very destructive and chew a lot - the onus is on you to control their access to things until they're old enough to be trusted, which can take a good couple of years at least.

All our sofas were covered in blankets (still are) and the blankets are all washed once a week at least. He's allowed on the bed but again, bedding is washed weekly.

I vacuum once a day at a minimum, often twice, so hair etc. can't really get ingrained in the carpets. I also vacuum the the sofas and steam clean them (and the carpets) monthly.

The house is aired for at least an hour everyday and I burn scented wax melts whenever I'm at home.

Your home doesn't have to smell of dog or be destroyed BUT you do need to make an effort to make sure that doesn't happen, plus you need to teach the dog how to behave and what it can/can't chew.

Thanks so much for all your responses, really appreciated.

Yes I’ve been a bit lax when on zoom calls etc, he doesn’t go on the sofa but can reach the cushions and scratched the back of sofa.

Scented wax candles are the way to go as is the biological cleaner, I got an enzymatic one but it doesn’t seem to be very good.

Lately I’ve been walking him 3 times a day and it’s helped a bit, he’s exhausted in between mostly.

Thanks all for your experience and guidance

Have you tried the bitter apple spray (there are also stronger ones)?
Your dog is going to be teething so chewing is inevitable but there are some good natural chews (i.e. various dried animal parts) and chew toys so the chewing is redirected.
You also need to take your dog out for a wee many times. We were doing every half hour at the start. You can start to associate it with a word. My dog is a year old and (whispers) not the smartest but now I can say 'go wee' and he knows what is required.

I had a trainer who said dog training is 90% management so you need to keep him away from things you value. We bought a load of cheap baby gates. A play pen is also a good idea.

Be careful of scented candles as some are toxic for dogs eg paraffin wax.

I know it doesn't feel like it now, but it won't be like this forever. I only really keep my dog out of my office but he can pretty much be trusted everywhere else unless someone leaves a toilet roll where he can find it.

Really sorry to be one of those posters

Scented candles are really not a good idea for dogs.

The smell can be overpowering for them and alter their behaviour,some are toxic, most dogs are allergic/hate the citrus candles, make sure they do not contain paraffin, artificial fragances, and that they have cotton wicks.

I have a 7 month old pup (golden retriever) who has not wrecked anything. You need to limit access to areas you don’t want your dog to ruin

Use a crate, puppy pen, stair gates. Boundary train so they know where to settle
Use anti chew spray on anything they go for to chew and remove anything else you don’t want eaten. Redirect if you see a potential chewing situation so chew stick (yak bone etc) licky mat, kong for times you want your pup to settle quietly chewing and licking are calming so help your pup settle. Also reward nothing so when he’s settled give him some kibble - slow goood boy and leave it at that too much fussing isnt good. You want them to know that doing nothing is good. It’s hard work though. He also should be toilet trained by now. Teach him to pee/poo with a cue so hurry up or get busy or whatever you choose, praise and reward when he goes and learn his cues to go. Mine circles the room and looks at me occasionally I’ll get a woof

And with a lab unless you confine to kitchen where you can wipe down it’ll always smell a bit doggy. Good luck

I haven't got a lab but it has taken over two years to fully trust my dog not to wee (marking)/chew when I leave the house. We took a step back after lockdown and schools starting back as hes been used to us home much more.

I found vinegar to be very effective at getting rid of smells on carpets (I use it on stinky clothes too!)
I also read somewhere that it can remove even the scent that the dog can smell so they are less likely to return to the same spot and wee again - it worked for my pup

A weird one for when they roll in something unsavoury was ketchup

I'm cursed with a really good sense of smell. Labs reek. The clothing of lab owners smells, never mind the house. Sorry. Keep him off the furniture at least.

I don’t have a Labrador, nor a chewy dog but I am very house proud and like to think I have a lovely, sweet smelling home.

The main thing for me is good dog hygiene.
I brush my dog daily and get as much undercoat and loose hair out as possible and brush her teeth daily.
I think that helps a lot as imo smell is often largely their teeth and/or dead hair.

I don’t allow her on the furniture.
I used to but because she’s very active I ended up with ingrained dust and dirt rubbing off her coat and settling into the fibres of the sofa.

I vacuum obsessively.
At least once, if not two or three times a day and check the walls for mud splatters regularly.
I have all white silk paint walls so easy to wipe clean with a bleachy cloth.

Minimal carpets.
I only have my stairs carpeted and a Turkish rug in the lounge which is wonderfully easy to keep clean.
The rest is hardwood.

I have started buying fresh flowers, I try and get powerfully scented ones like freesias and lilies (do not buy lilies if you have cats or dogs that may chew them as they are very poisonous!)

And I agree re scented candles.
They are highly toxic and set off my DMs asthma and sometimes I get a bit tight chested around them too.
I used to have organic beeswax candles which as far as I know are non toxic but as me and DH have gone vegan we don’t use them anymore.
But I’d much sooner use beeswax candles over those awful paraffin ones.

I’m very houseproud too so hoover every day- i hoover the wooden floor too using the brush attachment.

I don’t use candles as I think they just add to the smell instead of getting rid of it (candle and dog isn’t nice), I fabreeze the cushions and dog bed twice a week and that helps.

I also open all the windows every morning and get a good through draught of air flowing through the home which I think helps.