I know you said you don't like tile in living rooms, but I would tile as many rooms as you can and place a large area rug in the center of the LR with a smaller rug (cut from the rug he's already using)placed in front of the FP. Bandit has picked his spot, so you might as well work around that 'cause I don't think you'll be able to change his peepee pattern.

I know laminate doesn't like moisture.... I was thinking of putting a dog bed on the new flooring on his pee spot hoping he wouldn't pee where he sleeps. Also, he doesn't pee in our bedroom, so we could try to keep him there at night.
Is this wishful thinking?

If you go with laminate (would be my first choice) have the installers edge glue every plank. That will waterproof the laminate. You also might consider gong with one of the higher grade laminates - ones rated for commercial as well as residential use are nearly indestructible and are gorgeous - not fake looking or plasticy at all. Putting it in in my entire first floor has been my solution for puppies, geriatric cats and avid gardeners.

Oh dear. I just pulled up the carpet in my guest room only to discover a spot where my son's (it was his room) ferrets peed on the floor. Fortunately it is mostly covered by an area rug and chest, but if not the wood would have to be replaced. So, I feel your pain. You will most likely find stains under the carpet.

Bandit may change his pee spot once the carpet (with its alluring aroma) is gone. I'd go for the best laminate you can find. Is laminate the same as engineered wood or is that something else? I know some engineered woods are water proof.

If you can't afford to do what you really want to at this time, then the easiest solution is to just replace the carpet. But before you bring in the carpet installers, tear out the soiled carpet yourself and treat the pee area with something like Odormute to get rid of the odor. Let that dry thoroughly and then seal with a product such as Zinsser Sealer before laying the new carpet.

Then, if Bandit is doing this at night, I'd buy him a large crate to sleep in next to your bed. Also, take him for a long walk before bedtime.

If you're not happy with the laminate, don't add more of it to your home. BTW, I like the tile and think having such a neutral color works well with what you now have.

This is a delicate question, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but how much longer are you expecting Bandit to be around? If he's elderly, I'd just deal with is as best as you can, wait until he passes, and then buy whatever you want.

If he's still got a long life ahead of him, I'd definitely go with all tile. You can always add rugs, and if he pees on them, you can just throw them out and buy another. And after dealing with my own tile and a houseful of pets and a messy husband, I'd suggest chosing a color that closely resembles the dirt your family generates, and any color of grout except WHITE.

Good luck!

Not sure about any advise on the tile/laminate discussion, however, you probably do need to get rid of the carpet, at least that specific carpet. It might help to try and figure out why he's doing it.

How old is Bandit? Have you had him checked for any urinary problems? Are you making sure he has the opportunity to "go" often enough? Is he giving you a signal that he needs to go out and you're missing it?

You need to get rid of the smell that attracts him first. The pee has gone through the carpet and into the pad, and it's very hard to get it out. Once that's done, you might try crate training with him. When you can't watch him, he goes in the crate (or excercise pen). Put it somewhere in the living room or wherever you spend time so he doesn't feel like an outcast. It's small enough that he won't pee there because his bed is there. Give him the opportunity to go pee when he wakes up, after meals, after playing, before bedtime, etc. Treat him like you would a small toddler for a while, till he breaks the habit of peeing by the fireplace and make sure there's nothing there to attract him back. When he's loose, be sure to watch him for any signs that he's going to "go" and interrupt him as soon as possible. When you need to do something and can't watch him, put him back in confinement.

Use a word for him to go when you take him out, and when he does it praise him. We always start our puppies out by giving them treats when they go in the "potty" area, and in a few weeks they know what to do out there. They sleep in our bedroom in crates when they are little and will wake us up when they need to go. As they get older and have more control, they're allowed to sleep unrestrained. We have very few accidents in the house.

It's possible also, that he's "marking" his territory in the house. If that's the case, he probably has little respect for you and it may call for some counseling with a behaviorist to get it worked out.

As for stain removers, the only ones really worth anything are the "enzyme" type cleaners like Nature's Miracle or Petastic. You have to really soak the area and let the product work on the urine.

I hope you find a solution to the flooring dilema, and also the cause of the problem with Bandit.

I think I'd ban the little Bandit from the living room unattended and replace the carpet (and destink the heck out of the subfloor first). It doesn't sound like you love the tile or the laminate. I know some pets simply will NOT do as they ought no matter how crate trained or well-walked they are...but he blew it! There are some nice wood baby/pet gates.

Do you have a fabulous table lamp in every room? I think you do!

There could be a variety of reasons as to why Bandit feels the need to pee where he does, could be there was still a scent from another animal there and he felt it was okay. Regardless, even if he's an older dog, the habit can be corrected with the help of an animal trainer or behaviorist. These are certified trainers who will know the proper way to change that behavior and they are not grossly expensive either. The cost will certainly help to ensure that whatever you decide to install will not get destroyed.

This website has a list available with Behaviorists and Trainers in your area.

Here is a link that might be useful: Referred to me by my vet.

Thank you all for the suggestions. I see that nobody thought we should put the laminate from the hallway into the living room and, as I probably already knew, tile is the way to go.
Putting Bandit into therapy or closely monitoring his movements and location at all times won't work in our household.
I found the tile at Home Depot or Lowes on sale several years ago when my Mom moved in with us and we were renting this condo for her & vinyl wasn't lasting. I don't know if we can match it. I guess I'll check it out. The alternative is to tile from the entry through into the kitchen. The kitchen needs a total remodel and I was hoping to wait until I could afford to make all the decisions together on flooring and remodel. The other concern is that all 3 entrances would be out of business while waiting for morter and grout to dry...
Luckily, in our area, most homes are built on cement slabs. I was planning to pour bleach or something on the floor after the carpet and pad are removed to be sure that the smell is gone before recovering. I wonder if you can paint some kind of lacquer on a fireplace to seal it's absorbent nature....
Bandit turned 8 yesterday. We got him when he was about 8mths old from a woman who bought him with a mastif & was ready to give him to the pound because she had a lot on her plate. Although I've had animals all my life,collie mix mutts and cats,I've never had a purebred before. He's a soft coated wheaton terrier. Shortly after we got him, he ran away and landed in doggie jail. In the course of our search, we found him there and were informed that he had a chip. The chip people knew his birthday. He never ran away again.
He will go out into the greenbelt and come back when he's done. We just go clean up afterwards. I've never had a dog who wouldn't bolt after something or need a leash before. Whenever he goes near the door, someone lets him out. However, sometimes he'll still sneak over and pee near the fireplace when we're out of the room. He loves to mark his territory on every available tree, rock and plant whenever he sees another dog.
You don't stick terrier's noses into the pee and yell no while tapping on the snout.... It doesn't work. They don't respond like collie mixes. They just act stubborn. I've mentioned the peeing problem to several vets over the years while in for various skin irritations. I've invented & constructed diaper bands from various things but gave it up. Now, I'm down to giving him dirty looks when I run the carpet cleaner and he looks appropriately guilty. I've purchased the "good stuff" from petsmart & saturated the carpet & used a wetvac & blown fans on it only to smell a fresh batch of pee the next day.
Thanks for the compliment on my lamps. I inherited them from Mom. I like tiffany type lamps because you can clean them much more easily than cloth lampshades & I like the way they look.

Rather than decorating advice, I'd like to offer dog advice, that you clean up the marked area then keep him crated and treat him like a puppy, reeducating him to what the outdoors is for. And keep him crated when both of you are out of the house and maybe even out of the room.

Homeward bound, I understand if hiring someone isn't doable but rubbing a dogs nose in urine isn't a good option for any breed. We got a puppy 2.5 months ago, our first dog in years, and I'm amazed at all the training options available using nothing but positive reinforcement. Lucille's suggestion to use crate training is a good one and if you're not sure how it works, we'll be happy to explain it, it's very simple, not cruel and dogs of all ages respond to it well. The folks here may be in to decorating but if you venture to the conversations side of this forum, you'll also see they are very pet savy too!

The reason I keep talking about your dog instead of offering a flooring solution is because I truly believe that if you don't remedy the real problem which is Bandit's bad habit, it won't matter what kind of flooring you install, he will still find a place in the house to mark.

Not real decorative, but what about a gate across the livingroom. This was asked about on another thread and there are some great looking portable ones.

Also, I agree it is marking and there may have been a previous action going on in the same place or your move has him making his place known. He may also feel the need to become the head of the family.

The fireplace needs a good enzyme cleaner along with carpet and concrete underneath. Also try a strong lemon deodorizer, animals avoid it. I cant' stand this spray either. Zap pads are another idea, I can't go there, but you could put one down on the carpet up to the fireplace. Vinegar in water and spray him if caught?

Have looked at laminate too, but water seepage is a question for me. Full tile is becoming very common, started as a SW flooring years ago. You would still have the issue of marking and cleaning though.

Just found this article and thought it had some good reasoning/solutions. It even mentions bringing in a new piece of furniture may cause a dog to make his place known.

Here is a link that might be useful: marking

Urine smell and stain can be almost impossible to get rid of. It can severely affect the resale value of your home as well as your friends and family. Speaking from experience, I have purchased a home where they had two dogs that ran wild. We didn't smell anything much and figured we would give it a good cleaning but there was a persistent odor whenever it was damp which was only resolved when we replaced the floor. I also owned a dog and found I had to keep him contained in my tiled kitchen when he was unsupervised and at night. Finally, I have a very good friend who has dogs and whose house stinks! Neither my husband nor I can stand to go there. Apparently my friend is so used to the smell she doesn't sense it. She has her carpets cleaned but it doesn't help because the odor has probably gotten to the sub flooring.

I would contain the dog in the kitchen or other "safe" area to salvage the cleanliness of your home. You will have to really work
on the area in the living room to get rid of the damage already done.

I just had another idea. I know it's not a wildly popular choice for many, but what about vinyl sheet flooring? It's inexpensive, fast and easy to install, and there won't be any seams or cracks for anything to soak through if he goes there again.

We had a similar problem with one of our corgis, and we ended up using invisible fencing indoors. It kept her off carpeted areas, so she stayed in the kitchen and mudroom, and that solved the problem. It was a lifesaver, and kept our house and rugs from being ruined completely while still keeping our dog in the family!

He probably pees there because that's now "his toilet area". My old dog is now on heart meds w/a water pill. Since he's aged he doesn't tell me he has to go out like he did in his younger years. He has actually stood and peed right in front of me, probably coz w/the water pill he doesn't even know when he has to go.

Anyway, my home is new and I cannot have him peeing in it. My dog has never been paper trained - but, my laundry room has ceramic tile - and he stays in there when I'm not home.

I put one of those rubber mats that are in the backs of suv's down, then I put paper on top. My dog right away started to use the paper. Even when I am home, if he has to go he will use the paper. This from a 16 year old dog that has never been paper trained.
Using the rubber mat under the paper, makes clean up sooooo easy.
No it isn't the preetiest site in my laundry room, but it beats having my carpet and wood floors ruined.

We have a rubber mat that has worked well for our senile cat, he's 19. What we go through for our pets, LOL

Since we've had pets for years, I just feel I have to strongly second NJAnnRose's comment. You may not realize how bad things are, but your friends may be struggling with it unbeknownst to you. I have a friend whose home is impossible to be in now because of an aging dog, and her clothes are even starting to take on that odor. She thinks the dog is too important to part with and feels she has the situation under control. Please address the problem since that's an integral part of the solution.

Homeward - Not offering decorating solution, but offering Animal Behavior solution. My background is in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Behavior (which is why I frequent this site often, as my expertise lies with animals, not decorating). Terriers are notoriously independent and strong-willed, especially when it comes to being in charge and marking. I have know many Wheatens over the years and this seems to be a common problem. Wheatens can be trained, but it takes a lot of work and consistency...see the paragraph below taken from a Pet Training Site:

Terriers are very territorial and are quite prone to marking behavior. You also need to be very careful while housetraining Terriers because they have independent minds and often are unwilling to take commands. You need to be firm and patient while housetraining them as they are very clever and realize when they can get away without obeying orders.

So, not only is a fence a necessity, but making sure it is secure at the bottom is a daily duty for you. Otherwise, you will lose your dog when you let him out to go potty.

Terriers are extremely intelligent, independent, and inquisitive. They are quick to learn, but they may only obey when it suits them. Firmness and consistency are important in housetraining when you own a Terrier as they quickly learn exactly where and under what circumstances they can get away with not obeying.

Terriers that are Difficult to Housebreak
Cairn Terrier

Irish Terrier

Jack Russell Terrier

Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier
Norfolk Terrier

Norwich Terrier

West Highland White Terrier

I agree with the others...new flooring won't remedy this problem.

Another suggestion for your pooch, try a "belly band."

I'm not promoting this particular site, but here's a link with info and a photo.

Here is a link that might be useful: Belly band site

The quickest and easiest solution would be to put up gates so he can't go in there unattended. Have the carpet professionally cleaned and deodorized and that will solve the problem for now until you do your kitchen reno. I've found getting the carpet properly cleaned does get rid of the smell but only until the dog pees there again so you have to cut off his access to the room.

HAHA !! Colorblind1961 - Yep, my old dog is a Cairn and he was alittle difficult to housebreak, which I think males can be alittle more difficult than females also. But, once broke he never had any "accidents". In the home where he was brought up, rather than baby gates (husband would go insane if I even thought to do that) I bought those little beepers that you can put on furniture and put it on the floor in the areas he was not allowed to go. It gave off a loud ringing noise, then I would reinforce that with clapping my hands and scooting him out of the area. Didn't take long and he knew not to enter that room.

Housebreaking can be hard and this dog looks to be older than a puppy, I would restart the process and use a crate, then take Bandit out many, many times per day and give him a treat and loves of good boys when his duty was done...then he can come back in.

I would not design my home around bad behaviour. Accidents happen, but intentional/lazy peeing is not acceptable.

The owners have to create a schedule and stick to it. My dog goes out no less than 15 times a day, whether he has to go or not, and most times he will even if it's just alittle. He knows thats why he's out there..

Jeannie01...you hit the nail on the head. Living with furbabies should not interfere with your home's decor. Certain breeds, ie. the Terrier Group are blessed with great intellect...some I've met are smarter than their humans, Wheatens, especially. They require more than average patience and consistency. Terriers are a magnificent breed and have the brains to prove it. If this family restarts the process as you mention and puts in a little extra time, Bandit will excel at the learning process and everyone will be happier.

I would also suggest using bellybands. If you are handy with a sewing machine, you can easily make your own. I've fostered small breeds for rescue for years, and the belly bands are a real sanity saver. It's not a substitute for cleaning up all traces of the odor and embarking on a consistent potty training schedule, but will help keep the house clean while you work on the problem. If you aren't home during the day, gate him in an area that's easy to clean. When you are home, take him out every couple of hours, and then put the band on whenever he is in the house. Sending him out on his own is not the same as going out with him and teaching him that he's out there for a specific reason. An extra nice food reward when he eliminates outside helps, too, small pieces of hot dog or cooked chicken are great. Preventing accidents and marking will eliminate the odor that is bringing him back to the same spot to do it again. If he has lifted his leg on your upholstery, use scotchgard spray to seal in the odor after cleaning and drying thoroughly.My senior "marker" only wets his band once every few weeks, and usually only when he's been left home too long, ie. more than 5 hours. You can teach an older dog, but it will take a lot of patience and consistent training.
Good luck.

Crate house training is the easiest ways to housebreak a pet. When the dog is not crated it should be tethered to you at all times so he cannot sneak off to pee on the carpet. Consistency and patience and you'll have him rethinking his toilet habits in about 1 week or 2. Good luck

With respect to the flooring issue, in a condo all on one floor with lots of doorways and rooms, as you appear to have, a single flooring is an absolute must, with the exception of the bathrooms. Whether you use laminate or tile, it should be the same thing throughout. I am not a huge fan of laminate but it looks better every year and there definitely are some places in a home where it would be the best choice. The only place laminate would look completely out of place would be a very, very high end home. Most other houses' value would not be affected by it, particularly when compared to an "average" square tile from a home store. Both those flooring choices are roughly equal in terms of the value they confer, at least in our area of the south.

Just looked at the Belly Bands site - not sure all dogs would keep them on. But, they look interesting.

When my last dog was having kidney issues, I got her a sock type thing to wear and then I bought Poise pads and put them inside. It worked wonderfully to catch the urine/water. Since she was sooo old, she really didn't care that she had to wear it. Luckily, with meds and special dog food the condition went away after about 6 months. I still miss and think of that old girl almost 16 years since she's been gone.

Bandit knows that he goes outside to "go potty". He subtly stands near the door with neither a bark nor a scratch, waiting for his humans to know his intentions. Once out, he takes in the breeze, nose held high. Then, he waters & claims certain bushes, grass and trees. For more substantial business, he crosses over and selects an area near the fence. Birds can fly by unnoticed, cats can strut their stuff with no audience from him. He brushes off other dogs, though, for them, he'll water more thoroughly than he's even capable of. After all, he's the most interesting human/dog in the world and where he roams, he's king. Only people are worth his attention. They have the most delectable smells; especially their head & face. Sometimes, he'll jump up to 4 feet just to get a whiff. He has memories of the scary things that happened 7 years ago when he ventured away from his new home to find his old humans. He will never end up in that awful jail again.

In the house, things are cool as long as he acts like he knows his place. His humans have shown him that they have incredible strength and can hold him in one spot at their will. He can not overcome them, so he concedes. They protect the little growing one when she's around. So he must be careful. After all, she feeds him from the tall chair when the big humans aren't looking. But he shall be victorious in the end! He'd done it in the other place and so shall he mark his ultimate presence in this place; right in front of the place where his humans focus much of their attention. This place; HIS place: his "mark in the sand". He created it and he's innately drawn to refresh it constantly. Oh, they try to claim it with that loud, wet thing and those offensive smelly powders and sprays (what are they thinking???), but he will ensure it is returned to its rightful aroma when the time is right:when the humans sleep. It is not simply relief, it is his duty. He instinctively knows that no other area will absorb and hold his presence as will this. He's learned that it must be done in private, just like when he needed to get the unattended GOOD food on the high place in the food room that time. Yes, humans have some silly notions & they're too strong to go up against. You just have to know how to work around them.

I read that in nature, dogs seek out a private area and dig a hole to sleep. This keeps them protected, secure and hidden from view of other animals when they're sleeping and most vulnerable. From this fact, the idea of putting them in a crate to sleep was formed. I also read that they live in "packs" and the most dominant dog is the leader of the pack. He'll often lay his head over the other's backs to assert his dominance (as I've often done with Bandit).

Question: I see a difference in making your own hole and climbing in and having someone lock you in a cage beyond your control. I also see that with terriers, it is important to maintain a dominant position. Does locking you dog in a cage make them more secure and demonstrate your dominance? Or could it cause terror and rebellion?

You're a great writer. I really enjoyed your narration from Bandit's perspective.

We have two Australian Shepherds; both sleep in a cage. We adopted one as a puppy and one as a 4-year-old. Both go to their cages at night without incident and seem to look forward to it. (Especially the older dog, who, I think, just likes to have his space to himself!). We don't keep them in the cages at any other time, nor when we leave, though we used to. They are both the sweetest, best behaved dogs and don't seem to hold any grudges against us for it.:)

I will say that when we first got Cody (the older dog), we found him marking a few times over where he smelled the puppy had had accidents, but that was just for a short while.
Dee

It sounds like you are initiating a crating debate. Feelings run high, but everyone is entitled to their beliefs.

I believe crates keep dogs prone to doing so, from chewing electric lines and getting into all sorts of trouble.

And I believe that when stressed and overworked like many families are today, crating may once in a while keep the dog from that last nerve, the one where the family decides it can't keep the dog.

As far as the terror and rebellion deal, my own dogs run into their crates where it is quiet and comfy, and there is a kong waiting sometimes filled with yummies. Their contented munching before snoozing is something they look forward to.

But as I say, we're all entitled, and I respect whatever it is you feel as long as you return the favor.

I used crates when two of my dogs were puppies, and for any adopted adult dogs and foster babies that were not stressed by the crate. A crate can be a safe spot when you can't have your eyes on a new dog, a place to sleep where they can't get into trouble, a safe way to transport a dog on a long drive, or a place to keep a dog who is ill or injured from overdoing it or injuring himself.
The problems arise when people abuse the crate. One of the rescues I volunteered with specified that a dog should not spend more than a total of 4 hours per day in a crate, unless it is at night when sleeping, and I think that's reasonable. I've known dogs who liked their crates, and would go there for a nap, and at bedtime, without being told to go there.
That said, laminate flooring has a reputation for swelling up when wet like particle board. If you think an accident could go unnoticed for more than a couple of hours, it may not be the best choice, though I hear that top quality laminates perform better in this department.
Tile or vinyl will hold up better. Wood can be damaged and discolored if not cleaned up fairly quickly, but if it's polyurethaned and you clean up, should be OK.
You can make an emergency belly band from a man's long tube sock for a small dog, or a piece of towel. Put a "poise" type pad inside and put it around the boy parts and pin, tie, or duct tape it together on top. Not too tight, but snug enough so that he can't squirm out of it. You can cut the pad in half for a med. or small dog.

I didn't read all the responses, so I hope this isn't repeating what someone else said. One thing that may work is putting food down where Bandit is soiling (after cleaning the carpet of course). Dogs won't pee where they eat or sleep, unless it is due to illness. We did this with our dogs shortly after adopting them when one was having accidents (?) on the carpeting in the library downstairs. The accidents stopped. I just sprinkled kibble around the room for a couple of nights.

The crate is suppose to be a temporary thing, not a "life sentence." My dogs love their crates that they go in and out of at will. Once they were trained they claimed them as their dens. My cats do the same.

I was the slave of a terrier once and he didn't need crate training. Obedience school was all it took and he learned who was the leader of the pack and stopped all his bad behaviors.

If a dog who is housebroken soils and is not elderly or sick, then it's a dominance behavior.

Lucille, I'm not trying to start a debate.I tend to dissect things to figure them out & it sometimes sounds confrontational. Sorry for the confusion.

I try to put myself in the other's place to figure out the actions (the beginning story). After I think I understand the problem, I look for the best solution. In this case, I'm going to try to match up the inexpensive tile we have and get rid of the carpet until we can manage a more comprehensive project.I've considered putting a doggie bed in that spot (maybe he won't pee where he sleeps?) If nothing else, it will be much easier to clean & will visually maintain the neutrality of the flooring.

Meanwhile, we still have carpet in the bedroom where Bandit sleeps with us and has never soiled. Will he start if we tile? I don't know.

We have a 2 yr old grand daughter who frequently comes over. I don't understand how he rates her position vs his in our "pack". Would he be jealous if he were forced to be confined? If so, how might he act out? She sometimes sleeps over in our bed.

Am I off base and a crate would be more of a gift to him: his very own space?
Does it need to stay in one spot (don't have many spots for one here).
Is it our best option or should we just tile and see what happens?

I have much more research to do to understand the "training" part of crate training. I have a lot of questions & need to suppliment my personal feelings about confinement with more knowledge about dog's & crates, what the proceedure is or if there is an actual proceedure.

I'm thinking of trying the diaper band idea again & see if I can get some cooperation to do it consistently every night. My husband kind of cringed last time and wouldn't put it on him if I fell asleep first.

Some people suggested gates. We had those around for my grand daugher for a while. Wheaten Terriers have springs in their legs. They can jump right over a gate. Weighing about 35 lbs, they can bounce straight up & down to eye level with a 6 foot male if they want to.

Okay, here is my take. We have a dog that just loves to pee over places where the previous owner's dog peed. We are in the process of changing all of our floors to wood laminate. They are regular old laminate. I would have liked to change it all to hardwood, but half the house was already done when we moved in. :( Oh well.

Our pergo (the original kind) that was glued together works just great. If anything sits on it, we never get any bubbling spots. The newer pergo that snaps together lets the water underneath to sit (our humidifier dripped out one day). So, fyi there.

I've found, however, that our dog won't pee on any of the wood. Just carpet. I don't know why that is. So, if you're going to do the whole laminate route. I don't know if your dog will do the same thing. But, you might find that your dog won't pee on your tile floor either. Might be a safe bet. Carpet is somewhat close in nature to grass. :) Our dog will go out of her way to find a rug to pee on rather than pee on the wood floor.

You definitely need to kilz the whole area. Our floors (where the carpet is now gone) has been completely kilzed to cut lingering smells. I'd go with the laminate and have that glued together if possible. My mom redid her whole home (with laminate) and her dogs still pee all over. I swear to you. Every time I go over there, one of those dogs have peed somewhere before I got there and while I'm there. Every time. She has bubbling spots in a few areas. I've since found out that you can replace those spots and drop a new flooring part into it. But, who want's to do all that. At our home and at my mom's, we have baby gates. That seems to cut down on the peeing issue here, but not so much at my mom's.

By nature, dogs are going to pee on softer surfaces as it mimics grass. They will always go back to the same places to pee, especially if there had been a previous dog there. Though we don't crate our dog, we do keep her in her dog bed with a gate in front of it. That dog bed is cushier than my bed. So, I don't feel too bad.

Honestly, your dog is almost eight now. Unless you're on top of it and you're willing to crate her and watch her like a hawk, I don't think you're going to fix this. Your best bet is to replace that carpet with glued laminate or tile. Kilzing is a must, though. Do your best to watch her and just expect that you're going to be cleaning up pee probably forever. :( Sad to say, but it's most likely true. I'd expect though, that your dog will find something like a rug to pee on rather than your new floor.

She is getting up in age too. She is already geriatric. I'd consider the tile to be a little too rough for her especially as her joints deteriorate. If it were me, I'd go with the glued laminate or even a wood look plank linoleum until you don't have to worry about it anymore...

That's coming from someone who deals with smart and moronic dogs (which we have now). I worked for a vet's office for years and years during college and after. Backed out at the last minute on vet school and the whole bit. We saw this same problem with tons of dogs. Some dogs are just too stubborn/moronic to change and we are too soft heart-ed to really fix it. :)

what about the tile that looks like wood?

I think the grout surrounding ceramic tile is porous and will absorb some urine, even if it is sealed.

I just read your plea from 2011 about changing your floors because of dog pee. Hopefully, you solved your problem by now four years later! I had the same problem as you with different dogs throughout the years and about 10 years ago I bought a product called Amtico. It is a vinyl tile and you can get all different kinds of patterns. They etch the vinyl with laser and can make it look like all different kinds of wood, travertine etc. It might not look as beautiful as real wood floors but I think other characteristics makes it a better choice if you have pets. The tiles are glued down so if the dog pees on the tile, it doesn't go between the cracks and under boards or go into grouting. Unlike wood floors, you can scrub them and get them really clean. It's difficult to scratch and it doesn't warp or stain. If something should happen to one of the tiles, it can be pulled up and replaced by gluing another one in its place. It's not a cheap product but I feel I've saved myself a lot of money by not having to sand and restain my floors ever again. In the future if you should ever get this product, have professional installers do it (preferably people who have laid down Amtico before). I had a handyman do one of my rooms at a later date and he did not make sure the floor was smooth underneath . It doesn't look like wood if you see any wavering in the linoleum strips. The original flooring done by professionals 10 years ago still looks great. Many people think it's real wood.

Here's what I did for my peeing pups..put tile on floor and bought a large 'ruggables' rug..they look great..can get in a large size and are MACHINE WASHABLE! Problem solved!