[Eveee]

Hi brains trust!
I recently made a post saying our 5 months old rescue, which we adopted a week ago suddenly decided to sleep by himself downstairs on the couch in the last few nights, even though he loves nothing more but cuddling and being as close as possible. We thought he may be sad or doesn’t like his bed, but downstairs he’ll sleep in it just fine.
However I think we figured out what the actual problem is. The second night he stayed with us, he has peed on the carpet in our bedroom upstairs, which we didn’t think was unusual and may have just be an accident. I cleaned the area, but it repeatedly happened almost evey time we took him upstairs and tonight he actually pooped there. He never pees or poops anywhere else in the house and has a designated spot outside in our yard from the beginning, which he has free access to. I think he associates our bedroom with potty time, and it’s not actually a real accident. So when we take him there, he thinks it’s time to potty, like when we go on walks.
We’ve taken him downstairs and outside every time it happened straight after and I cleaned the areas with vinegar and antibacterial cleaner - I think he doesn’t like the smell so he won’t stay up there anymore. Fair enough: who wants to sleep in their potty spot? The previous tenants had a cat and a dog, we think they may have left a scent on the carpet, as the rest of the house has floorboards.
But now we’re a bit clueless on how to correct this behaviour. We always make sure he pees and poops before sleeping, and doesn’t drink too much 1-2h before bed time, but then upstairs it still feels like he’ll push a little wee out, because he thinks he’s supposed to.
We want to get the carpet probably steam cleaned to get rid of it properly, but how are we making sure he’ll start recognising the bedroom for what it is? Sleepy time. Not poopy time 😅 One Option would be to make the bedroom a puppy free zone, as he seems fine by himself downstairs, but we’d love him with us at night and I think he’d love that too if he felt comfortable in that room. There’s also no option to close that area off as it’s a attic kinda open bedroom that has no door.
Any ideas?

 

[Shadowfox]

That would certainly do it....
I must say, go through it with an enzymatic cleaner, and the vinegar might be making it worse. Not only as an unpleasant smell, but the ammonia can make dogs think it's pee. An old piece of advice on teaching a puppy to pee somewhere specifically that worked was to spray it with vinegar.
Next, especially because of past tenants, I'd get a blacklight and check for any pee spots they missed. Clean, steam clean, check. If it's too horrifying, could you do anything about replacing the carpet? Getting a large rug or something over it?
Then, after all this, maybe try rearranging the furniture into "a new room". For some, it's worked, for me it never would. But it couldn't hurt.

 

[Schnauzaluv]

I think vinegar is safe and effective to use to clean up urine spots. It actually breaks down proteins and disinfects more than most people realize. I know bleach is not safe to mix with urine (ammonia) as it causes a toxic gas reaction. Maybe that's what Shadowfox was thinking. But I agree, an enzymic cleaner might be even better and more effective. I would feel better anyway.

Fun fact: As for soap, it only bonds debris and dirt to water to be washed or soaked up, so not effectively cleaning the urine in a carpet. No idea about steam cleaning, but the chemical reaction in enzymic cleaners and uric acid (in vinegar) essentially eliminating urine.

Info from

Remember that uric acid we talked about? When vinegar is poured onto the contaminated area, within 5-10 minutes, that stain will be broken down and essentially eliminate the urine. On top of that, vinegar’s components serve as a natural germ-killer, although not as effective as bleach, will kill the most common household bacteria. Distilled white vinegar has the capability to kill 99% of surface bacteria, 80% of germs, and 82% of molds.

 

[Madra Anamchara]

In addition to checking, cleaning, and possibly replacing that carpet upstairs, I would also treat the bedroom as a place to go back to the basics of potty training.

In other words, when he comes up watch him constantly and when you see the slightest indication he is about to pee, interrupt him with a little "uh-oh" or "no-no" (spoken very mildly, and in a sort of sing-song with no anger or frustration in your voice) and take him directly down and outside to his potty area. If you repeatedly do this and do it with 100% consistency, you will show him that he is mistaken about the bedroom being a potty place and retrain him so that he sees that area as he sees the rest of the house.

Cleaning up is one thing, and a very important one, but it won't be enough unless you retrain him.

 

[Madra Anamchara]

That would certainly do it....
I must say, go through it with an enzymatic cleaner, and the vinegar might be making it worse. Not only as an unpleasant smell, but the ammonia can make dogs think it's pee.

I don't understand this statement.......vinegar doesn't contain ammonia.......

 

[Shadowfox]

Neither do I 😛 I think I was trying for " but the ammonia in some cleaners can make." That, or my chem test tomorrow is in trouble