Step one: Try to understand why your previously house-trained dog might be having accidents
We know it’s aggravating to have to clean up your dog’s messes, especially when you were so excited to think all that scrubbing was in the past. No matter how miserable your pet’s bathroom habits are making you, though, you owe it to them to try to understand what’s going on behind their behavior.
While potty training regression can be a normal part of your dog growing up without any clear cause — puppies have a lot going on and might simply be scatterbrained from time to time — it can also be the direct result of a physical problem or change in routine.
Here are some questions to help you figure out the reason behind your dog’s recent accidents.
A general rule of thumb is that puppies can hold their bladders one hour for every month of age. A four-month-old puppy can typically wait four hours while a six-month-old puppy can do six and so on, all the way up to the 8-10 hours we might expect from an adult dog.
That’s just a guideline, though:
It’s also possible that you’ve recently given your dog some mixed signals — or perhaps missed a few regular bathroom breaks — that have resulted in them feeling confused about when and where they’re supposed to go.
Don’t worry: This doesn’t mean you’re doing a bad job. Owning a dog is a lot of work, and mistakes happen to the best of us!
Just take a few minutes to think about your house training routine. Is everyone in your family on the same page? Is there a chance you haven’t noticed signals that your dog needs to go out? You might just need to clean up your communication.
Even if your dog has successfully practiced holding their bladder and bowels for months on end, a sudden illness might prevent them from waiting to go until they’re outside. This is especially likely if they’ve soiled their bed or favorite sleeping spot, since canines don’t like to use the bathroom where they rest (more on that later).
Common health causes of house training accidents include:
If you think your dog might be suffering from any of the above, get in touch with your vet right away! When potty training regression happens to an adult dog (older than a year) with no other obvious variables, there’s a good chance it’s driven at least in part by medical issues.
Stress can have a range of effects on our dogs’ bodies, making it more difficult for them to regulate their nervous systems, process new information, and — you guessed it — control their bladder and bowels.
Your dog might be feeling overwhelmed if you’ve recently:
In these instances, our dogs aren’t using the bathroom indoors to “get back at us” — they’re just confused and a little uncertain.
You should be able to clear up their accidents in no time by:
Sometimes our dogs experience chronic mental health struggles. Separation anxiety, past trauma, and more can contribute to house training problems.
Has your dog recently had an intense bad experience? Maybe they were attacked on a walk or accidentally left alone for too long while you dealt with another emergency. Are there any new stimuli in their regular bathroom spots? Have they been startled by inclement weather while trying to go outside?
If you think long-term anxiety could be the cause of your companion’s potty training regression, don’t worry — you’re not alone! Consider setting up an appointment with a certified vet behaviorist to evaluate what you should do next.
What is Potty Training Regression in Dogs?
Potty training regression in dogs is when a dog that has been potty trained starts to revert back to having accidents inside instead of going out to do their business. It is also called housebreaking regression.
Potty training regression does not refer to one-off incidents. Dogs can have an accident inside for a variety of reasons. Maybe they are puppies that are still learning, or your dog wasn’t feeling well that day, or they were left alone for too long without a potty break.
When accidents inside the house become a more common occurrence and seem like a pattern of behavior in a dog that has been previously potty trained, that is when it is considered potty training regression.
Housetraining regression – 3 common causes
Dogs between four months and a year old may develop housetraining issues related to their age. Just as with our own brains, the canine brain can undergo rewiring during adolescence, resulting in problematic behaviors. In dogs, these behaviors can include house-soiling.
A good way to both survive this period and conquer any potential housetraining regression is to offer structure to your adolescent dog through with positive training classes. Structured training can reduce destructive behaviors and positively affect housetraining regression. If the dog needs extra help, going back to the basics of taking him outside and rewarding for success can further help turn around the regression.
HAS YOUR DOG REGRESSED WITH POTTY TRAINING?
Little Bella was so difficult to potty, but you hung in there and now that she’s four months old, she rarely has an accident.
But, at four months old, she’s starting to act as if she’s never been trained. So, now you’re wondering how to potty train a 4-month-old puppy.