It can be difficult sometimes to potty train a puppy. Consequently, it can be upsetting when a dog or puppy who has mastered potty training begins to regress and have accidents once more. There are numerous factors that can cause dogs’ potty training to regress. Here’s what you need to know:
What is Puppy Potty Training Regression?
Before you continue, allow me to explain what dog training regression is. Basically, this is when your dog reverts to an earlier behavior, such as soiling your home, and moves backward in his learning trajectory.
If you believe you had a successful training session and that your dog would never subject you to all of these, you are mistaken.
Regression in house training is fairly typical in dogs, particularly in puppies. Yes, regression in puppy potty training occurs most frequently between the ages of 4 months and 1 year.
But that doesn’t mean your dog can’t exhibit this behavior when it’s three or four years old. Regression in training can occur in your dog at any age for a variety of reasons.
Here Ive discussed all the probable causes in detail. Just scroll down and have a look.
What Happens When a Puppy Turns Four Months Old?
Your puppy, assuming you got him when he was eight or nine weeks old, will have learned a lot. You spent time working on his crate training, house training, and other skills.
By the time your puppy is four months old, it becomes clear. He’s learning and retaining his training at a rapid pace.
Assuming you’ve worked with getting him accustomed to being crated, he is typically crate trained.
He’s getting his adult teeth. So he’s losing those needle-like shark teeth. And he’s mouthing less.
His bladder-controlling muscles are beginning to fully develop.
Around four months old, he usually finishes all of his vaccinations and is then able to travel further.
You’re a proud puppy parent. It looks like smooth sailing from here on in. Then, you seem to hit the proverbial wall.
When he is four months old, it seems like all of your efforts have been for naught.
Don’t despair. There are reasons for this happening.
Puppy May Not Indicate When He Has To Potty
Your puppy began alerting you to potty needs by the age of four months. When the door opened, he would bark or even ring a bell.
However, all of a sudden, he stops alerting you when he needs to go potty. Instead, he just has an accident.
FAQ
At what age do puppies regress?
Regression typically happens when the dog is four months to a year old. Regression is a psychological term that refers to going back to a previous developmental stage. So the puppy might regress to a stage where he wasn’t properly or at all potty trained.
Is potty training regression normal in puppies?
Regression in potty training is unpleasant, but the behavior is not unusual. Between the ages of four months and a year, many owners report that their older puppies regress to an earlier stage of their housetraining skills. Elderly dogs often struggle with incontinence, too.
Why has my puppy started peeing and pooping in the house again?
If your dog is having frequent accidents inside the house, they may have a health problem or their routine, diet, or living conditions may have changed. Making an appointment with your veterinarian is the first step to rule out a medical cause.
Why is my dog all of a sudden not potty trained?
Some dogs may begin house-soiling as a result of household changes, such as a family member becoming very stressed, dying, or leaving the home. Returning to regularly taking the dog outside and rewarding him with treats when he eliminates is a good way to solve this problem.