How to Deal With Puppy Potty Training Regression

You thought those dreaded middle-of-the-night potty breaks were over. You were finally free from cleaning up puppy puddles. Then, suddenly, your furry friend starts having accidents again. It's frustrating, right? This puppy potty training regression is more common than you think. Don't worry; we'll help you get your pup back on track. We'll cover the common causes, offer practical solutions, and give you actionable steps to tackle this challenge together.

While potty training regression can be incredibly frustrating, it can also be fixed with the right approach. Take a deep breath and read on! Here’s how to handle your older puppy or fully grown adult dog peeing and pooping inside.

What is potty training regression?

Simply put, potty training regression is when a dog who’s already been house trained—and who previously seemed successful at holding their bladder and bowels for consistent intervals—suddenly starts using the bathroom inside again. These accidents might be triggered by specific things (more on that in the next section) or seem to come out of nowhere.

While potty training regression is unpleasant, the behavior is actually a common issue. Many owners report their older puppies regressing to an earlier phase of their house training abilities between four months to one year of age. Elderly dogs often struggle with incontinence, too. There are a variety of reasons for the behavior.

Most pet parents have experienced at least some level of house training regression—and we’ve all made it through! You’ve got this.

Key Takeaways

• Regression has many causes, and most are easy to fix: From puppy brain farts to changes in routine, most potty training regressions are temporary. A vet visit can rule out medical issues, especially for adult dogs.
• Clean up accidents completely: Enzymatic cleaners are your best friend. They eliminate the lingering scent of past accidents that encourages repeat offenses in the same spot.
• Go back to basics: Pretend your dog is a brand-new puppy! Consistent routines, frequent potty breaks, rewards for successes, and confinement when you can't supervise are key.

How to handle potty training regression

You should treat potty training regression the same way you’d go about house training a newly adopted adult dog:

1. Understand the cause of your companion’s indoor accidents.
2. Eliminate the scent of previous messes around your home.
3. Go back to a basic house training process.

You’ll be able to rebuild healthier habits in no time!

Developmental Stages and Hormonal Shifts

Just like human children, puppies go through various developmental stages that can impact their behavior, including their potty training habits. Hormonal fluctuations, especially during adolescence, can sometimes lead to temporary setbacks in house training. If your pup is going through a growth spurt, they might seem a little more forgetful than usual—and that includes remembering their potty training.

Regression Around 4-5 Months

Many owners observe a regression in potty training around the four- to five-month mark. This can be a confusing time, as the puppy may have seemed to grasp the concept of house training previously. This regression often coincides with a period of rapid physical and mental development. Essentially, your puppy’s brain is working overtime to grow, which can sometimes mean taking a temporary step back in other areas.

Regression Around 7-9 Months (Especially in Males)

Another common period for regression is between seven and nine months, particularly in male dogs. This is often linked to increasing testosterone levels as they reach sexual maturity. As experts explain, regression is normal at various ages (4+, 7+, and 10+ months) due to these developmental changes and hormonal shifts. Just as with the earlier regression phase, consistency and patience are key to getting back on track.

Inconsistent Training and Rewards

Sometimes, potty training regression isn't related to developmental stages at all. It can be a direct result of inconsistent training or rewards. It's easy to become less diligent with reinforcement once your dog seems reliably house-trained. However, inconsistent rewards can lead to confusion and accidents. Make sure you keep rewarding your dog for going potty outside, even if they've been accident-free for a while. This reinforces the desired behavior and helps prevent regression.

Stress, Anxiety, and Emotional Factors

Stress and anxiety can play a significant role in potty training regression. Changes in routine, a new pet or family member, moving to a new home, or even loud noises like fireworks can be stressful for dogs. Stress and anxiety can manifest in various ways, including accidents inside the house. Consider booking a Sniffspot to give your dog a safe and enriching place to de-stress. If you suspect stress is the culprit, try to identify and address the underlying cause. Creating a calm and predictable environment for your dog can help reduce anxiety and minimize accidents.

Medical Reasons for Regression

In some cases, potty training regression can be a sign of an underlying medical issue. Conditions like urinary tract infections (UTIs), incontinence, or inflammatory bowel disease can cause a dog to have accidents. If your dog suddenly starts having accidents and there doesn't seem to be a behavioral reason, it's crucial to consult your veterinarian. A vet can rule out any medical conditions and provide appropriate treatment if necessary.

Teething and Its Impact on Potty Training

Teething can be a surprisingly disruptive period for puppies, and it can sometimes affect their potty training. The discomfort and pain associated with teething can make it difficult for puppies to hold their bladder or bowels for as long as they usually would. Teething can cause potty training setbacks, but with consistent training and positive reinforcement, puppies typically get back on track once the teething phase is over. Providing safe chew toys can help alleviate teething discomfort and potentially minimize potty training disruptions.

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. Was it a one-off incident? Or do you have a bigger problem on your hands?

For young dogs: Did you increase your house training criteria too soon?

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:

• Small breeds have tinier bladders and higher metabolisms than large breeds do. Because of this, they might need more frequent bathroom breaks (even more often than one hour for every month of their age).
• Some dogs’ brains and bodies develop more slowly than others. If you’ve been increasing the periods between your dog’s bathroom breaks without waiting for them to have consistent success at the previous level, you might be moving too quickly.
• When in doubt, leave a shorter time between breaks.

For young dogs: Have you been inconsistent with your potty training process?

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 their potty routine. Your pup might not know 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? Are you offering your pup frequent breaks? 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.

For dogs of all ages: Could your pet have a medical condition like a urinary tract infection?

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 conditions that can cause house training accidents include:

• Urinary tract infections
• Kidney or bladder stones
• Bladder inflammation
• Kidney disease
• Genital skin infections
• Diabetes
• Gastrointestinal issues or upset
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Canine cognitive dysfunction in older dogs (often called “doggy dementia”)

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.

For dogs of all ages: Has your pet experienced any big life transitions?

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:

• Moved into a new house
• Brought another pet home
• Changed your work schedule
• Lost a family member (especially their favorite person)
• Experienced a sudden change in season
• Or so on

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:

1. Getting back to a consistent routine with basic training steps.
2. Building their confidence through training and play.
3. Providing regular exercise and appropriate enrichment activities to alleviate stress.

For dogs of all ages: Are your pet’s accidents linked to other behavioral problems like anxiety?

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 separation anxiety or another mental health problem 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.

Step two: Eliminate the scent of past accidents

Dogs have a natural instinct to relieve themselves where they’ve used the bathroom before. This is the reason why many adult pets choose to pee and poop in the same corner of their yard or block of their walk each day—and it’s also why one or two accidents inside your home can quickly turn into dozens more if not properly cleaned up. Urine is one of the strongest pet odors.

It’s important to thoroughly scrub all potty messes with an enzymatic cleaner. These special enzymes will remove all traces of previous markings! Since urine can have a powerful, pervasive smell to our dogs’ noses, regular soap and water won’t cut it here.

The Importance of Enzyme Cleaners

It’s important to thoroughly scrub all potty messes with an enzymatic cleaner. These special enzymes remove all traces of previous markings, which is key for discouraging repeat offenses. Regular soap and water won’t cut it here, since urine has a powerful, pervasive smell to our dogs’ noses. As we discussed in our post on how to house train an adult dog, dogs have a natural instinct to relieve themselves where they’ve gone before. Even one or two accidents can quickly turn into many more if not properly cleaned.

Think of it this way: you’re not just cleaning the visible mess; you’re erasing the invisible, olfactory “welcome mat” your dog has unintentionally laid down.

Step three: Go back to puppy potty training basics

If you’ve determined that your dog’s house training regression is not caused by underlying medical conditions or anxiety that you need to address with a certified professional, then your way forward is simple: Let go of your expectations and pretend your dog is a brand-new puppy!

We know it’s frustrating to feel like you’ve lost so much progress. With a little bit of consistency, though, potty training regression is usually easy to fix. It often takes less time than your initial housebreaking process did!

Here’s what to do. In short, getting your dog in a consistent daily routine will help improve their behavior.

Feed your dog on a schedule

If your dog eats on a regular schedule, it will be easier to predict when they need to use the bathroom.

• Feed them at the same time each day. Keep track of when they eat and when they use the bathroom so you can start to notice their individual patterns. Your dog should consistently process food in a predictable amount of time. (A bonus of this schedule: You’ll be able to notice any appetite or waste changes right away to get in touch with your vet.)
• Pay attention to any extra treats you give them during the day that might increase their need to relieve themselves.
• Give free access to water whenever possible, but be aware of any times they drink more than usual (like after playing or finishing a chew).

Take your dog outside at regular intervals (and increase the time between bathroom breaks slowly)

While an adult dog’s bladder should physically be able to hold more than a puppy, it’s still important to start small during the retraining process.

Take your dog outside more frequently than you think you need to at first. Slowly increase the intervals between their potty breaks only when they’ve shown they can consistently handle the previous amount of time.

To start, it’s a good idea to take your dog outside every 2-3 hours as well as shortly after they:

• Wake up in the morning or from a nap
• Finish a meal
• Play or engage in another activity

Encourage your dog to potty in the same area to create a predictable pattern

Remember when we said that dogs are inclined to use the bathroom in the same spot they’ve gone before? You can use this to your advantage outside! Try walking your dog in a small circle in the same corner of your yard to encourage a healthy habit of eliminating there.

Use a Consistent Potty Spot

Establishing a consistent potty spot for your dog can significantly aid in their house training process. Dogs have a natural instinct to relieve themselves where they’ve done so before, which is why many adult pets tend to choose the same corner of their yard or block for bathroom breaks. This is due to scent marking, and can make finding a private dog park through Sniffspot even more appealing if your dog prefers a specific type of ground cover or surface. By encouraging your dog to use the same area, you create a predictable pattern that helps them understand where it’s appropriate to go.

To reinforce this behavior, try walking your dog in a small circle in the designated potty area. This not only helps them associate that spot with bathroom breaks, but also encourages a healthy habit of eliminating there. For more tips on house training, check out this article on how to handle potty training regression. Start by taking your dog outside every 2-3 hours, especially after they wake up, finish a meal, or engage in play. This routine will help them develop a consistent bathroom schedule.

Use positive reinforcement when your dog gets potty training right

Don’t allow your dog to play or run around before they’ve gone potty—but as soon as they pee or poop outside, praise and reward them! You can use small training treats, physical affection, or a favorite toy to celebrate their job well done.

(Note: Wait until after your dog has finished eliminating so you don’t interrupt them in the act. You want to make sure they have time to fully empty their bladder, which can take more than 30 seconds in an adult, before offering a tasty treat or fun game.)

Reward During Elimination

Use positive reinforcement when your dog gets potty training right. Don’t allow your dog to play or run around before they’ve gone potty—but as soon as they pee or poop outside, praise and reward them! You can use small training treats, physical affection, or a favorite toy to celebrate their job well done. This positive reinforcement helps solidify the connection between eliminating outside and receiving something positive.

A quick note on timing: Wait until after your dog has finished eliminating so you don’t interrupt them in the act. You want to make sure they have time to fully empty their bladder, which can take more than 30 seconds in an adult dog, before offering a tasty treat or fun game. This ensures they associate the reward with the complete action. For more tips on reinforcing good potty habits, check out this article on potty training regression.

Keep your dog in a crate or pen when you’re unable to supervise

We previously mentioned that dogs don’t like to use the bathroom where they sleep or eat. By confining your pet to a smaller space (like a comfortable, appropriately sized kennel or wire pen), you can take advantage of this natural instinct to reduce the odds of accidents while you’re away.

Is your dog uncomfortable with confinement in a crate, or have you just never used one before? You can read more about kennel training an adult dog in this article!

You can also consider setting up designated potty pads in your dog’s environment if you have to leave them alone longer than you think they can hold their bladder.

Managing Excessive Water Intake

While it’s crucial for dogs to have free access to water, keep an eye on how much they’re drinking, especially after exercise or enjoying a chew. Giving them measured amounts of water with meals can help you establish a more predictable bathroom routine. If your dog consistently guzzles water throughout the day, consider spreading their meals out into smaller, more frequent portions. This can help regulate their water intake and, as a result, their bathroom breaks.

If you notice your dog drinking excessively, it could be a sign of an underlying health issue, such as diabetes or kidney disease. Always consult with your veterinarian if you see significant changes in your dog’s water consumption habits. It’s better to be safe than sorry, and early detection is key to managing many health conditions.

Step five: Get professional guidance if needed!

If you and your dog are still struggling even after going back to basics, it’s a good idea to reach out to a professional.

• Start with a full vet check if you haven’t already. Even if your dog was previously cleared, there’s a chance you missed something the first time around if they’re still having accidents. A second opinion never hurts.
• Find an in-person or virtual trainer you trust. They’ll be able to listen to your unique situation and propose tailored recommendations.

Finding the Right Resources and Support

Dealing with potty training regression can be challenging, but remember, you're not alone. Many dog owners experience this, and there are plenty of resources and support systems available to help you and your furry friend through it. Sometimes, a fresh perspective and expert guidance can make all the difference.

As we discussed earlier, understanding the underlying cause of the regression is the first step. If you suspect a medical issue, your veterinarian is your best resource. Conditions like urinary tract infections (UTIs), bladder stones, or even gastrointestinal problems can contribute to accidents. A quick checkup can rule these out or get your dog the necessary treatment. As Sniffspot's guide on Potty Training Regression points out, health issues are a common culprit, especially in adult dogs.

If medical issues are ruled out, a certified professional dog trainer or a veterinary behaviorist can offer valuable insights and personalized guidance. They can help you assess your current training methods, identify any inconsistencies, and develop a tailored plan to address the specific reasons for your dog's regression. Finding a trainer you connect with is key. A good trainer will offer support and create a plan to get your dog back on track. You can explore Sniffspot's list of top dog trainers as a starting point.

Online communities and forums dedicated to dog training and behavior can also be a great source of support. Connecting with other dog owners who have experienced similar challenges can provide reassurance, practical tips, and a sense of community. Sharing experiences and learning from others can be incredibly helpful during this frustrating time. Remember, as Zigzag's article on puppy potty training regression explains, this is a common issue, and many pet parents have successfully worked through it.

Trainer Review of this Article

There is so much misinformation out there, we want to make sure we only provide the highest quality information to our community. We have all of our articles reviewed by qualified, positive-only trainers.  

This is the trainer that reviewed this article:
Lindy Langum
Founder – K9 Fun Club Staff
Trainer – Summit Assistance Dogs
Certified in Canine Studies (CSS), NW School of Canine Studies

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• Potty Training Regression | How to Handle It | Sniffspot
• How to Potty Train a Dog
• Puppy Potty Training: How Long Does House Training Take?
• House to House Train an Adult Dog | Adult Dog Potty Training
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Frequently Asked Questions

My dog was completely house-trained for months, and now he’s suddenly having accidents again. Is this normal? It's surprisingly common for dogs to experience setbacks in their house training. This can happen for various reasons, ranging from simple developmental phases and hormonal shifts, especially in younger dogs, to changes in their environment or routine. Even medical reasons can sometimes be a factor. It's important to approach the situation with patience and understanding, and remember that with the right approach, you can absolutely get back on track.

My puppy seemed to understand house training, but now, at around four months old, she’s having accidents again. What should I do? Many owners notice a regression in potty training around the four-month mark, even if their puppy previously seemed to have it down. This often coincides with a period of rapid development, both physically and mentally. Essentially, their brains are working overtime to grow, which can sometimes mean taking a temporary step back in other areas, including potty training. Return to consistent training practices and be patient, and your puppy should regain their house-training skills.

Could my dog’s accidents be caused by a medical problem? Absolutely. While behavioral reasons are often the culprit, underlying medical conditions like urinary tract infections, bladder stones, or even digestive issues can lead to accidents. If your dog's accidents are sudden or frequent, or if you notice any other changes in their behavior or health, it's always best to consult your veterinarian to rule out any medical causes.

How can I tell if stress or anxiety is contributing to my dog’s house training regression? Changes in your dog's environment, routine, or household can trigger stress and anxiety, leading to accidents. Think about any recent transitions, such as moving to a new home, the addition of a new pet or family member, or even changes in your work schedule. If you suspect stress is a factor, focus on creating a calm and predictable environment for your dog, and consider consulting a professional trainer or behaviorist for additional support.

What’s the most effective way to clean up accidents and prevent my dog from repeating them in the same spot? Use an enzymatic cleaner specifically designed for pet messes. These cleaners contain enzymes that break down the odor-causing molecules in urine and feces, eliminating the scent markers that can attract your dog back to the same spot. Regular soap and water won't be enough to completely remove these scents, which are easily detectable by your dog's sensitive nose.

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