Sudden Reversal Of House Training In Puppy!

[UltimatePup]

Hi

Our pup seemed to be doing so well. Then one accident in the house yesterday, then another at midday today, then a veritable TORRENT this evening - four HUGE pees in the house in the space of three hours. I don't even know where all this liquid is coming from. That's 6 errors in 6 entirely different spots in 24 hours, following a week of zero errors! She even did one right after coming in from being outside.

What does it mean? What should we do?!!! I'm feeling really quite anxious about it - not to mention rather a puppy mommy failure .

She's full of energy now at 10 weeks old, and used to being around the house, so I don't feel that a return to strict confinement is fair/viable/wise...but...? Please help! What's going on and what must we do?

Thanks!

Edit: Sorry, just realised this should really be in the Puppy Problems section...

Edited December 27, 2010 by UltimatePup

[persephone]

Go back to basics, would be my suggestion.. she is still only a baby ,after all.

The different routines around Christmas may have upset her internal clocks ...or she may have a bladder infection .Just go back to frequent accompanied outside trips, lots of praise, etc... don't restrict her liquid intake ...keep things calm.. and perhaps consider a vet visit if things don't settle in a day or so.

[OSoSwift]

If she is weeing often she may have a urinary tract infection infection.

I would confine her more and take her to get looked at. If you can collect it a urine sample to take with you is a good idea (sterile ideally)

If it is hot or she is running around more she could be drinking more therefore urinating more. But first thing a vet visit to make sure there is not an infection.

[Erny]

What OSoSwift said.

Also, as a rule of thumb you shouldn't consider your puppy house trained until there have been no accidents in the house for a total period of 4 weeks in a row. And that's without you needing to guide puppy out etc. So don't drop your guard and get all relaxed and nonchalant about it this early in the piece. Loosen off the reigns gradually but keep watching like a hawke. Even after the 4 weeks, you need to keep an eye on the environment. For example : your puppy might have gone for 4 weeks with no accidents but now the weather is different (windy/wet; something pup's not used to is happening outside). Back up a bit and go back a step in training to make sure pup understands about going outside regardless. Also, keep up with the treating for going outside. And also keep up with training word association to a toilet command (eg "Quick Quick"). Every time you don't go outside with your pup for toileting is a training opportunity missed.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I agree with what the others have said.

I wouldn't expect a puppy to have good control (mindfullness?) before about 14 to 16 weeks. And I wouldn't expect it to last all night until at least 12 weeks. I took mine out last thing, first thing and in the middle of the night, plus every time she woke up or finished playing or started sniffing - until she was at least 14 weeks old maybe older and remain vigilant when she can't get her self out. I think we had maybe two accidents (my fault for not watching/noticing the sniffing) and one bad food explosion (not her fault).

And some puppies are slower than others - so be guided by results. I also crated my dog if I had to leave her in the house unattended at all until she was around 6 months and totally reliable inside. So she couldn't pee randomly anywhere.

I read the thread topic as the puppy had started house training the owners (ie role reversal) oops.

[LizT]

These things can happen too. Don't feel like a mommy failure!

We had a really bad day yesterday (my baby is 14 weeks old) and it felt like I had missed opportunity after opportunity yesterday with 3 or 4 "mistakes" and outside trips 'missed". What a day!!

The 'mistakes' were my fault and I took her out afterwards each time, cleaned up the mess and 'moved on'.

Today is a 100% 'hit' day and everyone seems more relaxed. As I said, these days can happen. They are still babies after all.

[B-Q]

Quinn had a couple of relapses during her housetraining.

I just upped her supervision for a few days (closely watched, crated or leashed to me) and increased her amount of time outside, onleash so that she couldn't get distracted. Plus I praised her more when she did right. It did take a couple of months but she's very solid now.

She's the first puppy I've been responsible for housetraining and I had plenty of days where I missed oppurtunities but it all coms round in the end if you stay consisent.

Edited January 1, 2011 by busterlove

[Bundyburger]

She's 10 weeks old, you can't expect her to have gotten it already. As others said, check for UTI, and also just go back to the basics. She will come good, don't panic Ours slept through from 10 weeks but he wasn't toilet trained fully until 8 months as we had a few set backs along the way. Now he's solid as a rock and has a steel bladder.. He can hold on for over 12 hours I only know this cos he won't toilet in the rain

[UltimatePup]

Thanks so much for your help everyone. She had her first case of the runs the next morning, so I'm wondering if that was related in some way. We were very careful with her - back to basics for a while on your advice - and she's been perfect ever since. I don't have absolute faith in her as yet - she is, as you say, still only 11 weeks old - but it didn't turn out to be the disaster that it looked like it was going to be that day as we waded through pee...

(No sign of a UTI. I would also expect that to be a case of increasing frequency and decreasing quantity, as in humans.)