Why is my older dog suddenly acting out and breaking rules?
Older dogs can suddenly begin regressing in trained behaviors, such as pooping indoors or in flower beds and climbing onto forbidden furniture. This abrupt shift leaves owners confused about how to handle the changes and worried that standard advice pushes toward extreme options like surrender.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Limiting access to spaces
- 2Nipping problems when they occur
- 3Taking the dog to the vet for a medical and pain check
- 4Checking the dog's vision and hearing
- 5Hiring a positive reinforcement trainer or dog behaviorist
- 6Teaching kids better boundaries and dog body language
- 7Creating safe, designated spaces where the dog cannot be approached by kids
- 8Waiting for a scheduled veterinarian appointment
- 9Putting the dog on a diaper
- 10Providing a heated blanket
- 11monitoring existing known health issues with veterinarians
- 12considering potential anxiety, trauma, or hormonal/thyroid problems
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Im kind of at a loss here. I’m surprised my dog is acting this way all of the sudden and I’m not really sure how to proceed.”source ↗
“My wife is very nervous to have him around the kids, as Am I, but a lot of the suggestions I am reading online are suggesting surrender, and that seems extreme for something that has been part of our family for as long as our youngest children”source ↗
“Over the past month or so he has regressed in behaviours and I swear is doing it spitefully”source ↗
“the past month or so he started pooping in my flower beds. Never before has he done that.”source ↗
“He's also choosing to poop in my son's room if we leave the door ajar.”source ↗
“He also is hopping up on furniture (couches, beds, etc.) which is something he has never been allowed to do.”source ↗
“I have a nine month old iggy and he is acting strange.”source ↗
“He is also shivering intermittently and just seems scared and not acting like his normal high energy self.”source ↗
“He used to love to eat and now he doesn’t really have the same energy.”source ↗
“My 4 year old female Pomeranian has been acting weird since July.”source ↗
“She's been generally more despondent, hiding in small crevices of the house, nibbling on sheets and pillows and drinking less.”source ↗
“What could be the cause of this sudden change in behaviour?”source ↗