Puppy regression and behavior changes after an injury
Injury recovery and crate rest force a young puppy into sudden confinement, triggering severe behavioral regression like excessive barking, biting, and house-training setbacks. This constant chaos leaves owners unable to work or rest, as the puppy requires round-the-clock supervision and forgets all previous training.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- People have been saying this in most months since September 2026.
- This comes up 34.1× more often in r/puppy101 than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
Puppy regression and behavior changes after an injury
- 1Staying consistent with training2 people mentionedDid this help you?
- 2Locking the puppy into a play pen almost 24 hours a dayDid this help you?
- 3Using an inflatable cone to prevent licking and chewingDid this help you?
- 4Giving kongs and other puzzlesDid this help you?
- 5Utilizing crate rest and room rest resourcesDid this help you?
- 6Keeping the dog on a lead or long line during walks and creating more distance from other dogsDid this help you?
- 7Using high-value treats and trying to redirect attentionDid this help you?
- 8Enforcing naps and tethering the dog to the owner to encourage settlingDid this help you?
- 9Ignoring demand barking completely until the dog is quietDid this help you?
- 10Hiring a professional trainer and going back to basics with trainingDid this help you?
- 11Enforcing 60 minute crate times to regulate herDid this help you?
- 12Searching other resources for adviceDid this help you?
- 13Freezing a wet, twisted up washcloth to numb her mouthDid this help you?
- 14Repeating mantras that things will improve in a yearDid this help you?
- 15Jokingly threatening the dog with being sent awayDid this help you?
- 16Going back to square one with previous training protocolsDid this help you?
- 17Swapping long walks for indoor mental enrichment puzzles to lower cortisol levelsDid this help you?
- 18Checking with a veterinarian to rule out medical issuesDid this help you?
- 19Reviewing neutering statusDid this help you?
- 20Taking the dog out more often for a few days to get back on track after a setbackDid this help you?
- 21Get rid of the potty pads in the house entirely.Did this help you?
- 22Using a fake grass patch or washable pee pad from pet stores or AmazonDid this help you?
- 23Being on the edge of the seat watching the puppy constantlyDid this help you?
- 24Waiting for the phase to pass naturallyDid this help you?
- 25Trying whining to deter bitingDid this help you?
- 26Taking the puppy out frequently based on guessworkDid this help you?
- 27Using treats directly in front of the puppy's face for basic commandsDid this help you?
- 28treating the dog like an 8-week-old puppy again with strict supervision and managementDid this help you?
- 29locking any food or eatable things away from the dogDid this help you?
- 30finding safe ways to continue walks and provide mental stimulationDid this help you?
- 31Taking the dog to the urgent care vet for urinalysis and blood workDid this help you?
- 32Restricting the puppy's spaceDid this help you?
- 33Praising the puppy when she goes outsideDid this help you?
- 34Returning to a strict outdoor schedule instead of relying on house bellsDid this help you?
- 35Cleaning accident spots with an enzyme cleanerDid this help you?
- 36Consulting a vet about diet and the poop eating habitDid this help you?
- 37Taking the puppy outside instead of using padsDid this help you?
- 38Realizing the puppy never truly knew it and lowering expectationsDid this help you?
- 39Continuing consistent potty training routines until the puppy is 4-5 months oldDid this help you?
- 40Taking the puppy outside immediately upon sniffing or walking toward doorsDid this help you?
- 41Riding out the phase while continuing routine reinforcementDid this help you?
- 42cleaning the spot with an enzyme cleaner and swapping brandsDid this help you?
- 43taking the puppy outside immediately when peeing starts insideDid this help you?
- 44cleaning with an enzyme cleanerDid this help you?
- 45Taking the puppy outside to potty and putting them back inDid this help you?
- 46Trying to stay calm and boring and rewarding moments of quietDid this help you?
- 47Stopping during walks and waiting for the puppy to stop tuggingDid this help you?
- 48Practicing recall exercises by having the puppy tap its nose into the owner's handDid this help you?
- 49Letting the puppy walk itself by holding the leash in its mouthDid this help you?
- 50Working with a professional trainer or behaviorist.Did this help you?
- 51Replacing highly stimulating group walks with one-on-one decompression walks in empty areas.Did this help you?
- 52Actively teaching an 'off switch' by capturing and rewarding calm moments.Did this help you?
- 53Going back to basics with foundational trainingDid this help you?
- 54Keeping training sessions very shortDid this help you?
- 55Ending training sessions on a successful note to prevent frustrationDid this help you?
- 56Consistently reinforcing good behavior until the phase passesDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“recently she started having accidents , jumping on people despite me saying sit and even pulling the leash a little.”source ↗
“She also started barking at night that wakes everyone up , which was solved a long time ago.”source ↗
“Well the teenage hormones have officially kicked in for my 7 month old collie. She's forgotten every training thing and if I touch her when she doesn't want it my arm gets mauled (...lightly but noisily).”source ↗
“Guys my 10 month old puppy out of nowhere has started eating out of the trash, peeing in my roommate’s bed, drinking from the toilet water 😭😭, jumping on top of her crate.”source ↗
“Adolescence is really starting to take its toll, and I’m beginning to feel like I’m fighting a losing battle.”source ↗
“However, it genuinely feels like none of it is sticking. If anything, we’re going backwards.”source ↗
“it’s incredibly disheartening to feel like I’m putting so much time and effort into training without seeing much improvement.”source ↗
“I feel like our dog has suddenly turned into a completely different dog over the last 2–3 weeks.”source ↗
“On his walks, we currently can’t really let him off lead because he is OBSESSED with other dogs.”source ↗
“Barking is probably the biggest nightmare at the moment. He has suddenly become SO barky.”source ↗
“He also just WON’T settle. He’s constantly at the back door, scratching, barking, running around, wanting to go outside, chewing things, etc.”source ↗
“Basically forgetting every bit of training they previously knew”source ↗
“My 13.5 week old puppy has been a terror this past week.”source ↗
“How can I get her to stop barking and growling at me for no reason?”source ↗
“She’s not the puppy she was. I cannot keep going like this.”source ↗
“Now that I’m home, I’m trying to get her back into her normal routine, and it has been a complete nightmare.”source ↗
“Tonight she has been whining, barking, and pawing really hard at the crate door.”source ↗
“She falls asleep for about 15-20 mins and then starts all over again.”source ↗
“Unfortunately, the tail injury is not what is toughest on us right now.”source ↗
“He will do one normal pee and then like 10 phantom pees after that.”source ↗
“This has made him an a lot more chaotic dog and like 10x bitey than he was before.”source ↗
“Right now we are feeling so down and it's hard to make things work with our full-time jobs (that we can do from home) as he needs almost constant supervision.”source ↗
“Then for a three-five day spurt he will be a menace. Chewing everything in sight and acting like he’s never been trained on any commands.”source ↗
“During these moments/days sometimes I have no idea what to do with him.”source ↗
“In the throes of puppyhood over here with my 7 month old. I genuinely do not remember having some of these issues with my last puppy.”source ↗
“Today is especially rough. I can usually get her to potty when we wake up and after a walk. Today she did neither.”source ↗
“I know it will pass and she'll go back to her regular scheduled business, but until then, I will be on the edge of my seat every time she gets up, every second her nose is on the ground, every moment she isn't resting lol”source ↗
“So over the past week or two I've noticed my girl started peeing outside her training pads”source ↗
“Recently she's been going outside the pads, sometimes nowhere near the pads and she no longer goes when i take her out before bed and when we wake up.”source ↗
“Like she's regressing or she forgot or something, feels like all that progress went out the window... anyone else experience this and is there anything that could be causing this or is this just something that happens at this stage”source ↗
“Pulling on walks, doesn’t want to settle, crying in the pen/crate, not listening.”source ↗
“It’s taking all of my will power right now to worry that he will be this way forever.”source ↗
“About a month ago, he had three accidents in three hours one night.”source ↗
“Since then, he’s continued to have accidents.”source ↗
“The accidents he’s having now are long trails of pee that happen as he’s walking or running.”source ↗
“Past month I feel like she’s gone backwards. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like young puppy stage.. but it’s still all the annoying stuff lol.”source ↗
“She doesn’t want to listen, her impulse control (which we’ve worked on daily since 8 weeks old) is like she’s back at step one.”source ↗
“We’ve been going back to basics, but in ways I feel defeated.”source ↗
“Now after he turned 2 a couple of weeks ago he’s been very whiny, grumpy, and sometimes even aggressive.”source ↗
“At first, he was peeing and pooping on the training pads, but in the recent weeks he’s started peeing and pooping wherever he wants.”source ↗
“My puppy used to be so well behaved, what happened?”source ↗
“However, the last few weeks has been rough! She has been pulling on her leash and goes insane when she sees other people, wanting to go say hi.”source ↗
“We’ve noticed she’s chewing on a lot more things where before, it was rare she would get into stuff, so we’re not sure if it’s just that golden adolescent stage or something else.”source ↗
“10 months and I feel like all progress went down the drain”source ↗
“Now she is somehow worse than when she was 12 weeks old. Her listening skills are poor, her attention span is poor”source ↗
“We went to obedience class today and all she did was stand around and try to leave.”source ↗
“We were both so confident and now her confidence is gone and mine is fading.”source ↗
“Haha, I don't miss the young puppy days but man adolescence is difficult!”source ↗
“My puppy is like 3 months and is a terror most of the time but sometimes he will be a manageable terror for a few days and then be completely unmanageable other days”source ↗
“He shits in his crate more and more every day.”source ↗
“He like genuinely will violently attack me sometimes.”source ↗
“She’s reactive and I live in a city so we limit our walks but we do lotssssssssss of training and enrichment and play”source ↗
“Yesterday she grabbed a toy, went over to her toy basket, grabbed a different one, walked to her bed, turned around like she was going to grab a different toy and popped a squat right on the rug 🤦♀️”source ↗
“15 weeks on the dot ours starting acting like he forgot absolutely everything(he started losing teeth).”source ↗
“Oof, that’s rough. If it’s any consolation, my 6 month old puppy still has the occasional accident and she doesn’t sniff before peeing either. Just 0 warning and suddenly she’s squatting.”source ↗
“my golden did the same thing around that age, it's like their brain gets rewired overnight and they forget every command they ever knew.”source ↗
“She was great for a week and then started coming inside to pee.”source ↗
“We have had to restrict her space again and it’s helped for few days but now she back to just going inside her restricted space- even worse now she’s started eating her poop 😭😭.”source ↗
“I’m honestly at a loss. I don’t know why shes regressed or what to do to stop her going inside.”source ↗
“It’s exhausting!”source ↗
“It’s been 12 days since I got my micro Goldendoodle and he took to potty training very quickly and consistently. I was amazed! But, four days ago he began to pee and poop on the floor.”source ↗
“He was so good from the get go and now it’s like he has forgotten everything. I know he’s still a baby at 9 weeks, but how can he regress so quickly?”source ↗
“WHAT GIVES?!! Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated!”source ↗
“The problem is now she refuses to do anything out there and she actively holds it until she can get back inside.”source ↗
“She'll start peeing somewhere, we grab her to take her out, and she stares at us for 30+ minutes outside with no stimulation and then after she comes in she pisses there AGAIN.”source ↗
“we bought a new mattress in july and the next day she peed on it.”source ↗
“she did it again a few weeks later and now about a month later she just did it again.”source ↗
“all three times she did not signal that she needed to go outside.”source ↗
“she also has no had an accident in weeks up until tonight’s incident with our bed.”source ↗
“it seems to be a pattern than she cannot signal to us to go potty almost like she forgets.”source ↗
“He becomes hyper aroused, looks like fanatic and is basically uncontrollable.”source ↗
“Yesterday he went in circles like crazy. Other time he bited his leash frantically.”source ↗
“Nothing changes and he simply ignores everything.”source ↗
“I have a 3 year old male bichon who came to me not housebroken at all.”source ↗
“But today he had his first accident inside in almost 6 weeks. I thought he was finally getting it and I feel so discouraged.”source ↗
“Can anyone tell me some advice for getting an adult dog potty trained?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 27Puppy blues and regret when training isn't working
- 8Why is my puppy suddenly barking at every dog and person?
- 8Why does my dog forget house training after the vet?
- 2How to keep a hyper puppy from reinjuring healing bones
- 11Potty training regression after a medical break
- 9How to handle a traumatized puppy who is too scared for treats or touch