6 month old puppy regressing in training
Puppies around six months old frequently experience sudden training regressions, such as developing separation anxiety and screaming when placed in a crate for naps. Additionally, starting outdoor walks can confuse their understanding of indoors versus outdoors, leading to bathroom accidents all over the house. Returning to earlier habits, like feeding meals inside the crate, can help re-establish their routine.
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?
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6 month old puppy regressing in training
- 1Cleaning indoor accidents with an enzyme cleaner to remove the scent.Did this help you?
- 2Sprinkling food on previously soiled spots so the dog associates them with eating instead of peeing.Did this help you?
- 3Keeping the puppy on a long leash indoors for constant supervision.Did this help you?
- 4Feeding all meals inside the crate to re-establish a positive association.Did this help you?
- 5Leaving heavily worn, sweaty clothes or shoes outside the crate door so the puppy smells the owner.Did this help you?
- 6Playing training games by throwing treats into an open crate.Did this help you?
- 7Switching from a wire crate to a more den-like plastic crate.Did this help you?
- 8Giving up on the crate and letting the puppy nap at the owner's feet.Did 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.
“I've been seeing in the comments that this is apparently extremely common around 6mo. Happened to us. I thought it was the sudden onset of separation anxiety”source ↗
“I’m struggling with her potty training after introducing outdoor walks.”source ↗
“She’s started peeing and pooping all over the house, even in places where she had never gone before.”source ↗
“I wonder if the problem is that she doesn’t understand the difference between indoors and outdoors anymore.”source ↗
“We had switched off of feeding in the crate because I was tired of wiping it down every night but at six months we went back to it because she started to do exactly what you’re describing.”source ↗
“Whenever she is crated for her naps, she creates these deafening yelps that are so loud that I hear her voice breaking.”source ↗
“My cockapoo is 6 months old and has started this behaviour as well. I used to enforce naps when I knew he was tired and he would have a proper nap for at least 2 hours in his crate. Now, he’ll run away if he knows I’m going to put him in there.”source ↗