# Potty training---WHAT is the deal???!



## baxterboy (Mar 17, 2009)

Baxter will be a year old on Saturday. We've had him for 5 months now, and it took about 2-3 months or so to fully potty train him. A couple of issues with marking, but not all out accidents toward the end, but since we've had the doggie door (almost 2 months) he has not had an accident--or marked. Well today, out of the clear blue, right in front of me, he does a full out pee on the carpet! I was beside myself. What the heck?? 

The only thing I can think of is, we left to go to a movie, and he knew we were leaving....watched me set up his toys/treats etc. and I gave him a stuffed kong. He has run of the house when we're away (for about 2-3 weeks now and has done fine.) 
Well, we ended up turning around because we changed our mind on the way about which one to see, and so now we were too early. We had only been gone a couple of minutes and he was so excited that we were back. I grabbed his kong (it was in front of him at the time) and put it back in the freezer so I could still use it when we left an hour later. A few minutes later he peed. Do you think he was mad I took his kong away?? It was just so random! AND, to top it off, this very morning I was thinking to myself (for the first time ever) "Hey, Baxter hasn't had an accident in well over a month---I think he's officially potty trained!" LOL Do even potty trained dogs have accidents now and then? We've been SOOOO consistent these past 2 months about giving him treats each and every time he goes out.... He even comes in and waits for it sometimes. I don't know what else I can possibly do? Do I need to go back to TAKING him out like I did when I was training him? I know it was just one accident, but I just can't help standing here saying "WHAT THE HECK??!"


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

All my guys regressed after being 100% housebroken. I think they test you to see if it's now ok. It only lasted a day or 2, but I had to go back to square one. It didn't take more than a few days to get them back on track. They even go out in the pouring rain by themselves now!


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## Chere (May 22, 2009)

Sounds like he might have been just super excited with first you leaving and then your return just a few minutes later and then the Kong to the freezer. I doubt he was "mad", just very excited and he lost control.


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

Scout had a couple of major regressions too, until he was 1 year old and finally 100% potty trained. One regression was after he was neutered around 7 mos, had to wear a cone, and couldn't get out the dog door by himself. The other was a mystery.

I just kept going back to square one with him. He also needed treats as incentives to potty outside (vs. inside). The treat was given as a reward after he would potty outside (not beforehand). Otherwise, I was finding that he was just as happy pottying inside on my carpet as he was outside  I used a tiny sliver of homemade dried chicken jerky. 

Lincoln was potty trained very early, needed only praise, and never had regressions. They are all different!


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Dexter is potty trained....and he lets us know when he needs to go outside. Dexter has me so well trained, I am almost at the point of not keeping track of pees/poos. 

But,sometimes, I catch myself and wonder.....When was the last pee and poo? So, I know to expect a potty break around certain times.


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## JASHavanese (Apr 24, 2007)

Little things that we wouldn't even think twice about can throw a dog off......even something as simple as moving a piece of furniture. Hang in there, he'll probably go back to normal


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## baxterboy (Mar 17, 2009)

JASHavanese said:


> Little things that we wouldn't even think twice about can throw a dog off......even something as simple as moving a piece of furniture. Hang in there, he'll probably go back to normal


Thank you everyone for your replies! I thought Baxter had already gone through the 'regression' part of potty training a couple of months ago. (He had gone a month without an accident, then started marking.) That is why we went full force with the treating.... 
I think I really might have thrown him off by messing up his 'routine' and what he has come to expect. Kong=time alone=come back later. Good to know he wasn't 'mad' at me (lol) but just overly excited and thrown off a bit.


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## DAJsMom (Oct 27, 2006)

Dusty had odd accidents now and then for several months after she was otherwise potty trained. These days she really never goes in the house.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

I think maybe he was giving you his answer for getting a treat in the excitment of your arriving back and handliing his Kong. This is exactly the reason we don't use treats for potty training. Sometimes when one gets excited, before he/she can calm down, they will sit, down, roll over, sit up, dance, to give their whole repertoire trying to find the answer you want so they can get the treat. If go potty is in there, they can sit, down, roll over, sit up, down, pee. Unfortunately also included in his excitment was a full bladder.


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