One of the biggest challenges that pup parents face is pee and potty “accidents”. While some are bound to happen, how many puppy accidents are normal in a day? Let’s find out.
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Puppy accidents are very normal happenings. It is also true that these pee and potty accidents can make dog owners a little frustrated. Some of them might use these as an excuse to punish their little pet too!
But did you ever think of the possible causes and how you can stop your puppy from making future “accidents”? We have put together some possible reasons and preventions to cope with this situation.
Go through this article to get some quick suggestions to make the situation easy for you and your little friend.
Reasons for Potty Accidents of your Puppy
Medical Problems
If your well-trained puppy has suddenly started to make accidents, it is better to take your puppy to a veterinarian to get a thorough check-up. It is because some common diseases can make your puppy have potty accidents.
Urinary tract infection, kidney stones, diabetes, prostate, Cushing’s disease are some common illnesses that can cause such behavior.
If your dog also is suffering from these issues, only a vet can solve these problems to make your puppy cure both physical and behavioral issues.
Incomplete House Training
It is one of the most common reasons for your puppy making accidents. They often do not get proper house training, especially from dog shelters or rescues, and often make mistakes.
If this is the reason, you should start to train your puppy the same way as if you have just received them. It would be best if you taught your puppy from the very basics about where to potty.
You can also take your dog outside with you to make your dog well-trained or can start a rewarding treat for potty training.
Try to keep your puppy under constant supervision to prevent him from making any such accidents. It will also help your puppy to learn potty training very quickly.
Sudden Environment Change
Dogs learn from regular habits. Therefore, any sudden changes can confuse your dog, and your puppy may start having potty accidents.
For example, if the dog owner has changed accommodation suddenly or has made some routine changes, it will affect the puppy, and it might start making some behavior changes.
Secondly, while your dog may be properly potty trained in your own house, he may not understand that this rule is also applicable for your friend’s or relative’s house as well. Therefore, you should teach your puppy, again and again, the same house training rules.
You can also train your puppy to go outside for their potty so that they never make the mistake of doing their business inside the house. Supervise your puppy well to stop making potty accidents.
Separation Anxiety
You may notice that your dog has made potty accidents only when you are not in the house. The primary reason for this might be the separation from you. You can set a surveillance camera to watch your dog if he is suffering from anxiety.
If you find that he is suffering from anxiety, you should consult a veterinarian. He will prescribe some medications to make your puppy overcome this situation and lead a normal life.
Also, try to keep your dog in a place with hard flooring when you are not in the house. It will help you to clean up the floor easily. You can also give your puppy his favorite food when you leave home to keep him in a good mood. It will also help your puppy to keep him free from anxiety.
A few puppy monitors let you talk to your dog even when you are not at home through the wi-fi internet. The sound of your voice can have a calming effect on your puppy.
Urine Marking
Generally, male dogs lift their legs and pee to attract females. It may be normal for your dog but is very inconvenient for the dog owner. Dog experts recommend that you should always get male pets neutered.
Few female dogs also show this tendency while urinating. Dog experts recommend spaying the female dogs to cope with the situation.
Cognitive Dysfunction
Some of the full-grown dogs suffer from cognitive dysfunction. This disease is very similar to Alzheimer’s or dementia in humans. It will make your dog forget all the previous potty training and cause frequent accidents. However, this disease is rare in puppies.
Potty Training Skills by Month
These are the month-by-month potty training skills of a puppy.
4-Months Old
If you train your 4-months old puppy very well, it is still common that he may have frequent accidents. It is because the bladder muscles of a 4-months puppy have just started to develop, and they may not be in full control of their bladders.
5-Months Old
5-month old puppies should still be making few accidents. According to the dog experts, the main reasons for these accidents are playing for long hours without a potty break, or he may be alone in your home.
The bladder muscles of a 5-months puppy are still not fully mature, so some accidents are to be expected.
6-Months Old
Most of the 6-months old puppies have fully matured bladder muscles. Therefore, very rare accidents should happen by this time. They can hold their pee in their bladder for a certain time.
However, a 6-month-old may not fully have completed behavioral training, so accidents can occur simply because the pup does not understand where it has to do its business.
7-Months Old
A 7-months old puppy should be well-trained and can hold its potty for a long period. If you notice regular or frequent accidents at this age, then your puppy must lack home training or may be suffering from medical issues.
1-Year Old
It is very hard to find that a 1-year old dog is causing accidents. If you notice accidents at this age, you must consult a veterinarian or an expert trainer to get some easy tips to stop future accidents.
How to Avoid Accidents
These are some tips that you should follow to prevent your puppy from making accidents-
Do Not Overreact
You may become very disappointed if your puppy pees in your home. But it would be best if you did not overreact in this situation. Also, it would help if you did not punish your puppy for making this mess.
Otherwise, your puppy may get too frightened. It would be best if you did not shout at your puppy. Rather, you should take your dog outside with you to complete the job. Instead of reprimanding the pup, try rewarding every time they pee and potty outside the home.
Your puppy will slowly understand that peeing outside will bring lots of love and happiness from your side.
Immediately Clean the Accident Spot
If your puppy causes accidents, you should clean the spot as soon as possible. It will help your puppy to learn that it is not good to pee inside. You can use an odor remover to remove the smell from that particular spot.
If you clean the area with only soap, it will not remove the smell as well. As you know, dogs come with a very strong sense of smell. But make sure your puppy should not ingest the odor eliminator.
Things You Should Avoid During Home Training
Avoid Potty Pads
Potty pads will only delay potty training. If you use them, the pup might learn that peeing in the house is normal. You might end up having to use the pee and potty pads forever.
Secondly, pee pads are harmful to pups because they start chewing them, and the pheromones used in these pads are made from synthetic chemicals which are not good for their stomach.
Punishing Accidents
It would be best if you did not punish your puppy for making accidents. It will only make your puppy more afraid and anxious. Anxiety may cause them to forget their training completely the next time.
Insufficient Cleaning
You should use Enzymatic products to clean the accident spot completely.
Not Treating Them
If your puppy goes outside with you to pee, you should reward them.
Restraining Movement
Most of us try to restrict our dog’s movement inside the house when we are training them. Rather, you should observe their behavior inside the house and understand when and why these accidents occur.
Missing Check-Ups
It would help if you visited a veterinarian to give your puppy a thorough check-up. It will help you to know whether your dog is having any medical issues.
Frequently Asked Questions: How Many Puppy Accidents Are Normal
How many accidents in a house are normal for a puppy?
An accident a day is excellent for a puppy less than six months old. How many accidents happen in a day also depends on how old your puppy is and how trained they have been.
How often do puppies have accidents?
According to dog experts, newborn puppies can poop or pee after every two hours. Most of the puppies pee after having their meal.
Is it normal for my puppy to have a lot of accidents?
Yes, it is okay to have multiple accidents for a puppy less than six months old. At that early age, you cannot stop your puppy from making accidents.
You should allow a certain period for your puppy to develop their bladder and other physical structures to get matured.
A dog with a fully developed bladder can hold its potty for a long time and does not cause accidents in your home.
How many accidents are normal for a 10-month old puppy?
A 10-month old puppy can pee every 4-6 hours. Though, every dog is different. Therefore, you should not judge your dog solely on this yardstick. You should consult a vet if you find any abnormality in your puppy.
Puppy Accidents Will Happen What Matters More Is How You Deal With Them
You should train your puppy with patience and love to ensure that they understand their mistake. Your baby pup may have several accidents in a day. But it would help if you did not shout or punish your little friend for making this mess. Try to follow the tips mentioned above to make your puppy well-trained.