Long move and puppy is regressing in potty training

[Judith and Addie]

My 10 month old is starting to drive me crazy, but here is some background.

I am unpacking a multitude of boxes that I last saw in early Sept. I sold my house 9/10 and was supposed to close on my new one 600 miles away on 9/12. The deal fell through, and I just closed on a different house last Thurs (10/30). In the course of this long move, one of my three cats got lost (still missing). The move was from Raleigh, NC to Baltimore MD area, but puppy and I ended up staying mostly at my sister's in NY while my remaining 2 cats stayed with my daughter in Boston. Addie and I house-sat while my sister was out of town, but her adult daughter who visits for weeks at a time is allergic to cats ( and most dogs) so the cats couldn't stay. The cat who is lost was the only one who was friends with the dog; he would rub against her and Addie would groom his face and his ears.

I had a hard time potty-training Addie and she finally seemed to have an "Ah-hah, that's what it's about" moment in July when she was about 6.5 months old, around the same time as I sold my house and started packing.

While at my sister's, she was pretty good, with two poop accidents over 4 weeks. I had to board her a couple times when I had to travel, including the day and overnight that I went to Boston to drop off cats and then again to pick cats up. Now we are all together - Addie, the remaining two cats, and I - in our new home. Of course, there is an enormous amount of stuff to unpack and place. Addie is having potty accidents at least twice a day now. There is no place I am comfortable to isolate her except her crate which she is beginning to not like anymore. My bathrooms are not large and are windowless. I try to keep her with me but haven't yet started the method of attaching her leash to me because it is too difficult to unpack that way.

Here is what we did today to give you a bit of an idea of my frustration with her:

Go for a walk about 1 mile around 7 AM. Long pee, a shorter pee and 2 poops (she always seems to poop twice).Then I fed her.

Short walk about 10 AM before putting her in the car for 30 min. drive to dog park. I try to take her 2x/week.

1 hour at dog park, multiple pees and 1 poop.

Back in car for 30 min drive home, going through drive thru to pick up salad for lunch for me.

Short walk before taking her into house. Pees once.

I eat lunch, mostly keeping an eye on her. Go into my bedroom and she has peed in three places. We have been home less than 20 min.

Last evening, I didn't watch her for about 15 minutes and she pooped in my bedroom. She has also peed in the living room when I have been on the other side of the room.

Any comments? Advice? Please tell me this is a reaction to the move and she will settle down, sooner is better. 

[Debbie & Gibbs]

Hi Judith,

Have you and Addie set up a potty schedule when you are back home? She potties on walks and potties when she is at the dog park, but what type of routine does she have when you are home? We trained Gibbs in about 3 days to ring his poochie bells to let us know he needed to go potty.

Here's what I did. First thing in the morning I took him to the back door and used his nose to bump the bells and then took a paw and bumped the bells. I opened the door and we went out together and I said "go potty" he would potty and then we returned to the house immediately. I wanted him to understand that ringing bells was potty time. After he ate I waited about 15 - 20 minutes and took him to the back door and did the nose to bells and paws to bells again and took him out and said "go potty". He got it!!! I would get Addie on a schedule and see how that works and I swear by poochie bells. Gibbs managed to tear his up, but now he goes to the door and sits and we asked if wants to go potty and he goes out and makes his business and returns immediately.

Good luck, I know it is frustrating. I hope you get your cat back!!!

Deb

[Judith and Addie]

Thanks, Deb.

When I had a fenced back yard - at the house I sold - I tried to train her to use bells. I did the same thing; bumped her nose, and then used her paw and let her out the door with a "go potty". I also followed her outside, and congratulated her with a "good potty!" when she did go. I tried for about close to a month and she did not get the hang of the bells. This was not  poochie bells. : (  She did train me, though, to pick up her cue that she needed tp potty which was that she would go to the door and pace in front of it.

[Rebecca bratter]

I think the move is unsettling to Addie but she's going to adjust fine. It sounds like you guys are together almost all day, what a lucky dog she is. We just moved DC to Mia with our aussiedoodle, she 1.5 years. We use poochie bells and live in an apartment as we did before. She didn't miss a beat but she doesn't use the bells much, she comes and gets me or my husband and licks our leg or fingers if we are not looking at her or she stares us down, this means potty time. I work from home now so I have really had the luxury to spend time with Madiba to observe her habits. We really get each other.
When she was a baby and we were doing the potty training thing and had some accidents in the beginning, a book I read said watch for signs because a dog always shows signs when they need to go. In my experience this is very accurate but we had to take the time to keep Madiba in our sight for the first few months to learn her signs. In her case, it was circling and sniffing the ground. I don't mean to tell you something you already know and maybe went through with Addie in the beginning. But now that you are resettled, try and keep her in your sight for the next few weeks and watch her signs. It's a pain but it will save you frustration and cleaning supplies in the long run.

[Judith and Addie]

Thank you. I am glad Madiba did not miss a beat. I think you are right and I am going to have to watch Addie more closely to see what her signals are at this new house. I am retired so there is a lot of one-on-one and at my sister's for a month, since my sister was out of town, it was only Addie and myself. I think there might be a bit of jealousy with having the cats back and so less attention for her between the cats, and the unpacking. The cats sleep in my bedroom, on the bed, and Addie's crate is in the living room which is adjacent to the bedroom. 

[Laura and Angus]

Have you spoken to a vet to make sure theres no underlying health issues? Just something to check. My money is on the stress of moving, inconsistency in the schedule during the transition, and/or possibly attention. She may have figured out that a solid way to get mom's attention is to potty inside. Check to see whats happening right before an accident...are you engaged in other activities every time? Is it possible you miss her signal? Lots of variables here, but you may want to start up giving treats for pottying outside for a bit until she gets used to the new environment. ...you can do it!! Hang in there! All else fails...maybe you wanna consult a professional trainer...

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

You might want to get an EX-pen for when you want her near you but not tethered.  I never got the tethering idea because I simply move around too much.  They fold up flat when not in use and are easily portable from one area to another.  You can even put yourself inside with her.

[Helen & Kirby]

You are going thru a difficult time.  Sounds like you have enough stress and your pup is picking up on it.  In all this packing/unpacking it is great that you are able to take the dog to dog park and go on great walks.  Try adding one more thing every day --just a little training, like the usual sit, stay, down, heel, etc. Make it short and full of praise.   I think that will reassure the pup that you are the leader and she is going to be fine.  Sounds like she is getting really anxious.