House training
Is it normal for a puppy to backslide on house training during teething?
Last updated 23 September 2026 · How we write and check this
Short answer
Yes, a mild dip is common between roughly 4 and 6 months old, when adult teeth are coming in and a puppy's focus and comfort are both affected. It is usually a minor, temporary blip rather than a full reset, and most puppies return to their previous reliability within 2 to 3 weeks without any change to the training method.
Why teething affects an unrelated habit
A teething puppy is dealing with genuine discomfort and a shorter attention span, both of which can make them slower to notice or act on their own bathroom signals, even though the underlying training has not actually been lost.
Riding it out without overreacting
Keep the existing schedule in place rather than loosening supervision or assuming the training has failed, and expect the dip to resolve on its own as the adult teeth finish coming in, usually by 6 to 7 months old. If accidents increase sharply rather than mildly, treat it the same as any other unexplained regression and rule out other causes.
Key takeaways
- A mild dip in reliability between 4 and 6 months often lines up with teething discomfort.
- It is usually temporary and resolves within 2 to 3 weeks without needing to change methods.
- A sharp increase in accidents, rather than a mild dip, deserves closer investigation.