1. Urinary Tract Infections and Other Medical Reasons
If a puppy has been doing well in potty training and then suddenly starts having accidents in the house, I first consider medical reasons that a puppy would be having difficulty in potty training. Urinary tract infections can cause puppies to have accidents in the house and may be more common in female puppies.
2. Incomplete Potty Training
If your puppy is still having accidents in the house, it is possible that your puppy hasn’t been fully potty trained yet. Potty training can take 4 to 6 months and sometimes even longer for small breed dogs like Cavoodles. Potty training is complete when your puppy knows exactly where they can and can’t go potty. I think that in your case, your puppy likely doesn’t know that the carpet is not an acceptable place to pee and just assumes that any place outside her pen is acceptable. The carpet substrate is different from the other flooring that she is used to, so she probably hasn’t fully learned that the carpet isn’t an acceptable place to pee.
3. Too Much Freedom Too Soon
If you give your puppy too much freedom too soon, they might start having accidents. Constant supervision is especially important during periods of transition to make sure your puppy doesn’t have accidents.
Solutions for Puppy Potty Training Problems
1. Visit Your Veterinarian
First, I would suggest visiting your veterinarian to rule out any potential medical causes for regression in potty training. They will be able to check a urine sample to make sure your puppy doesn’t have a urinary tract infection.
2. Confinement and Constant Supervision
Confine your puppy to a crate or a small playpen area for now. When your puppy is not in her confined area, monitor her vigilantly. You may be able to pick up on subtle signs that she is about to have an accident. If you notice these signs, you can get her outside to the bathroom before she has an accident.
3. Take Outside on a Leash Frequently and Reward
Take your puppy outside on a leash every 30 minutes to 1 hour. By taking puppies outside on a leash, they will quickly understand where it is acceptable to pee. Give your puppy a treat every time they go pee in the correct location which will reinforce this good behavior.
4. Clean Accidents Well
Be sure to clean up the accidents well. You might want to consider using an enzymatic cleaner so that your puppy will not be able to smell where the accident was. This will make it less likely that they will have an accident in the same spot.
5. Avoid Punishment and Be Patient
It is best to use positive rewards instead of negative punishments when potty training a puppy. Scolding can just frighten your puppy and make it more likely that they will have accidents because they are anxious. Potty training requires patience, and you may occasionally have a setback. If you do have a setback, I always recommend starting back at the basics and slowly working your way back up over a few weeks.