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My 4-month puppy pees/poops inside during day, but uses doggy door at night. Normal?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier | Male | unneutered | 4 months and 9 days old | 18 lbs

My dog can go all night in and out of doggy door from the enclosed patio he sleeps in but during the day he will sometimes poop and pee inside the house. He is just over four months is this normal? At night he is by himself 11 hours and uses his doggie door so I know he understands outside.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian

Published on April 20th, 2018

Max is quite a cutie! Yes, this is normal for a dog his age. They can be stubborn about when they choose to go outside vs. going inside. If you catch him in the act, I would tell him no and take him to his "spot" outside to help reiterate the house training. It can take a few months before they are fully house trained. If he continues this behavior, you may have to consider crate training him to teach him how to hold it for longer periods. I hope this helps!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA
Veterinarian
Published on March 23rd, 2018
This is very common behavior for puppies. The rugs are similar to grass for them and they also smell their own scent on it so they will tend to go back to the same area. I would be sure to pick him up from his crate and carry him outside in the mornings. When you are hanging out with him during the day, I would try to take him out every hour and 15 minutes after he drinks water. I would try to keep your mom's door closed and only allow him to have access to a small part of the house until he is fully trained. It can take 3-4 months for them to become fully house trained so be patient and just continue to keep him on a strict schedule.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jessica Desrosiers
Veterinary Technician
Published on February 6th, 2019
It may be that Harley is getting a bit confused. 3 months is still extremely young, and I would not expect a puppy of this age to be potty trained. Puppies at this age can also only hold their urine about 1-2 hours, so she needs to be going out every 1-2 hours in addition to needing to go out after waking, playing, eating and drinking, etc. Taking her out more often can help ensure she has chances to go outside with success and prevent accidents in the house. Inside, she should only be in areas of the house that can be monitored and are easy to clean (such as the kitchen) in case of an accident.

Here are some articles that may help as well.

https://www.petcoach.co/article/top-5-tips-to-potty-train-your-dog-young-and-old/

https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-common-housetraining-mistakes/

https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-housetrain-your-dog-or-puppy-using-a-potty-cue/

https://www.petcoach.co/article/housetraining-tips-and-tricks/
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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