The biggest challenge of the season, is Potty Training — hands down.

It’s that time of year again here in the Pacific Northwest… the wet and rainy one. Training can be a bit of a challenge during this season. It’s often not very inviting outside. Many dogs get a bit anxious on super windy days, some don’t mind the rain, and some really hate it. And then we have our pointy-eared friends — for them, a downpour is basically nature flicking water straight into their ear canals like tiny, cold water balloons. If your dog is prone to ear infections, I’d definitely avoid extended outdoor adventures in the rain if at all possible.

We also lose quite a bit of time due to the lack of daylight. It can be really hard to keep your training momentum going when you get home, look outside, and it already feels like midnight. The calendar says “5 p.m.” but your brain says “absolutely not.”

The biggest challenge of the season, though, is Potty Training — hands down.  This phase of puppyhood is already a bit of a rollercoaster, and the windy, rainy, dark days add an extra layer of yuck that many pet parents know all too well. While it’s inconvenient for us, consider what it’s like for the puppy — warm and content inside with their favorite people, suddenly needing to go outside into the muck. Honestly? If that were me, I’d be weighing my options and eyeing a quiet corner of the house, too!

This is especially frustrating for those pet parents who have climbed the mountain of potty training and have finally succeeded — No Accidents for Months! — and then suddenly… they start finding mistakes again. Don’t panic; this is incredibly common. Your pup may simply hate going out in the rain to do their business. Even adult dogs can get dramatic about this.

My own girl, Piper, is a perfect example. She’ll go outside, stare gloomily at the yard as if to say “You've got to be kidding!”, and if I don’t physically watch her step off the deck and go potty, she won’t. She’ll march right back to the door like, “All done! I definitely went. Trust me.”  Even though she may not have an accident as a younger pup might, she also won’t make it through the night. I realized I should have been more vigilant when I felt that cold, wet nose in my ear at 4:00 AM.

If you find your pup has regressed when the weather turns yucky, don’t lose hope — your puppy isn’t broken, malfunctioning, or rebelling. Go back to being a bit more structured. Pick a specific amount of time to be outside — say, five minutes. If your pup hasn’t gone potty (and you know they need to), come back inside for 30 seconds, then head back out for another five minutes. Repeat this until success is achieved. When they finally go, give them a nice reward, have a little party, and head back inside to dry off.

Always supervise your pup outside and make sure they have actually done their business… this goes for adult dogs, too. Some of them are world-class pretenders.