FAQ: Why do dogs regress after training programs?

Don't worry, your dog didn't simply forget what they learned, and you didn't waste your money. It's going to be okay.

Despite what it feels like, most dogs don’t actually “regress” when their trained skills or good behaviors start to fade weeks or months after their training. They simply slide back into the emotions/routines they had before training, because nothing in their daily life supported the long-term change they were trying to make.

And that’s not a failure on the trainer. It’s not stubbornness on your dog. It’s not even you doing something wrong. It’s usually a system problem.

Training fixes the behavior, not always the emotions underneath.

A three or four week program can teach surface-level obedience and structure just fine sometimes, but it rarely changes your dog’s deeper emotional patterns and habits.

If your dog went into training anxious, insecure, frustrated, or overwhelmed, those feelings don’t disappear just because they learned to "lay down" on command. When the dog comes home and those emotions and context of their past environment return, the old behaviors often return with them.

That’s what people call “regression,” but it’s really just their old life resurfacing.

Home is completely different from a training environment.

Programs are structured, predictable, and controlled, almost to a fault. Real life isn’t.

When a dog goes from a calm training setup back into a busy home full of loud kids, odd noises, unpredictable routines, or more freedom than they're ready for, they get overwhelmed.

They’re not ignoring their training, they’re just struggling to apply it in a new environment that feels totally different.

Consistency matters more than you may realize.

Dogs need ongoing outlets (play, fulfillment, exercise), predictable structure, and steady boundaries. When any of those fade, even unintentionally, your dog naturally returns to their old coping strategies.

Most regression happens because support ends too soon.

This is the biggest issue in the dog training industry today.

Families are sent home with their newly trained dog, but with no long-term support, little to zero adjustment plan, and no help when new challenges pop up.

Dogs don’t regress because the training didn’t work. They regress because life keeps changing, and no one is actively helping them through those changes.

Your dog isn’t backsliding. They’re telling you what they need.

Your dog is going to be okay. You didn't waste all of your hard-earned money. This just means your dog needs more clarity, more outlets, and/or more consistency.

And with the right ongoing support, “regression” turns into breakthroughs.

That’s exactly why we built Canine Coverage, because help shouldn’t end when your program does. Dogs need help as they grow, change, and hit new challenges, not just when things get bad again.

Want to know if your dog’s behavior is covered with us? Read this article to learn more: From Barking to Biting: What’s Covered Under Canine Coverage™