A potty accident away from home

Originally shared February 7, 2020. Original post.

Inertia had a potty accident in Episode 35 of The Dog Training Experience, after a long stretch without one.

This was a great example of how dogs can display some behaviors that they don’t do at home when you take them to a new place, and why it’s so important to always be extra on guard and ready to take a step back on your training when you’re in new places with your dog!

If I had to analyze this incident, I would guess that a few things happened here: this accident happened on an outdoor porch, so it’s possible that Inertia was a little confused by the hybrid indoor/outdoor environment.

Also, this was a dog friendly Airbnb, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there were lots of smells on that rug from past dogs that had stayed there, which may have caused Inertia to think that was a great place to go potty!

Regardless of why it happened, the point here is that whenever you take your dog somewhere new, remember that they may not always generalize their training in the new place, and do your best to be as prepared and proactive as possible!

Ideally, I would have caught Inertia doing her “I’m about to potty” posture, and quickly escorted her outside to show her the right place to go!

But don’t worry, if you’re distracted like I was and your dog has an accident, you haven’t done irreparable damage to your training. Just take it as a BIG sign that you need to pay close attention to your dog and show them the right ways to behave in the new place for a little while, so that you can help prevent it from happening a second time!

Have you ever had a “surprise” like this from a dog that you thought was completely potty trained?

For the practical steps and help with a sudden change, see House Training.