# New Rescue Dog Having a Few Accidents



## Shawski (Mar 26, 2013)

We just adopted a year and a half old Shih Tzu and terrier mix on Saturday. He is apparently housebroken, but has had three accidents in the five days we have had him. I think that the accidents are probably related to him just having been adopted and experiencing a lot of new things, but wondered what others think. Here are the three situations:

1. Saturday afternoon came home from the adoption fair which was a pretty hectic scene. Took him out and he peed. About 3 or 4 hours later he peed on the rug in the bedroom.


2. Wednesday took him to be groomed. He peed outside the groomers. About three hours after we got home he peed again on the same carpet. 


3. Today, Thursday I couldn’t take him out for about 4 hours due to weather. Tropical storm Andrea spawned lots of tornadoes in our area and we were under various tornado warnings most of the morning. Again he peed on the same carpet. 


He is a great little dog – friendly, playful, does not seem stressed at all, eats well, is crate trained, walks well (most of the time) on his leash. He was in a foster home for about a month before we adopted him.

Some advice or thoughts please.

Thanks,
Shawski


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

...It just sounds like he needs to go out more frequently, honestly. If he's going in the house after three hours, take him out every two for a while. If you can't do that, keep him close to you or crate him when you're not watching and time is getting close. He's new to your home and doesn't know your schedule, yet, and housebroken in one house does not mean housebroken in another house (like almost ever) because dogs don't generalize. Any time your'e at a new house with him, you're going to have to do an abbreviated housebreaking course, because all they know is 'I don't go HERE'.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

If he's peeing in the same place each time, is it possible he was potty pad trained in a previous home? That can confuse dogs and rugs and pads look a lot alike. If so, rolling up the rugs temporarily might help (assuming you mean area rugs and not wall-to-wall carpet)

Also, clean the rug really well with either an enzyme cleaner like Nature's Miracle (available at pet stores) or with a 50/50 white vinegar and water mix. He smells where he peed even if you cleaned it with regular household cleaner and can think that's an okay spot to return to.

Then just go with what CptJack said and do a little housetraining 101 refresher course.


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## Shawski (Mar 26, 2013)

Thanks for your suggestions. 

I've used Nature's Miracle on the spots. They were all in different areas of the same room.

He seems so well adjusted that I forget he has been through a lot and needs some time to get used to a new place and a new routine. I will take him out more frequently and see if that helps. 

I also think that one of the problems I've started to notice is that when I take him out he does not pee a lot - oftentimes just a spritz here and there. I probably brought him in thinking he had done what he needed to do but there was more to come and he did it inside. He still does not seem to give me any indication that he has to go. 

I'm sure it will all work out eventually as I get to know him better and he gets used to a new routine.

Thanks again.


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## EagleRiverDee (Mar 14, 2011)

My rescue had some issues the first week, too. I just made it a point to take her out often, just as though she were a puppy, and to praise her tons when she went outside. Within a week she was back to being reliably house trained.


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