Or not: puppies under about three or four months are notoriously messy, and adult dogs may still go through rough patches when they transition to a new place. Seniors are sometimes incontinent. Stress and abrupt dietary changes can cause diarrhea in dogs. But if it's been a week or more and your foster dog really should be able to handle himself, consider whether you might be facing one of the following issues.

Or not: puppies under about three or four months are notoriously messy, and adult dogs may still go through rough patches when they transition to a new place. Seniors are sometimes incontinent. Stress and abrupt dietary changes can cause diarrhea in dogs. But if it's been a week or more and your foster dog really should be able to handle himself, consider whether you might be facing one of the following issues.

'''Is there a medical problem?''' Incontinence frequently signals that there's something medically amiss. One of my foster dogs, who seemed previously to be progressing nicely in her potty training, suddenly started going diarrhea not only in the house, but in her crate. It turned out she had giardia. After she started on medication, the problem vanished. Another foster dog who had impeccable potty manners came down with diarrhea after snarfing some garbage while out on a walk. A 24-hour fast cured his ills. If your foster dog starts having accidents, and ''especially'' if those accidents involve diarrhea, try a 24-hour fast to rest his digestive system, and switch to a bland diet of rice, boiled chicken, and maybe a little canned pumpkin for a few days afterward. If that doesn't do the trick, a visit to the vet may be in order.

'''Is there a medical problem?''' Incontinence frequently signals that there's something medically amiss. One of my foster dogs, who seemed previously to be progressing nicely in her potty training, suddenly started going diarrhea not only in the house, but in her crate. It turned out she had giardia. After she started on medication, the problem vanished. Another foster dog who had impeccable potty manners came down with diarrhea after snarfing some garbage while out on a walk. A 24-hour fast cured his ills. If your foster dog starts having accidents, and ''especially'' if those accidents involve diarrhea, try a 24-hour fast to rest his digestive system, and switch to a bland diet of rice, boiled chicken, and maybe a little canned pumpkin for a few days afterward. If that doesn't do the trick, a visit to the vet may be in order.

(Note: If your foster dog is a puppy under three months of age, diarrhea may indicate something much more serious than indigestion. Sadly, many dogs are not vaccinated against parvo or distemper in the regions that WAGS pulls from. While your foster puppy will have been fully vaccinated and subjected to a 10- to 14-day quarantine before being transported north, there is still a small chance that she might have been exposed to one of these pathogens en route or after arrival. If your foster puppy appears to be in major distress within a few days of arrival, please contact your foster coordinator immediately.)

(Note: If your foster dog is a puppy under three months of age, diarrhea may indicate something much more serious than indigestion. Sadly, many dogs are not vaccinated against parvo or distemper in the regions that WAGS pulls from. While your foster puppy will have been fully vaccinated and subjected to a 10- to 14-day quarantine before being transported north, there is still a small chance that she might have been exposed to one of these pathogens en route or after arrival. If your foster puppy appears to be in major distress within a few days of arrival, please contact your foster coordinator immediately.)

'''Is it submissive urination?''' Are the accidents limited to small amounts of urine? Are they accompanied by appeasement gestures (rolling over onto the belly, averted gaze, cowering, etc.)? Do they generally occur when you reach for her quickly, approach the dog by looming or reaching over her head, and/or seem to be angry? If so, you may be dealing with submissive urination rather than an actual potty training mistake. ''Do not correct the dog for submissive urination''. You'll just frighten her and make the problem worse.

'''Is it submissive urination?''' Are the accidents limited to small amounts of urine? Are they accompanied by appeasement gestures (rolling over to show the belly, averted gaze, cowering, etc.)? Do they generally occur when you reach for her quickly, approach the dog by looming or reaching over her head, and/or seem to be angry? If so, you may be dealing with submissive urination rather than an actual potty training mistake. ''Do not correct the dog for submissive urination''. You'll just frighten her and make the problem worse.