The Knowledge-Performance Gap

Your dog may hold it overnight but still have an accident twenty minutes after coming inside. That does not automatically mean defiance. Sleep, activity, stress, access to doors, medical issues, and indoor surface habits all change the picture. If health has been ruled out, the training gap is usually this: outdoor elimination is not yet easier or more rewarding than going inside.

Dogs are efficiency experts. They choose the path of least resistance every time. If going outside requires a leash, a walk, and performing on cue — while inside requires just squatting on a rug — the indoor option wins unless you tip the scales.