Our dog has never messed in the house and we've been able to trust him for long intervals, so this was a shock and a disappointment.
It's been raining today, at times heavily. Hubby takes him out first thing in the morning and the dog always pees and usually poops. This morning he didn't. I had him out near noon and he still didn't go, although I have him opportunity. At that point it was still raining.
The dog never goes downstairs unless I am there, and mid afternoon or so, I went downstairs to do some laundry. I think that must have been when the dog pooped. I wish I had seen him and caught him before he did it.

I probably should have picked up the poo and disposed of it in the bushes outside the way I do when he poops in the yard. (We live in the country, forest on the edge of the yard.) But instead, I flushed it down the toilet and sprayed the carpet area with Lysol. I suppose that was all wrong.
I am hoping this is a one off thing, that he didn't go outside because he didn't like the rain and/or we didn't give him the opportunity. I guess when we go out, we'll have to close off parts of the house. We had let off on crate training because he just has too many problems as it is and I think he would panic in a crate.
So...correct way to handle this should it happen again?
(Not looking forward to having to tell hubby about this!)