Malteses balking

Question
We have a rescued Maltese, spayed female, which we adopted a little over five years ago. Our understanding was that she was 2 yrs old.  Her behavior implied that she had been mistreated by a man.  It took her several months to be comfortable with my husband. We had an older arthritic lab and she, Biscuit, was "hired" as an exercise trainer!  I wanted the lab to be more active and, in our previous neighborhood, her "best friend" was a Maltese.   Our lab died last Oct.  We haven't really noticed any changes in the Maltese because of this; she has always been strongly bonded to me and is often my lap dog.

Biscuit is generally well-behaved.  She does bark when someone comes to the house, but calms pretty readily.  She will come and stay and goes to her basket when we eat (sometimes on her own, others after commands).  She enjoys walks on leash and stalking chipmunks in the yard.

She has been treated gently but firmly.  We are very familiar with Cesar Milan and his philosphies.

The problem with Biscuit is that, when she doesn't want to do something, she balks and often lies down on her back.
This happens most evenings at bedtime.  I understand that she doesn't want to be by herself; she sleeps in the laundry room with a nice bed and bowl of fresh water.  The lab was in the same place as well.     Our response is to be firm with her.  I will pick her upright with one hand and put her feet on the ground and tell her to come.  She may continue to balk or walk very slowly.   I think she delays going potty at night because that signals going inside.  But she gets plenty of attention during the day and the evening.    She has never slept with us and when we travel she sleeps in her crate.

We would both really appreciate any suggestions you might have to make Biscuit more readily respond to commands and to change this nighttime behavior problem.

Many thanks.  Mary  

Answer
My first suggestion is:CHANGE THE CHANNEL.  If you're going to follow the advice of anyone, read Dr. Ian Dunbar, an actually EDUCATED and cutting edge REAL LIFE behaviorist.  Avoid wanna-be's whose advice is based upon outdated ignorance.

Many soft dogs (meaning subdominant or even submissive) will lie on their backs when about to undertake an experience they anticipate as unwanted.  This is not necessarily submission, it is a signal of non-dominance and a calming signal.  By doing this, the dog is communicating: "Do I really have to? See, I'm no threat."  

Not eliminating outdoors when isolation (not intended as any sort of judgment, the dog's sleeping area is fine) is a learned next step in a chain of behavior, can easily be extinguished.  Simply offer this dog a superb treat (cheese, chicken frank, etc.) when she eliminates outdoors last thing at night.  Then take her back into the house and for approximately two minutes do something TOTALLY DIFFERENT.  Ignore her for those two minutes, then go to her area of confinement and when she CHOOSES to follow you, food reward her.

If you consistently offer different behaviors YOURSELF to her signals, and change the results of things she anticipates as being non-rewarding or "punishing", she will slowly learn.