Dog urinates in house

Question
Hi Anne,

My dog periodically urinates in the house.  She's really sly about it, for over 3 years I haven't been able to catch her in the act.  She sleeps in her kennel at night and is gated (child gate) downstairs during the day (uses the doggy door).

I'm at my wits end about this.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

Answer
If she "hides" and you haven't been able to "catch" her, my guess is that she has, at one time or another, been scolded for having an accident indoors.  So, she may have learned that "it's dangerous to pee in front of the human", rather than "I'm not supposed to pee indoors".
Any dog that is pee'ing inside is not house-trained, so you may have to go back and review those skills with her.  That requires scrupulous supervision.  If it were me, I would tether the dog to my waist, and simply take her outside when I noticed her sniffing, etc. as if she wanted to go.  Any time she was outside her crate, I'd have her tethered to me, plus I would be sure to reward her when she finishes her biz outside (but not every single time), and I would not scold at all for mistakes, just clean them up with Petastic or Simple Solution.  She has too much freedom in your house - she needs to earn that by being clean indoors.  My guess is that she will learn as long as you are diligent.