Peeing in my bed

Question
QUESTION: I have a 7 month old, male, toy poodle ( he is not neutered).  He is outdoor trained and during the day he is placed in an excercise pen.  Recently, he has began urinating in my bed, but only when I am not looking.  He knows that it is wrong because he will either hide behind the couch or go into his crate.  He has done this for approximately 4 days straight. Why is he doing this? How can I help to rectify this issue?

ANSWER: Now that he is maturing, he is challenging you for leadership.  He is showing you he can do it and you can't stop him.  The first step is to neuter him.  If you were thinking of breeding him, please don't.  Many behavior problems are due to people using ill behaved dogs for breeding.  We have too many well behaved, healthy dogs to use anything else for breeding.

The next step is obedience training.  The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat.

When you are around you need to keep a close eye on the dog. Use closed doors or gates to keep it in the same room as you are, and perhaps as I do, a short chain fastened to the computer desk. If you catch it in the act, give it a sharp ''Ah, ah, ah!'' and take it out. If he can't get to the bed, he may try the sofa.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: He is scheduled for neutering in February 2010.  Also, can you recommend any good books, we would like to go obdience classes, however, those can be very costly.  

Answer
Here is a list put together by the professionals at a dog guide school for those caring for their dogs.

The Cultural Clash by Jean Donaldson, 1996

Excel-crated Learning by Pamela Reid, 1996

Don't Shoot the Dog, by Karen Pryor, 1996

Surviving Your Dog's Adolescence, by Carol Lea Benjamin, 1993

Second Hand dog, by Carol Lea Benjamin, 1988

Dog Problems, by Carol Lea Benjamin, 1989

Super Puppy, by Peter J. Vollmer, 1988

HELP, Mt dog Has an Attitude, by Gwen Bohnenkamp, 1994

Owners' Guide Better Behavior in Dogs and Cats, by William Campbell, 1989

What All Good dogs Should Know, By Wendy Vollmer, 1991

How to Raise a Dog When Nobody is Home, Jerry Kilmer, 1991

Puppy Primer, by Brenda K Skidmore and Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D., 1996