Marking and Barking Woes!

Question
Hello!
I have a 1 1/2 year old male Toy Poodle who, though has been a beloved member of our family for over a year now, has taken up two horrible habits...Urinating around the house (I assume he is marking since these spots are quite small and can even occur when he has just been outside) and barking at many things such as people passing our home and at every little noise or disturbance.
I would be HUGELY grateful if you could offer me some advice that would cure either ( or BOTH :)) of these issues!
Looking forward to hearing from you soon...
~Tina
P.S. He was neutered at 6 months of age, which I thought was known to prevent this behaivoir. ?

Answer
My apologies for not answering sooner. I actually thought I had, but evidently it didn't go through.  

For any behavior you find negative, I have found 2 ways to fight it....both involve viligance on your part.  When you see him lift his leg to mark or when he starts barking, try either:

1.  Spritzing him in the face with a spray bottle filled with water; sounds wierd, but he will NOT like it.  As you do this, say NO in a firm, low-pitched voice.

2.  Take an empty can with a few pennies in it and shake it as you say NO in a firm, low-pitched voice.

The voice pitch is important as a low voice mimics or seems to him like a growl from his alpha dog.  He may be trying to establish dominance in your home as the alpha dog (marking his territory and barking to protect it) and so it is important that you show him that YOU are alpha.  A high-pitched voice comes across to a dog as your being excited - he hears it as just noisy excitement and won't pay much heed to it.

If this fails to work, you may want to go online and check out doggie diapers.  That will at least keep the urine contained.  Additionally, clean any area that has been marked with a solution of 1/4 vinegar and 3/4 water to neutralize the smell.  If he can smell it, he'll naturally come back to it and mark again.

I googled "doggie diapers" and here is the link:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=doggie+diapers

Good luck!!

Kathryn