Strange Behavior after being neutered

Question
I have a 14 month old chihuahua that was just recently neutered.  Right after he was neutered he ended up with a really nasty case of diarrhea and was on antibiotics and other meds for 7 days.  Since being sick, he has been terrified of going into the yard to go to the bathroom.  He will pee on the sidewalk or roll over and pee all over his stomach.  It's as if he thinks we are going to punish him.  What is going on with our usually good natured dog?  He is acting fine inside and playing normal but he used to like going outside and now he does not.  Help!!!

Answer
Hi Cindy,

For some dogs getting neutered can be very traumatic. After the dog returns home, some owners notice emotional issues that were not there before the surgery.

The behavior of rolling onto his back, and peeing on himself is classic "submissive urination" behavior. When a dog feels intimidated or threatened, in the dog's world the appropriate response is to offer a submissive signal, which means showing your belly and peeing. The urination that occurs is not a spiteful act but a natural part of a dog's behavioral repertoire. You should never punish your dog for this kind of urination.

Some owners inadvertently encourage the behavior by coddling their nervous dog. Touching and praise, which you may believe are reassuring your dog, are actually telling him, "Continue this behavior, I like it." So instead, try to ignore timid behavior and praise your dog when he is acting more confidently.

You can read about how to deal with submissive urination here:

http://www.pets.ca/pettips/tips-14.htm
http://www.idahohumanesociety.com/caretrain/urination.html

You didn't say whether or not you had your dog examined by your vet since he developed the urination problem. There is always the chance that he has a urinary tact infection, and simply can't hold his urine comfortably.
Hormone-responsive incontinence occurs in neutered dogs of both sexes, but occurs most commonly in female dogs. The pet can urinate normally, but they leak urine while resting. Hormone-responsive incontinence can occur months to years after a pet is neutered.

Bes of luck,
Patti