Puppy peeing in the house after we take him out

Question
Hi Labman,
    My girlfriend and I have a 13wk old male bull terrier. We take him out often and he goes to the bathroom outside, but when we bring him back in it seems like he finds the need to pee on something in the house. Is he marking his territory?? If so why? We both firmly tell him NO but he still does it. Do you know why this is and how to stop him from doing this?? Thanks Kurran

Answer
At that age, he may just find being outside too exciting to finish urinating.  Try walking him around a little, and he may be stimulated to finish.  Don't rush in too soon and let him catch on to urinating ending the exciting trip outside.  

Head off marking problems later by starting obedience if you haven't already.  Keep sessions very short.  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. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/  For more on being top dog, see http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm

''Elevation for small puppies:  Sit on the floor and gently put your hands around your pup's middle, below his front legs, and lift him up.  He is facing you.  Hold him for 15 seconds.  Repeat until he no longer struggles.  If he is past 10-12 weeks, lift his front feet off the ground, but don't pick him up.  

Cradling for small puppies:  Hold your puppy gently on his back, as you would cradle a small baby.  If he struggles, hold him firmly until he quiets for 10-15 seconds.  With larger pups, you can do this as your sit on the floor, with your pup between your legs.

Quiet lying down:  Place your pup on the floor on his side, with all 4 legs pointing away from you.  Use your hands on his neck/shoulder area and middle, to hold him in this position.  When he is quiet, praise him.  Lengthen the time that you keep him quietly in this position.  When he accepts this position well, handle his paws and muzzle, while keeping him quiet.''

The quotes mean this isn't my original work.  It is copied from my Puppy Raising Manual.  I have long used these or minor variations of them, and they are very effective.  You may want to give him a belly rub while he is on his back too.  Helps bonding.  There is a big difference between him rolling over and demanding a belly rub, and you choosing a time to roll him over and rub his belly.  The latter cements your place as pack leader.