Urinating on the couch

Question
Our two beagle puppies are 5 months old and were doing well at housebreaking.  They share a wire cage to sleep and are allowed loose only in areas with wood and vinyl flooring.  They have recently begun urinating very frequently on our couch.  Immediately after coming in from outside, one or another will urinate on the couch-while we are watching.  If we catch him or her we will pop the pup and take him or her outside immediately.  They are ruining our couch.  They are scheduled later this month to be spayed and neutered.  Please help.

Answer
The spay/neutering is an important step, but may not be enough.  They needs stronger leadership.  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

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.  When you can't watch it, crate it.