House Breaking Gone Wrong?

Question
Tucker: 10 month old Yorkie/Maltese/male/neutered.   Tucker was doing great at going outside to play and do his duty.  I attached a doggie door to my sliding glass door a little over a month ago and it was working well.  But just this week he has started leaving little surprises inside when he still has full access to the back yard.  Nothing has changed around my house.  My mother is around during the day and my grandkids come and play with him in the afternoon.  But it seems every morning he is peeing and pooping in the house...in different rooms.  Just last night as I was getting ready for bed, seconds after I was petting him, he went in one room and pooped and then peed in front of the doggie door. I'm at a loss as to why he is doing this?  Rebellion?  It's not like he hasn't been housetrained.  I would greatly appreciate any suggestions you might have.  Thank you sooooo much!

Answer
I am sure this relates to his maturing and a challenge to your leadership.  Neutering greatly reduces such, but it is no cure all.  You need to give him stronger leadership and watch him more carefully.  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.

It is only natural that a puppy resists its crate at first.  What the puppy
wants more than anything else is to be others, you, anyone else in the
household, and any other pets.  In our modern society, even if we are home,
other things distract us from the attention an uncrated puppy must have.   The
only real solution is to crate the dog when you aren't around.  The dog may be
happier in its den than loose in the house.  It relaxes, it feels safe in its
den.  It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving
its self.  Dogs that have been crated all along do very well.  Many of them
will rest in their crates even when the door is open.  I think the plastic
ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling.  Metal ones can be put
in a corner or covered with something the dog can't pull in and chew.  Select
a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

Leave it some toys.  Perhaps a Kong filled with peanut butter.  Don't leave
anything in the crate the dog might chew up.  It will do fine without even any
bedding.  You will come home to a safe dog and a house you can enjoy.

A dog that has not been crated since it was little, may take some work.
Start out just putting its toys and treats in the crate.  Praise it for going
in.  Feed it in the crate.  This is also an easy way to maintain order at
feeding time for more than one dog.