dog peeing in house

Question
Hi, we have a 2 year old Yorkshire Terrier. He was given to us at 1 year. He hasnt been great with the pooping and peeing but he did get better after time. He goes for plenty of walks and is outside a lot during the day. Just in the past week or so he has been peeing in the house daily. He even peed next to my foot coming down the stairs in our house. Very strange behavoir.He pees for a long time when he does go outside. I'm thinking something is wrong with his bladder. What do you think?  Thank you carole

Answer
A vet check is always a good idea when a bad behavior crops up.  Ask about neutering too if not already.  It is no cure all, but often is a big help with males urinating in the house.

It is possible at 2 years old, he has decided he is a big boy and it is time to start marking his territory in the house.  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