Q: I hope you can help. I am a proud owner of a 6-month old Boston Terrier. He has been terrific, he is house trained and very smart. He has been sleeping in bed with us. The other day after taking him out to do his duty, I went up stairs to notice that he had urinated on my bed in two spots after taking him out. I cleaned up the mess I then took him outside again, as I thought he just didn't go enough. So then last night when I took him out just before bed he jumped on the bed looked at me and urinated. What can this mean? Please help any advice is great! Thanks!

A: Oops, this little boy needs to lose sleeping-in-your-bed privileges, at least for some months. Is he neutered? If not, do it as soon as your veterinarian says he is ready. This is not deliberate defiance, but an instinctive behavior. You may be outraged by it, but treat it just like any other housebreaking mistake, no punishment. You just aren't going to let it happen anymore!

This will become a very entrenched habit if you let it, so block his access to the bedroom when you're not there to watch him. To keep him off the bed at night, you could tether him (careful, this method carries a risk of strangulation if not done exactly right) so he has to stay in his own comfy bed on the floor. Or you could use a crate at night for awhile. I would not ban him from the bedroom, just the bed.

Treat the spots with a bacterial enzyme odor eliminator product such as Nature's Miracle. Then when any new spot occurs (Eek! that would be a goof on your part, meaning you failed to supervise!) saturate it with white vinegar. That sends him a scent message and tends to discourage a dog from using the spot again. It also neutralizes the odor, but only if done while the original urine is still wet.

Most dogs should not be allowed to sleep on your bed until after they have come all the way through puberty and are well-trained -- that is, if they should ever be allowed to sleep on the bed. Having any dog on the bed is a risk.

However, one study showed something like 40% of us do have our dogs on the bed -- yes, including me! So I won't say he should never be allowed back on the bed. But you'd be very wise to get him off of there for now. Make sure his new bed is padded and cozy, and offers good ventilation at all times, especially in warm weather. And have him close to you so he doesn't feel ostracized from his pack.