Iroh is 4.5 months old now and knows that he needs to potty outside. We even have bells on the door that he knows to jingle to be let out. Most days, we don't have any problems...but if he's told "no" or doesn't get his way, and only if he's in his pen, he'll start to pee. Even if he's just been outside. Even if he's just been outside TWICE. I'll tell him "stop" and he will. Then he'll do 1 of 2 things:

1. Rub his own nose in it. Weird, right? He'll start nose-ing it slowly and quietly, and then/or,

2. Lay down and nap.

I know he can hold it for up to four hours, and he can even hold it all night long overnight now, so it's not a matter of inability to hold it. He knows he's supposed to go outside. He definitely knows how to tell me he has to go outside and even jingles the bells when he's bored to tell me he wants to go play.

Is he just a rebellious little S-O-B? Has anyone ever had something similar happen? How can I get him to stop this? Thanks

I had the toughest time potty training Zhukov. However, this situation sounds a little weird. He is only peeing in his crate? Or is his "pen" bigger than that? Also, he will stop peeing if you tell him to?

If he isn't peeing anywhere else in the house, and it is only when he is in his pen and after he is being told "no", then it sounds like a nervous/scared issue.

His crate, yes. He will stop if I tell him to. His crate is his favorite place and he goes in on his own when he's out of it, so he isn't afraid of it, but what usually happens is:

He is being too hyper, has been out for a long time, or it is time for the humans to eat. I take him outside to potty, make sure he does, then bring him in and tell him cheerily "go to bed". He hops in, sits, and waits for a treat. I give him a small treat and an ice cube for his teething. As soon as he's done with his treat he whines for awhile-- especially if the humans have food (he is always fed right before we eat though), friends are over, the cats are out playing, or we are doing something "fun". It really just seems that he is disappointed to not be out with his humans. If I am alone and the house is quiet, he goes right to bed.

Now, if he is whining or excited and tries to rip up his banket or toy, I firmly tell him "no" or "stop". He stops. He turns in a circle, whines again, then starts to pee. I tell him "no". He stops, turns around, lays down, and takes a nap or chews on a toy. He stays calm and eventually relaxes until we let him out.

It seems really strange. His crate is always a happy place for him to be and he goes in very eagerly every time. After the initial whining/anxiety/tantrum? he is fine.

Is there any way you can make the crate small enough so all he can do it stretch out when laying down? I wonder if the breeder always had them in a small crate/pen area and that is where they would go to the bathroom so he is used to laying near his mess? If that is the case, maybe you would have the make the crate small enough that he would have to sit in it if he made a mess and wouldn't be able to lay next to it instead? My guy is just under 4 months old and was insanely difficult to house train for the first 2 months, only these past two weeks is he starting to do a whole lot better.
But I do highly doubt that he is testing you, but you never know, he might. I would either contact the breeder or kennel or whomever you got him from and find out a bit more on his living conditions before he came to you if you don't specifically remember yourself. I'm thinking that maybe it's what he is used to doing and currently doesn't know any better? I'm not sure, just throwing out suggestions.

I do think the shelter had him in a very large enclosure and he was very much babied for ths first couple months of his life. But it was odd because he wasn't going in his pen for weeks when he started to get the hang of it and then all of a sudden he started trying to go. He doesn't ever do it if we're not in the room. :/

I've been planning on picking him up a new crate that's a good bit smaller to see if it makes a difference. Hopefully it helps him and us out.

I've heard that once an animal 'marks' a spot, if there is any scent, residue or evidence of it remaining, the dog will believe that it's ok to repeat the process there.

He may have done it once out of accident, or nerves, or being scared, or who knows what, but now that spot is marked as an ok place to relieve himself.

Perhaps just a VERY thorough deep cleaning will remove enough of the scent that he will no longer see that as an ok spot to relieve himself.

I've started giving him higher value treats for going into and behaving in his crate, and we haven't been having as many problems lately, so maybe it was just stress/anxiety about feeling secluded or like he was in trouble, especially when there was excitement going on. Thank you for all of your advice! I changed his bedsheets, too. He seems to behave a lot better when his blankets are clean.

That is wonderful to hear, keep up the good work!