NOOOOO. Why has Teddy started doing this?

[Dieu]

Urgggh. My 16 month male (unneutered) Shih Tzu has been reliably toilet trained for MONTHS now. Not a single accident. However for the past few days he has started peeing indoors. I feel like crying, as I simply cannot go back to this. He took so long to 'get it' in the first place.
He was given a health check at the vet's (as there for booster vaccs anyway) on Friday just past, and appears to be in great health.
One thing I can say, is that he is doing it in the same place. At least it's not randomly all over the house. Always in the hall, and up against my Lakeland heated clothes airer
He just did it right in front of me, bold as brass, with leg cocked against the airer. I immediately picked him up and put him outside, as you would a young pup. And I know all about cleaning the area with biological solution. This has made no difference; he always selects the same place.
Please mumsnetters, why would he be doing this after all this time … and how do I make him stop? Perhaps getting rid of the airer would help (although I depend on it quite heavily here in Scotland, with no space for a tumble drier), as it does look like something a male dog would pee against (like a pole!) … but then surely he'd just start doing it elsewhere.
Please help! Thanks so much in advance.

[miserablemoo]

Hello

I'm not sure but my boy is about the same age as yours. Did he used to use the airer when he was a pup to wee on? Is he drinking more water than usual?

[Dieu]

Hi moo. We've had the airer for a couple of months now (certainly acquired after puppyhood/toilet training) and he never showed an interest. This is a very recent thing, just in the last few days.

[fuzzyfozzy]

I feel for you! I've two dogs, 5&2 and would wake up every mourning to wee.
Fully toilet trained previously, never an accident in the day.
Whoever it was, would always wee on something of mine!!
I tried retraining, tried not letting them on sofas in case it was a dominance thing... no change.
I gave up and locked them in the utility at nights, it's been two weeks and I tried them out this weekend. No wee yet!!
In my case I hope I just needed to break the cycle.

[fuzzyfozzy]

*morning

[DonkeysDontRideBicycles]

I'd take Teddy to the vet first to rule out any medical cause.

[Dieu]

Thanks. I did bring it up on Friday at the vet's, but it wasn't the main focus of the visit. Perhaps I should go again specifically for this. Sigh.

[ThisUsernameIsAvailab1e]

I'd move the aired for now and see what happens. If it's no longer there then that might be enough to break the cycle.

If it doesn't then you're going to have to go back to basics and confine him to certain areas

[Mybeardeddragonjustdied2016]

Neutering would stop this. He is spraying his territory.

[Dieu]

I've heard that, but why only so recently (the past few days)? He's been a bratty adolescent for a while now after all .
Thanks for all your replies so far.

[fuzzyfozzy]

Mine were both well past neutering stage when they started.