We finished housebreaking Barrett, our second dog, more than four years ago. I thought that would be the last dog urine I'd be cleaning from my floors for quite some time, at least until the girls became old and lost control of their bladders.

I returned home on a recent afternoon to find that was not the case. Walking across the living room, a strange glare off the wood floor caused me to pause just in time to avoid stepping in a puddle.

This was the second puddle in recent weeks in the same location: between the dining room and the living room, directly adjacent to our nine-month-old son's play area. A few people have suggested I get the dogs checked for a urinary tract infection, but I suspect something else is the cause.

The few times our dogs have had accidents, either due to sickness or an inability to get out in time, they have taken place either by the door or hidden in a far off corner. This "accident" was located right in the center of the house, practically equidistant from the exits, and I suspect the placement was intentional.

I suspect this "accident" was actually an act of rebellion aimed at the new baby brother. Both dogs have been more than tolerant of the climbing and hair-pulling, and have left all of his toys alone, even when they mingle on the floor with dog toys. But I think they have noticed our attention being split. Remy and Barrett now have to wait for me to dress Mason and put him in a stroller before going for our morning walk. And fetch sessions have been shorter and less frequent as there is always a diaper to change or a bottle to clean. But who was the culprit?

When I brought the dogs back in from outside, Barrett skulked away to a corner of the living room, avoiding the soiled area, while Remy seemed almost cavalier. Barrett's demeanor could have looked like guilt to the untrained eye, but to me it seemed more like passing of the blame. Remy acted extra affectionate, the way she does after she's scolded, or when she's jealous of the baby in my lap.

I don't interpret this as a sign of aggression, as Remy has always been submissive to Mason in person, often napping at the foot of his crib and rolling over to allow him to climb on her belly. Rather, it seems more like a cry for attention and a demarcation of territory: "Hey kid, you can have all the fun you want on your play mat, but remember that I was here first."

The one big change that has unfortunately resulted is the dogs have returned to the basement when my wife and I are at work. I know they prefer a perch on the couch looking out the living room window, or a nest in the blankets of our bed, but I'm not willing to keep cleaning up the floor and replacing rug squares. I think Remy actually likes the basement, retreating there during the day to get away from Barrett. Installation of a new dog door this summer should help matters, as will more outside play time as the weather gets better and the boy gets older.