Set back on training

My dog ususally whines when she needs to go out to pee. Lately she has been playing outside and then when I call her in she comes in and pees inside the door. Recently she was coming downstairs with me and she stopped and peed on the stairs.
   
Why is she peeing in the house and not asking to go out?
   
What should I be doing to get her to stop peeing in the house and start asking to go out.? Thanks so much Judy

First off, clean every indoor area she ever hit with pee with Nature's Miracle or the like. If you don't, then she can still smell her own pee and it is like a beacon screaming at her, "PEE HERE FIFI, PEE HERE FIFI."
   
This is why dogs return to the same spots over and over to pee. The urge to urinate where they smell urine (theirs or another dog's) is too strong.
   
Typically I would say to see the vet to make sure there is not a physical problem that is causing this.
   
However, I am disinclined to think your dog has a urinary tract infection or other physical issue since dogs who pee indoors due to health problems tend to be unaware of it.
   
Your dog stopped to pee the stairs so she is perfectly aware of the fact that she needs to urinate. She just doesn't see the need to go outside and goes wherever she is at the moment the urge strikes her.
   
I think her real problem is that she is just too lazy to go out and the idea that peeing indoors is wrong hasn't been drummed firmly enough into her brain.
   
Go back to basic puppy training. Outside every hour or so and praise her to the moon for an outdoor pee.
   
Since she has shown herself to be untrustworthy, tether her to a reliable human all the time she is indoors. Now she can't have herself an indoor pee without someone stopping her, scolding her (NONONO Fifi, Fifi pees OUTSIDE) and dragging her outside for a correct potty and praise (good Fifi, good Fifi pees outside).
   
If she doesn't like it, tough. She lost her freedom when she squatted inside the door.
   
If you are cleaning up her puddles while she is watching you, STOP. This gives her the idea that peeing indoors is acceptable and that it is your job to mop up her urine.
   
This idea is exacerbated by the current trend in dog pop psychology, that punishing a dog for soiling indoors doesn't do any good unless you catch the dog in the act.
   
So unless you catch the dog with half a turd hanging out of her anus or mid-flow, then there is no penalty for an indoor poop or pee.
   
This is a lot of baloney. Dogs DO know why they are being scolded and by not scolding for a puddle you are actually reinforcing the idea that their indoor tinkle was perfectly fine and that you are happy to clean it up for them.
   
This gives some dogs the idea that indoor tinkle is the way to go, so they actually hold it until you finally let them inside, where they can at long last relieve themselves in their usual peeing spot.
   
This is obviously the opposite of what you want.
   
Dogs tend to need to pee after sleep or exercise, so if she is consistently peeing after coming inside, then part of the problem could be that you are letting her come in before she has had her post-play pee.
   
After play, she has to stay outside until she pees. Stay with her and make sure you actually see urine coming out of her.
   
Sometimes they figure out what you're looking for, squat and 'fake it' so they can come in, where they can't hold it and unload everywhere. This is especially true of the lazy ones, and I kind of think your dog is falling into that category, so you need to get on this.
   
So her new routine should be that she is taken outside to pee after she has woken up, even from a nap, and she is either taken out if she has been playing indoors or left out if she has been playing outdoors until she has had a good pee.
   
This is in addition to taking her outside every hour or so like a puppy and the tethering.
   
If she starts to whine to go outside again, praise her until she thinks she's a queen for whining to go outside to potty as a dog should (good girl Fifi, good girl asks to go outside to pee).
   
I am not a proponent of treating a dog for proper toileting, as that trains them to go outside, squirt one ounce of pee and snap their heads around for the treat, then squirt another ounce, snap the head around again for another treat, and so on.
   
At that rate it will take an hour for the dog to pee and it will get fatter than a pig.
   
If all else fails (and I really think it won't come to this) break out the diaper.
   
Diaper her whenever she is indoors. If she squats down and wets indoors, leave the wet diaper on her for a good 15-30 minutes. If you change her right away she will be comfortable and continue to happily pee her pants, confident that you will be right there to clean her bottom.
   
The goal of the wet diaper is for her to know how miserable it is.
   
The only time the diaper is off her is when she is outside. She will learn quickly that the only time she can urinate in comfort is outside.
   
After she has kept the diaper dry consistently, you can let her 'go commando' but back it goes if she squats inside again.
   
You'll be surprised how quickly the diaper forces them to clean up their potty acts. Eventually you will only have to show her a diaper every week or so to remind her of what happens to bad girls who tinkle inside.
   
Good luck, I hope she is soon peeing outside again!