wrote in

:

First off, have you taken this dog to a vet to rule out a UTI?

I recently adopted a 1 1/2 y/o female cocker mix, 17 lbs. I know
to expect accidents at the beginning, but she's able to hold it
without problems all night,

That's common. Dogs' (and humans') metabolism slows down when they
are sleeping. It's not necessarily true, then, that a dog can hold
it for the same amount of time when she's awake.

Yesterday, I left the dog alone for 20 min

You should not have done that. At least, not if you left her with
free range of the house. Until she's reliably house trained, she
should not be left loose and unsupervised. Either crate her when
you're gone or take her with you.

I realize she might have thought she was being abandoned, but on
the other hand, she might have been demonstrating her displeasure
that I left her behind. (I've been taking her everywhere with me).

The simpler explanation is that she's not house trained.

Anyway, I didn't do anything about except clean it up,

Good.

but for
the first time in the 2 weeks I've had her, she's sat in another
room away from me; otherwise, she's constantly underfoot or wants
to be held or sit right next to me 24/7. Guilt?

It's more likely that she's settling in and feeling more comfortable
in your home.

In any event,
what's the best way to treat this issue in the future?

House training consists of two or three simple components.

1. Fixed meal times. A schedule of food going in means a better
schedule for it going out.

2. Do not allow her the opportunity to make a mess. Every accident
she has will undermine whatever progress you've made.

Keep her tethered to you when you're home and crated when you are
not. Take her out frequently (you have to go out with her) and
praise her when she relieves herself outside.

3. If accidents occur, don't make a big deal out of them. This
means that the answer to your original question is that you *don't*
correct a dog for peeing in the house. If she pees in the house,
it's your fault for not supervising her and/or for not taking her out
frequently enough.

--
Shelly
http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship)
http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther)