peeing to get attention?

Cockers really don't have a history of potty training problems.  They are more likely to do submission urinating but if you house train correctly, it should NOT be a problem with cockers anymore than with other breeds.  Sometimes the "cute" factor gets in the way tho.
 
Dogs don't generalize well.  Don't pee in house A doesn't ALWAYS translate don't pee in house B.  How did people REACT when he peed?  I'm betting someone at least yelled out "OMG your dog just PEED on my carpet"......now did he START with the thought process, "gee, they are ignoring me so I'm gonna go potty right here and THAT'LL get their attention"?  Not likely.  But if he GOT the attention for peeing in the house once, well there ya go.
 
Use an enzyme cleaner to totally clean the smell out of your carpet, and, take a urine sample to the vet tommorow.  He *might* have a UTI.

how do you get a urine sample from a dog? when i took him into the vet's office over spring break to get a pee sample b/c we thought he had a UTI, i left him there so they could observe and collect the sample. he started growling and snarling at the workers, so i can't leave him at the vet anymore.

Follow him around with a CLEAN soup ladel.  when he starts to go, stick it into the stream.  You don't need tons of it.

One additional possibility - if you scolded him for going, he might have begun submissive pee'ing to appease you more.  As you can see, that might start a vicious cycle, too.
Listen to Glenda - she was a Cocker breeder. []

Ya know, I've gotta say this.  If your vets staff can't handle a young cocker, and actually BANS him from being left, well, I'd be looking for another vet.  And I'm being totally honest.  What happens if he needs to be hospitalized??  What happens when he gets nuetered if he isn't already?  Or needs a dental?

That was my thot as well, Glenda -- why on earth can't a vet's staff handle this dog??  Not good ... I'd be looking elsewhere. 
 
A ladle works, so does duct taping a red Solo cup to a paint stir stick.
 
Is Kenny neutered yet?  Tell us more about "accident" -- did he mark (lift his leg on something), or lose control when someone was talking to him?  Was he alone or with others?
 
when he's with you somewhere, you need to watch him all the time and probably have him leashed to you.  If he begins sniffing or acts at all agitated -- take him out THEN, even if it interrupts a conversation.
 
If you can figure out what triggered the accidents it will help -- some dogs 'mark' near you to claim you as their property when in a stranger's house. 
 
How much water does he drink?  Does it smell really strong or is it dark in color?  Or is it really really not smelly at all and appears almost like water? 
 
How much does he 'go' when he IS outside?
 
Is he used to going on a leash?  Could it possibly be that when he was outside he wasn't finishing the 'job' because there was so much to do, see, so many new people and things to generally react to??  If he didn't get 'finished' and then went inside, the second the urge hits, it's too easy to mark in a new place.

let me clarify..they didn't tell me that i couldn't leave him for observation, but the one time that i did he started to get snippy. he is neutered.
 
i did put a cup underneath and got some urine without a problem. i saw a vet who has more behavioral knowledge than my regular vet and we sat down for a while and she mapped out a plan, so hopefully we will get these marking behaviors nipped in the rear. she said this was not medical, but behavioral instead.