
Both replies I agree with. Telling him off is a no,no, especially if it's stress induced. It certainly gives out stress signals in a dog that doesn't normally do it.
I think your friend needs to have a good think about what change has upset him. If vet says there is no medical reason, it sounds logical that he is marking because he's upset over something.
It isn't always easy to pinpoint the thing that set him off though. (rack your brains!)