Pitt mix poops in crate everyday
:rolleyes: So, I have a 3 1/2 month old pitt bull mix puppy, Maddox. I have had him since he was 8 weeks, so about a month and a half. I got him from the local animal shelter. He has had a crate since the first day, but for about the first week, he slept in my bed with me. I realized that for potty training sake, he should be sleeping in the crate. Whether in my bed or in his crate he NEVER poops at night and he can go about 7 hours. I caught him peeing only once when I ignored his whines for too long. At one point, he had two separate areas for pooping and sleeping, with a low divider so he can get over, and puppy pads. He would run all through the poop, get it all over the place, and then tear his puppy pad to shreds. I leave him in there with toys. I even have this one toy that is his favorite (it is a VERY loud squeaky toy) that I will only give him when I leave (so that I don't have to listen to it and he has fun with it). However, every time I leave him in the crate he poops in it. Though he sometimes has to be in there for 5-6 hours, that is rare and he poops in it no matter what the duration of his confinement. He will poop right before he gets in his crate, I will leave for 2 hours, and he will have pooped in it by the time I return. He does seem to like the crate however. He will go in there without having to be carried when he is tired and even when he knows that I am leaving (and trust me, he has figured that out). I have changed its size, cleaned it, moved it, and put all new stuff in it. The vet recommended that I begin to feed him in there, and that has also proved fruitless. Yesterday, I cleaned poop off his dish. A friend of mine told me to leave an article of my clothing in there so he can smell me. I did, even though his crate is in my bedroom and he peed on my shirt!
He goes to the door and scratches when out in the rest of the house, but as soon as I leave, he poops in the crate. I know that he is very attached to me, and this has been another problem. He refuses to poop in front of anyone else when taken outside. I am single, so I am his main source of companionship. He has only pooped outside for my roommate once, though she has stopped letting him out altogether I think and just waits for me to get home. I feel as though I have read everything, taken all advice, and found no solution. If anyone knows of anything that I can do other than be patient, please let me know. I can be patient if I think that he will eventually grow out of it, but only if I think that there is a light at the end of this long poopy tunnel.