I've had a rescue goldendoodle for over year and have not been able to house train her. I got her when she was about 11 months old and she's now a bit past two. What I know about her is that she's from a pet shop and was put up for adoption because her owners "couldn't handle her" even though they already had two dogs. The problem is, she regularly pees and sometimes poops in her crate. She's done this since I got her but she's gotten worse in the last 6 months or so. I talked to a behaviorist about the house training and tried to make the crate all about food but that did nothing. I just bought a new crate, smeared the floor with peanut butter a couple times, which she licked up and that night when I came home, she'd peed. She has absolute consistency in her "outsides." I dash home after work every night to make sure I let her out, and she's already peed, which makes me nuts. Now the last time I talked with the trainer, she thinks it's separation anxiety, but the dog likes her crate, walks right in, is calm and lays down inside. She doesn't like missing the action, so she barks when she's in the cage and someone's in the house, but she really doesn't get upset when it's time to go in the morning. The other thing you should know is she sleeps closed up in our room at night and has few problems - once in awhile she'll go in the attached master bath, but that's pretty rare. Does this sound like separation anxiety or a deep dark house training problem from puppy mills and neglect?

This is a problem with puppy mill dogs. No way to really know. I've had abused dogs that have taken YEARS to housebreak. Whether it's out of fear or not understanding or whatever it is, I don't really know.

I would go with the Vet and trainer.

Right now I have a GSD I've had since she was a puppy. When she's stressed she chews on her feet. Nothing I do changes that so I have to have someone come in when I work to just sit with her.

She was a rescue so, like you, I don't know what her background is/was.

I wish you luck - seems this dog needs a lot of love and security, particularly because she's been in more than one "permanent" home. Good thing she found you!