German Shepherd accidents in the home

Question
My German Shepherd is a 4 yr. old Male.  He has been neutered.  He was a rescue dog.  I have a lady that walks and runs him an hour a day. Then I take him out in the late afternoon so he can run and play with other dogs at dog park. Sometimes he goes to the bathroom , sometimes not. He has been pooping in the house in the middle of the night.  How can I train him to wake me up to poop if he has to go or what can I do?

Answer
Make a vet appointment and explain the problem to him.  If there is no physical problem, it could be a challenge to your leadership.  The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts.  Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog.  Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones.  You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/  For more on being top dog, see http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm

If nothing else works, you may have to crate him at night.

The dog may be happier in its den than loose in the house.  It relaxes, it feels safe in its den.  It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving its self.  Dogs that have been crated all along do very well.  Many of them will rest in their crates even when the door is open.  I think the plastic ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling.  Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with something the dog can't pull in and chew.  Select a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

A dog that has not been crated since it was little, may take some work.
Start out just putting its toys and treats in the crate.  Praise it for going
in.  Feed it in the crate.  This is also an easy way to maintain order at
feeding time for more than one dog.