Newly rescued great dane...

Question
Hello Ken, I recently adopted a great dane from a dane rescue in Northern California. He is 2-3 year old recently neutered male, blue in color with black spots, white paws and chest (not sure what this coloring is called). He is VERY attached to me, after only having him for 3 weeks. I work full-time and the times I have left him alone in the house loose, he has either pooped or peed in the house...even on the days I have come home for lunch (alone for less than 4 hrs). I know he knows this is wrong and that he can hold it. He can hold it for up to 12 hours overnight. Someone told me that he is doing this because he has separation anxiety (being in a new home/new owner) or that he is mad because he is being left alone. Is this true? He is 2 or 3, housebroken and trained very well. I bought a huge crate (48"x"36"x36"), and now when I go to work he stays in it. He has never had an accident in the crate. Is it okay to leave him in a crate for 8 hours? He gets plenty of exercise when I come home in the evenings and on the weekends. I want to eventually be able to leave him alone in the house loose. How should I go about this? Thank you!

Answer
Your information is probably correct, it does sound like separation syndrome.  being a rescue he is probably very anxious about being left permanently or is missing the company (danes are pack animals).  Your visits home at lunch time will help overcome his worries but he may never be clean enough to leave around the house.  The crate is seen as his territory and as he has taken to it leave him in it.  Try leaving the door open at night to see if he will sleep in it of his own will.

An alternative is to get hime a speyed female companio but that will take his attention off you.

By the way the technical difintio0n of his colour is mis-marked harlequin better known as merle.