australian or silky terrier

Question
We adopted a six month old terrier from a possibly neglected enviroment. She
is sweet but licks EVERYTHING and is a bit skittish. Our major problem is that
she goes to the bathroom in her cage (both 1 and 2) and lies in it, seemingly
un-affected. She is outside all day with my dad or being let out all day with
my mom. She will NOT go to the bathroom until 3 seconds after being put in
the cage. Any suggestions? our vet is perplexed

Answer
Your vet is perplexed? He never met any puppy mill pups I guess.

What is the surface of the cage? Try mimicking it outside with some dirt on top to see if she can gradually adjust to a different substrate preference. It will take time and a lot more management than normal, but it is possible.