Disgusting Behaviors

Question
First, let me tell you that my dog has been vet checked and is not experiencing any health problems.  My problem is that my puppy (she is 11 weeks old) will not learn.  I have been trying to teach her that outside is the only place to go to the bathroom, but it doesn't sink in.  Worse, she deficates and urinates in her cage, which I have made as small as I could without completely squishing her.  She then proceeds to eat or drink it up.  If I do not take her out when she has to go, she just goes without caring where or when.  I am getting so frustrated with her, but I don't want to do as so many people often do, just give up and take them to the pound or make her an outside dog only.  How can I stop her from doing these terrible things, and get her to understand that outside is the only place to go?  She knows how to scratch at the door to indicate that she has to go outside, but often times she just pees or poos where she is at the time.  Please help.  I am willing to follow just about any advise now, even if it is unpleasant.  She gets plenty to eat and drink throughout the day, so it is not that I am starving or depriving her in any way.  Thank you so much in advance for any assistance you can give, but please don't tell me that she will just grow out of it or that I should just put wire shelving in the bottom of her cage (I have been told that by too many people and it really doesn't help, she licks it up through the grids).  Thank you again for your help.

Answer
Try the grid again, but make it higher so she can't reach it.  Usually the best thing is to clean stools up before they have a chance to eat them.  You can try food additives, the home remedies pineapple juice or canned pumpkin or the commercial products Forbid or Deter.

Why dogs do it is poorly understood. It may be diet related, but changing the dog's diet might cause worse problems. Whatever problems it causes for the owner, it doesn't seem to hurt the dog unless you are trying to clear up a worm infestation.

For more information see http://home.gci.net/~divs/behavior/coprophagia.html

For the housebreaking, you must be more attentive to her, perhaps even leashing her to you.  Watch for signs she needs to go out.  It needs to go out the first thing in the morning, after eating, drinking, and sleeping. If it quits playing, and starts running around sniffing, it is looking for a place to go. Take it out quickly. You will just have to be what I call puppy broke until it is a little older. How successful you are depends on how attentive you are.