Dog Poops and Pees on one side of the basement

Question
QUESTION: I have a three year old Husky mix that I adopted about 3 months ago from a local animal shelter.  From what they observed while he was there he is potty trained.  When I have to leave I put him in down in the basement and shut the door.  He has a water bowl, toys, a bed and a small piece of carpet under the bed.  

The basement is split into two sides, neither of which are carpeted.  No matter what kind of gate I put up to keep him on the side his bed is on, he finds a way to get to the other side and goes to the bathroom.  

He does not go to the bathroom in the house.  He has marked only twice inside my parents house.  After he does go in the basement, I clean up and then spray with an enzyme pet odor mixture to try to get rid of the smell.  

What do I need to do to make him stop!

ANSWER: Well, he's going when he can't hold it any longer. And he goes over to the other side of the basement because like most dogs he doesn't want to dirty his den. At his size and age, he doesn't need food left down all day long. Feed him EARLY in the morning, be sure he gets let outside to potty and make sure he goes. Feed him as soon as you get home. You have to leave water down for him, so try some ice cubes. Truth be told if you are leaving him alone eight or ten hours during the day he HAS to go potty., Just like you do. The best thing would be a doggie door or some kind of access outside to potty. Second best would be someone to come over and let him out to potty. You just can't expect him to do the impossible. Just like you have to go so does he. This is a very clean,. very attentive dog who is trying to do what he needs to do , it's just not possible. Try to find a way for him to go out during the day. If you're not being gone for very long, then be sure to put him on a workable schedule. Feed him at the same time every day and if you're only gone for a few hours, withhold water until you get back. He doesn't need food down all day long. Good luck~!
Cindi

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Cindi,
 Thanks for the quick answer.  Most of the time he is only down in the basement for 4-6 hours at a time.  Is that too long to ask him to hold it?  I also feed him about 1-2 hours before I have to leave and he goes out first thing in the morning, then we run, he pees when we get back, eats, waits around 1-2 hours, goes out again and then I have to leave him for 4-6 hours.  

Should he be on a once a day or twice a day eating schedule and will that help? He is currently fed twice a day and food is not left in the basement.

Answer
I would definitely feed him twice a day. He should be able to go at least four hours without peeing and pooping and probably six hours. Especially if it's quite a while before he's put downstairs that he eats. One thing I did forget to ask is what type of food are you feeding? Dog foods with lots of fillers and non digestible ingredients (corn, by products etc)can cause a dog to poop a good deal more than a food that is very digestible. Also,. if you're feeding a good quality food etc,. I believe I would try crating him. Try it for a couple of hours at a time and then extend it.If you can do it on the days that you're home,first it'll work out better. It could be just that he doesn't feel the need to hold it since he can get over that gate to another area. Does he not poo at all between the time he eats and then goes downstairs? Could be he isn't getting enough potty time outside before you leave him? Dogs are funny creatures about pottying, they like to go in the same place and some of them will NOT go on leash. Some of them wont' go off leash LOL.
Diane