Housetraining and crating

Question
I recently got a 6 month old bichon frise. He was rescued from a man that never let him out of his crate. I work but he is never alone for more then three hours. When I am home I take him out as soon as he starts sniffing around. He will occasionaly pee outside but he won't defecate anywhere but inside. When I am gone I put him in a crate big enough for a bed. I am trying to get him to sleep in the crate, but I can't stand him to bark all night and I give in and bring him into my room where he sleeps fine. My question is am I doing him harm by putting him in a crate? I want him housetrained but I don't want him to act out because he is in a crate again. He is never in there when anyone is home. Any help you have would be greatly appreciated.

Answer
He's fine in the crate and the more you give in the more he'll bark. Place him in the crate and duck out of site. The minute he stops barking, even for a breath, rush over tell him how awesome he is and shower him with treats through the crate bars. Then leave your confused and bemused dog be for a bit and duck out of sight again. Repeat. After he starts being experimentally quiet for a bit, reward that and then gradually wait for longer and longer silences. Also, only let him out during a silence, never while he is making a ruckus.

You can also provide him with a special treat that he gets only in the crate. I suggest only feeding him in the crate. Give him a KONG stuffed with dry and wet food mixed together (so it sticks good in the KONG) in the crate for all of his meals. Also, put him on a schedule, give him his meals the same time each day. Write down when you feed him and when he poops so that you can start to predict his schedule and be one step ahead of him.