pee on lawn

Question
hello, we just rescued a stray border collie cross 2 yr. female dog from the shelter, who was obviously abused in her short life, cause she was very fearful of men, we imagine she was kicked...we've had her 4 days now, she is eating (very skinny) good and pee/poo good and becoming more content and relaxed - even happy, wags tail when we call her...but I'm not so happy that she will only pee/poo on my green grass lawn...we can't seem to teach her to pee in the "dog run"  Can you suggest how and if we can train her?  Also wondering if she needs more mental stimulation...we have a routine of morning and evening walks for 20-30 mins. on sidewalks.  I've tried playing with her in backyard with a ball but she doesn't participate.  Can we get her to play some games - probably didnt get much attention if she was abused.  In the afternoons she will get restless and pace the house, whining / barking - so I send her outside to play but she just lays down...or in house she will chew on toy ball / rope.
I appreciate your advice, since I am quite new at this dog thing - (my husband wanted a dog - but I am home more than him - so I need to learn what to do)
Thanks
Lori

Answer
You can't teach her anything, including how to play, until you have a means of communication.  For that, I would advise you to look in to clicker training.  Also, mental exercise is GREAT for Border Collies who don't get enough physical exercise, and clicker training will provide that, too. Border Collies are problem solvers and enjoy figuring out how to make the human click:-)) There are some free lessons at www.clickerlessons.com.
As to the house training, perhaps these hints will help:
Always supervise the dog when she is out of her crate.
Crate or tether the dog to your waist when you can't directly supervise.
Don't punish for mistakes (they learn not to pee/poop in front of you, not to avoid doing it in the house).
Clean up with enzymatic cleaners, such as Simple Solution or Petastic.
Reward the dog for successful outdoor elimination. (Remember to wait till the dog is finished - BC's are smart enough to stop the urine stream to get that cookie!)