Dog uses crate as a bathroom!

Question
My 14 month old Bouvier can't be crate trained. We have used the proper size of crate- just big enough for him to stand and turn around. If we leave him in the crate while we work ( from 8am to 3pm.), when my teenage daughters come home from school at 3pm. to take him out, he is covered in urine. So begins our daily routine of bathing the huge dog! We are now tethering him in a tiled hallway but still come home to a puddle or pile. If we confine him to a small room or area he simply uses the kitchen as a bathroom. We are at our wits end - cleaning dog, floor or crate on a daily basis. Our house smells like a kennel and we are absolutely miserable. Just now I had the kids bring Sam to the basement(unfinished) and I don't want this to be the start of isolation. I love him but at this point my husband does not. Our dog (Sam) has been checked by a vet for possible medical reasons for the problem. Please help us, he is confused and we are as well. Yesterday while I was cooking he squatted in the hall and peed- right in front of me. I had taken him out 30 minutes before and he hardly had any water. What can we do?

Answer
Hello Susan.  You are right to be concerned about your dog--most dogs are naturally reluctant to soil the place where they sleep.  I am not sure if this is something that I can answer in a letter but I will share a few ideas with you.  I am wondering about how you have been housebreaking him up until this point--what methods are you using?  Does he pee in the crate at night or if he's in there when you're at home, or only during the day when the house is otherwise empty?  How do you respond when you find him like that?  Does he have bedding that is absorbent so he doesn't mind the urine?  Does he have any other training issues--anxiety, destructiveness, aggression, etc.?  Is this a new behavior or has it been ongoing?  Is he getting enough of his needs met --socialization, exercise, etc.-- when he's out of the crate? There are so many possible reasons for this.  It is important to remember that regardless of the reason, he can't help it, so please refrain from punishing him.  That will only cause more stress and make the problem worse. I would like to be more helpful but this is a serious problem that makes me think there are other things going on besides housebreaking issues.  My advice is to seek a professional consultation with a trainer who can come to your home and evaluate the situation.  Contact the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) for someone in your area. I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful but without a lot more information, I am wary of steering you in the wrong direction and doing more harm than good.  I wish you well.