potty training problems, HELP

Question
I adopted a 6 mo old sheltie, he came from a breeder who claimed he was crate trained, well he had a fenced in yard also.  I am making no progress at all I keep him in the crate, I have the kitchen gated and he REFUSES to go poop outside, he will urinate, He WILL NOT go on a leash, he tries to get away and almost freaks by it,(but he does walk nicely for me when we go on walks)  so I built a 6 foot by 6 foot pen,and he  just sits in it, he will urinate.  I am at my wits end I dont know what to do,he urinated on the beds, poops all over the house and REFUSES to go outside, and I do take him out constantly!! I reward with treats, I try everything. what do I have to do build a fenced in yard? He is smart, good natured, lovable, what am I doing wrong, please help me.  If I do not receive an answer then I must have missed other training issue answers and I will re read them - Thank you for your time  Linda

Answer
Linda, it sounds like the breeder did very little with him. That's sad.

How long have you had the dog? His behavior could be caused by the stress of moving to a new environment and having to adjust to a new routine. When I brought my youngest (who is now 15 months old) in, she didn't poop for 4 days, despite my taking her out constantly!

You need to get him used to going out on a leash, so that you can be right there to reward him when he does go potty (whether it's just a pee, or if he poops, too). He may fight it for a while, but you just need to keep at it; if he will walk nicely when you take him for a walk, he can deal with being on it to go to the bathroom. He just needs to get used to the idea. You could try a retractable lead, too; some dogs are 'bashful' and do not like to go potty on a 6ft lead. When you have him loose in the house, you must keep an eye on him at all times. Do not let him out of your sight because the more often he gets away with going potty in the house, the harder it's going to be to break him of it. Let him drag a 6ft leash, and use baby gates or closed doors to keep him in the room you're in. Or, keep him leashed to you. As soon as he starts showing signs of needing to go potty, say, "Do you need to go outside?" and take him straight to the door, repeating the words, "go outside" over and over. Hook hi up to his retractable leash if that's what you're using to take him out, and open the door and say "Good outside" when he goes out.

Walk him around in the yard, instead of just standing there. Don't allow him to dawdle or play, because you're out there to potty first. After he potties, if you want to play with him or let him run around some before going back in, that's fine, but it must wait until after he's used the bathroom.

If he has an accident inside the house and you don't see him doing it, say nothing to him. Just clean it up and smack yourself for not paying better attention. You should only scold him if you catch him in the act, and even then, it should be no more than a verbal scolding, and then you should take him immediately outside and praise him for finishing out there. If he doesn't go within 5 minutes, take him back in, put him in his crate, and clean up the mess he made before you got him outside. Then you can let him out of the crate if you want.