[Woogie Man]

I haven't read just how you have your crate set up. If it's just a crate and he is shut up in it, you may want to try to get an x-pen and put the crate in that (with his bedding) and leave the door to the crate open. You can then put his pee pad in one corner of the X-pen with his food in another corner. Some dogs don't like the feel of the pads so newspaper might work better. You can put the pad under the paper to avoid the pee soaking through. That would make it feel more like his home and not so confining. If he feels too confined, he is probably frustrated and you will have trouble getting him to do what you want. Animals need an environment that makes it easier for them to 'be good' in. I have a little girl over a year old that refused to go outside. She would go out for a while and come back in and do her business. The weather has been nice here lately so I had a few days where I just kept them out most all day. She couldn't come in so she had to go outside. Well, something finally 'clicked' in her head and now she is in the habit of going out for her potty like the other dogs. Also, try to catch them being good...positive re-enforcement really works. All dogs are different, just like people. Hope you find something that works for you.