[rentfrog]

At least you saved his life and he can finally know what i t is truly like to be a dog! As far as the potty training goes........... He may never learn to not go in his crate. We had a poodle/maltese mix that we adopted from the humane society. She was six months old and had lived in a crate all the time because her owners were truck drivers. Since she had spent so much time in a crate, she was "used" to lying in her own waste and it did not bother her. It is a dogs natural instinct not to defecate where they sleep, but as other said, you gotta do what you gotta do, even with animals. With lots of encouragement and praise, she finally got to a point that she would not go in the house when you were there, BUT when left alone or during the night, she would still go, so we always had to crate her. On the flip side, Sadie was a lover dog, and craved attention (probably because she didn't get enough before) and was the sweetest dog in the whole world. I truly believe that dogs that come from bad situations "KNOW" that you saved them, and are eternally grateful.
We lost our Sadie in Feb. at the age of 14. I still miss her every day.
Lots of attention and patience are required when you get a dog that has always been crated. Pay lots of attention and learn his signals for when he needs to go, and when he shows these signs promptly take him out. Lots of praise and treats when he goes where you want him to, but don't be suprised if it takes longer to train him, or if he always goes in the crate.
Give him lots of hugs and kisses, as he deserves it!