I adopted my Basenji a little over a week ago. Cami had possibly lived at a puppy mill before being let loose to roam the streets for a month, she was at the animal shelter for a while, then spent six week being foster cared at a vet clinic. Cami isn't yet 2 years old, my vet said she is very young. She has spent a lot of time in "cages" and thinks that is an acceptable place to pee or pooh. Not too difficult to understand, is it?
If she isn't in the crate, Cami does well and doesn't have accidents in the house. I've allowed her to start sleeping on my bed and there are absolutely no problems. Do ya'll think because she has lived in pens and cages that she believes it is an acceptable place to pee and pooh, and nothing will reverse the behavior? I put her in her crate when I leave for a while, because I don't trust her out of the crate, yet. 
Because she spent so much of her young life in a crate.. it will be a struggle, IMO, for her to get the idea that it is not an acceptable place for pee/poop… time, I think will reverse the behavior, but I would also say that she will "never" be trustworthy in a crate.....
