I know a lot of dogs have issues early on with peeing inside their crate. However, my great dane/pitbull mix is about a year old now, and he's been peeing outside his crate on a MUCH too regular basis.

For what it's worth, he spends VERY little time in there. At most, it's usually about 4-5 hours in a day, and that's often broken up, but I've left him in there less than an hour and come home to pee on the basement floor, even though I took him out to pee immediately prior to putting him in there (at which time he did so).

I do notice that he's taken to lifting his leg and peeing OUTSIDE the cage, and I'm assuming that is so he doesn't have to sit in it or lay in it, but I'm stumped as to how to keep him from doing that. The basement floor is cement, thankfully, but still, it's starting to smell a little bit, even though we clean it with bleach water (off both the floor and the little bit on and under the cage) every single time.

My wife and I are completely exasperated, and I'm really trying to find a good answer for this, but thus far, we've got none. Anyone with any help to lend? It would be MUCH appreciated.