Pooping Trouble

Our 8 month old Staffy/English Bulldog mix refuses to potty train. As long as he is in his kennel, he won't poop. But once we let him out of his kennel, it's a free for all. He will not bark or whine or scratch at the door to let us know he needs to go out. NO noises what so ever. We can take him outside for 10, 20, even 30 minutes and he won't go. Come back inside, 5 minutes later there is a lovely present for us. THEN and only then does he bark for us to clean up the mess. He stays in his kennel during the day while I'm at work so I hate to keep him in there once I get home, but I can be in the kitchen with him (I have a baby gate up to keep him on the tiled in area of the kitchen/breakfast/hallway) and he still won't make a noise but will go around the corner and poop. Same with the peeing, but at least he pees when I take him out, so I just take him out all the time to prevent that from happening. Any suggestions?

you haveyo take him out everytime he had something to eat and drink (well this should of been done when he was pup)

How often do you let him out? Also when you say kennel, do you mean a crate? How much exercise does he get? What do you do when he goes in the house, how do your react and what do you clean the spot with?

I usually take him out about 10-15 minutes after he eats. He gets fed in the morning and when I get home from work. And yes, I mean crate. I got the biggest one they have because he does spend a good amount of time in it since I work 12 hours days.
A lot training books say not to get onto them, so I would just clean it up with hard floor enzyme cleaner. Sometimes when I come in and see it, he runs for his crate even though I don't yell at him or get onto him. He just gives me a pitiful face.
I tried the bells on the door for a week or two, but he ate the string they were on and I was worried he might eat the bells.

Aww poor guy. Does someone come in to let him out during the day when you're at work? Also, how long do you take him out for and do you take him out more than once a day?

Have you had him since he was young?

Do you have anyone come in during the day 12hrs is a long time to be left regularly. How much exercise does he get? Does he ever go when on walks and how much encouragement/praise does he get when he does?

I am lucky that Ledger was always house trained from rescue but his previous owners clearly never took him out much as he still will strain to poop as much as he can when we go out if I take him on a long walk between 11am-2pm. Despite him being with me now for 3 yrs and being taken out 4-5 times a day

We got him at 8 weeks and started crate training right away. We had the hardest time ever with the pee training. Sometimes I make it home for lunch. Other days, I take him out to potty at 7 before I leave and then my husband gets home at 2. He goes out to potty 4 or 5 times when we are home and I make sure to stay out there and walk around for 10 -15 minutes. We live in a duplex with no backyard for him to run in. As far as out - out goes, we take him to a dog park almost every day as long as the weather cooperates for a 2.5 mile walk/off the leash romp.

Sorry for all the questions, it just helps us to better understand

Praise when he goes and even a treat can help encourage him to go when you need him too. When you got him at 8 weeks did you used to encourage him to go in his crate or would you take him out to do his business every couple hours?

Oh, our neighbors probably think i'm nuts because of how much i praise him and excited i get when he poops outside. and he gets treats every times he goes. we never had an issue with him going in his crate. i made sure one of was able to come home every 2-3 hours to let him out when he very little.

he need more walks and making sure he going to toilet becasue he came back in

What is he fed and when?

Ledger is raw fed after his morning walk and again at around 5pm and I know he will always poop during our first morning walk (as soon as I get up) and his second of the day will 99% of the time be between 11am-2pm. I only have a yard and he won't go toilet there (even after I found a stray and it marked it's territory all over!) so know what the regular trips out are like. All I can suggest is stay out longer and try to get him running or as active as possible as it will get everything moving!

He is on Iams Large Breed Puppy. He gets fed first thing in the morning, around 6 or 6:30 and then in the evening about the same time, 6ish. It's not really the going that's the issue. It's teaching him to let me know he needs to go. To bark before, rather than after. Because the minute he has pooped, he starts barking up a storm as if to say "Mom, come clean up my mess!"

Do you use a toilet phrase?

I always try to identify what we are doing to help the dogs get used to the same phrases. "let's go potty" "let's go walk" let's go get in the car" and then once outside, i tell him "axel, go poop"