Is house training possible?

Hello folks!

So here's my problem. Sorry for the long post! Think the info is relevant.

I just got a new (to me) dog. He's 2 years old and has had 2 homes before me. He's a Lhasa apso cross and a great wee chap.
He's neutered. He's confident but also nervous at times, for example if I raise my voice (my old dog is slightly deaf so I have to speak louder) he cowers, if I go to leave the house he cowers sometimes too. So I guess he's been yelled at a lot in the past.
He's not used to walking on a lead, he's really good in the house i.e I've taught him to sit, stay, go to bed. But outside he will ignore me.
He will poop and pee on a walk.

He will pee in the front garden and he will pee (mostly) and poop in the back garden occasionally. He's a bit reluctant to poop out there.

He doesn't like to be seen pooping out the back. So in the last 3 months of owning him he's only pooped there a handful of times.
Again I'm guessing he's been yelled at or smacked for elimination. In fact he has actually eaten his own poo several times and looked 'guilty'.

When I first got him, he peed everywhere and on everything. He also pooped everywhere too.

He peed and pooped in my bed too. And in his own bed too!

After a few weeks of patience and praising him for toileting outside he's improved - but not a lot.
The peeing and pooping in the house is mostly minimised. He will still pee and poop inappropriate places but now it's only once in a while.
The people who owned him before said that he used puppy pads. I now have one at my back door if I have to go out to work, but don't leave them down during the day if I'm at home. I also have to leave one down at night.

He 95% of the time uses it.

However much I praise and treat him for going outside we seem to have reached a dead stop in his house training.

Is it going to be possible to have him fully house trained or is this how it will be do his life?

I have considered crate training but I have a feeling he's spent a lot of time in a crate - ignored.. and that it would really stress him out. He gets stressed easily.

If you made it this far - well done!

Really hoping someone has some suggestions. Thank you!

It doesn't sound like you've had him long and already he's improved in his house-training? It doesn't come all at once, so it sounds like you have made great strides already.

Is it possible to create a small place in the back garden that he can go behind to 'do his stuff'? Some dogs prefer a bit of privacy to 'go'.

You might also try putting a puppy pad in that area, one that already has his wee on it. His scent is familiar and may help him feel more comfortable.

Go back to training as you would a young puppy. Outside after eating, drinking, sleeping, playing and once an hour until he sets up his own pattern.

Good luck. I'm sure it will work out for you

Thanks for your reply Chris,

I've only had him 3 months so yes it's early days I guess. I've had one dog that's been more difficult than him and we eventually got there after about a year.

He has improved a bit, I just worry that maybe I'm not doing everything I should or getting it wrong. The people I got him off assured me he was house trained but to me and in my house he's not.
It's clear by how he toilets that he doesn't understand that outside is the place to go.
I hate puppy pads. To me this just gives a dog the ok to go in the house where I always train mine to go outside and never in the house.
He's quite a dirty dog and will surf the cat litter tray and take the poo back to his bed. He has pooped and peed in it too even though he can go elsewhere.
Yet contrary to that he will try to bury/cover up his puke/poop
To hide it.. I don't understand that, except that he's stressed out and has been hit or beaten for eliminating before.

Perhaps I'm just being impatient then and I will see about screening off a wee section for him and see if it improves things.

Once again thanks for taking the time to reply