I think starting crate training is a great idea, but you need to take it slowly. Going out and buying a crate and putting your dog in it for 8 hours immediately is NOT the way to do it. You will need to start with small amounts of time and make sure everytime the dog is in a crate - it is the best experience possible. Feed your dog in the crate, give treats to your dog while she is in the crate, stuff a kong toy with great treats and place it in the crate. Start with 5 or 10 minute increments and slowly graduate to larger time periods.

First thing you need to do is to take her to the vet and get her checked for any underlying medical problems that are causing her not to be able to "hold it" for an extended amount of time. If she has to go so bad that she just can't hold it - she may be doing you a favor by going in the same spot over and over again.

If she has no medical reason for eliminating in the house, it may be that she just doesn't know that it is an area where she is not allowed to eliminate in. Your first step is to get an enzyme cleaner that is specifically made to clean and sanitize urine stains. Nature's Miracle or Simple Solution are probably the two best ones and can be bought at most pet stores. Clean the area thoroughly using the instructions on the bottle. You will probably need several applications if she has been going in the same spot for years. lv4dogs gave you a great suggestion of putting something in the spot where she pees to mark it as a "living area". You could feed her in that area, put her water dish in that area, put a chair in that spot, etc.

I would suggest leash bonding her for a few days while you are getting her used to a crate. While you are home have her on a leash attached to you. Everytime you see her about to eliminate in the area, give her a firm "NO" (but only if she squats - not if she is just sniffing) and take her outside immediately. Then give her the command "go pee" and when she eliminates outside - BIG PRAISE and give her a treat. If she goes to the area and just start sniffing - say "you wanna go out?" and do the command and treat thing.

I hope this helps - but I do think a trip to the vet is your first step.

Clara