Last Day of Orientation

Today is Joe's last day of orientation and I can't believe how fast this week has gone. He's mostly been excited about orientation and starting classes on Monday, but we've had some Buster problems that have been stressing him out. I want to try to solve these problems ASAP.

Since I go to work before he leaves and get home after he does, Joe's been doing the brunt of Buster duty. The poor pup isn't used to being in a crate so long, and even though we thought we had successfully crate trained him, he's regressed in a major way. He looks like he's been rubbing his nose on the crate and has a sore on the top of it. He also annihilates anything he can reach from inside his crate (even though he isn't at all destructive outside the crate) and somehow is able to thump the thing up and down when he knows we haven't left the house yet and is trying to get our attention.

Since I can't stand for this little face to be sad (let alone HURT!)...

...we tried shutting him up in our room instead of the crate so he had more room to roam and could lay on the bed, etc. He didn't seem to like that much either, as he went potty all over the place and then walked in it - leaving little Buster poo-prints on everything. 

After that we decided to try to shut him up in the bathroom (much easier to clean up in there and less for him to get into- thanks for the advice mom). That seems to be working MUCH better- no accidents and he's not ripping up his bedding. But his nose looks worse, and I'm not sure if it's just because it's healing and itching so he's irritating it or if he is hurting himself out of anxiety.

I just feel so bad for him. Any advice out there? 

He's a perfect angel except when we leave... have we just spoiled him with too much love? I heard that dogs who think they are pack master have serious separation anxiety, but in every other way he seems to get that he's the bottom of our "pack." 

I really need to figure out some solutions here, Joe doesn't need the added stress and I want a happy pup.