beginning crate training after illness

I think the best thing you can do is proceed with your plan and evaluate based on the progress.  No telling how his vet stay will affect crate training until you give it a try.

Now, I'm not going to be much help but I know you mentioned he hasn't had any diarrhea.  Has he been going to the bathroom in his crate while he's there or have they been able to take him out in time? 

Well, since he was/is sick with parvo they actually keep him in the isolation ward which is a seperate room on a seperate ventilation system.  He's been in a crate type kennel that is just a tad bigger than the actual crate I would use at home. (Someone was confused as to if I meant a kennel run.  No, I just tend to call any crate at the vets office a "kennel".  lol)  There is a grate under him so if he had pottied or vomitted it would have ran through to the puppy pad underneath the grate.  Now, since he just started eating tiny bits yesterday I don't think he had pooped at all, but I'm sure he probably will today. 
 
But that's why I'm concerned.  He's been crated for three days and not taken to any other areas of the clinic.  It just seems that he wouldn't know the difference between his crate at the vet and his crate at home.  Perhaps it will be instinct to try to hold it for a few hours at least, and he will learn that if he waits I WILL take him out to relieve himself.  I planned on starting by only crating him for an hour or two the first few times, anyway.

Hummm. . .I think it's like Glenda said, you won't know until you see what he does. 

Was he not trained at all up until he got sick?? 

Sorry, an off topic question, is there some chow in there???

Lexi, I'm so glad to hear that Winston continues to improve.  You've been in my thoughts and I've said a prayer for Winston every night.
 
My first thought when you brought up the crate training issue wasn't so much about him pottying in the crate, but rather how he would view the crate in general.  I'm guessing that at first he will probably associate it with feeling bad, being away from mom, etc.
 
But I think that you'll be able to quickly turn that around when you get him home.  Just make the crate be associated with all things great and wonderful.  Reserve his best and yummiest treats for when you put him in the crate.  If he loves his food, then I'd feed him in the crate.  Maybe you can find a new special toy that you know he'll enjoy, and for awhile reserve that toy for crate time only.  You get the picture. 

Nope, I hadn't crate trained him at all yet.  I kept him in the bathroom when I was away.  I actually don't have a crate for him right now.  The one I used for Romy I gave to my mother to use for her dog when Romy proved reliable in the house alone all day.
 
We think there is some shar pei in him.  He gets a cute wrinkly forhead and he has the little folded over triangle ears, but it's really really hard to say.  It could be chow.  He has spots on his tongue, but some people say the black spots don't matter.  I call him a shar pei mix.  I'll never really know, though.  lol

Oh, well then, hey, I'm no expert on this by any means, but if he starts at the beginning at home, I'd think he should do fine.  I always thought they knew the difference between potty other places and potty at their home. 
 
For example--Willow cannot go in stores or in other homes because she will pee and mark or whatever it is she's doing just like she was outside.  However, here, in our home, she hasn't pee'd once since we got her. 

That's a good point!  I guess I will just have give it a shot and see how he does.
 
I can't wait till he comes home!

Lexi - my one dog, Buffy, is lab/shar pei mix and looks a lot like Winston but more yellow lab coloring.  Buffy also has the black tongue which is a Shar Pei trait, but some people assume she's got Chow in her. 
 
I'm thrilled that Winston is doing better and hopefully will come home soon.

Lexi, have you got the book Culture Clash (by Jean Donaldson)?  It has great instructions on crate training.  I'm working on crate training with my new rescue and it is going great!

Nope, I haven't gotten that book, but I've been meaning to see if our library carries it.  Everyone who reads it loves it!
I'm pretty familiar and comfortable with crate training itself, but I was just unsure of this paticular scenario.  Does she cover similiar situations in the book?

Lexi, I'm sooooooooooo thrilled that Winston is doing well.  So I can assume that he's completely out of the woods now?
 
When I adopted Grady, he had been kept in his crate more hours than not with his former family.  To just try & put him in his crate & not expect a tussle was silly.  I discovered the wonders of spaghetti-o's.  He loves them!  So every time I wanted him to go in his crate I'd scoop a spoonful or 2 of the good stuff in a bowl & he practically ran into his crate.  Now the only time he's crated is @ night & he's quite content.