What is crate training you ask? It's teaching your puppy to go calmly into his crate and stay there without barking and whining. Crate training helps with housebreaking as well as keeping your puppy (and your home) safe when you are not able to watch over him. I'm sure we've all heard the horror stories of someone coming home to a house destroyed by a frantic puppy left home alone! It is not meant to be used as a way to teach your puppy to stay for hours on end day after day in a confined space. It is a tool, not an end destination. The process is really quite simple;

• Introduce the crate to your puppy
• Help him become comfortable in the crate
• Make the crate a part of your puppy's environment-nothing more, nothing less. Take the time to crate train your puppy.

You'll be glad you did!

Where to start

Start by getting a proper crate. There are a couple of styles to choose from. The standard plastic airline crate is a popular choice, as it is inexpensive and easy to clean. On the down side, they tend to be a bit too confining for some dogs, who will fret and possibly panic. They are are tend to be a bit restrictive in air flow. The mesh types are a little more expensive, but seem to be more suited to many puppy's need to see his environment. They tend to be cooler and allow more air flow. You can also get the folding kind, which are quite convenient if you are going to travel and want to take your puppy with you.

What size crate do you need? You want your pup to be able to stand easily inside the crate, and lay down fully without being cramped. Don't make the mistake of getting a large one, thinking your pup will grow into it! If your crate is too large, your pup could simply pick the far corner to utilize as a bathroom, making housetraining rather difficult-which is one of the primary reasons you're crate training, right?

Ok, you have your crate-where do you put it?

Dogs are very social animals. It's rare you'll find a pup that is content sitting in his crate in the back bedroom while the family is in the living room watching tv or socializing. You'll want to place the crate somewhere that's out of the way, yet still close enough so the pup can see the family's activities. A corner in the kitchen, dining room or living room usually works well. Make sure that the pup will get a good view of you while he's in his crate, as this will make him feel less isolated. Once you have decided on a location for your crate, you 're ready for the next step.

Time to introduce your pup to the crate

Start this in the morning of a day you have all day to work with him. Take one of his favorite treats and place it right at the door of the crate (the door should be left open at all times during this stage of training). Don't force your pup to move close to the crate. Some pups are bolder than others and will step right up to the crate for the treat. Others are less bold and may take some time to become comfy around the crate. Once your pup is treating the crate like just another piece of furniture, it's time to introduce him to being inside it. Take the collar off your pup so he doesn't hang it up on anything in the crate.

Don't place any food or water in there-he won't be in for long for this first session anyway. Quietly pick your puppy up and place him in the crate, closing the door. Don't "baby talk" him or yell at him if he fusses. Now let him sit in there for a while. He'll probably yelp, whimper, bark and generally have a hissy fit. DO NOT reward him by letting him out. Stay calm. Let him fuss and realize it's getting him nowhere. As soon as he stops fussing (this could be 5 minutes, could be 30 minutes), calmly open the door, pick him up and take him outside to his bathroom spot.

Don't make a fuss or say, "Good boy" or anything of the sort. Your goal is to make the crate just a part of life. If he relieves himself once you put him outside, THEN praise him! You've taken the first step-good for you! Now, we move on to the next step.

Teaching your pup to stay in the crate

Play with your pup, take him for a walk, generally tire him out. Make sure he's relieved himself and then put him in his crate. Again, no food or water and no collar on him. Now go watch some tv, read a book, go outside and garden, whatever it is you want to do. Let him fuss and bark and whimper-DO NOT reward him for fussing by letting him out. Eventually he'll calm down and go to sleep.

When he wakes up, quickly and calmly lift him out of the crate and take him outside to his bathroom spot. Notice you are to PICK HIM UP and take him out. If you simply open the door and let him run out, you are almost certain to have him stop and urinate in the house somewhere. Don't give him that chance. And don't praise him or make any kind of fuss over him at all when you take him out of the crate. You are trying to create a sense of comfort being IN the crate, not being let out of it.

Repeat this process throughout the day. When your pup gets tired, place in calmly in his crate, close the door and let him fuss until he falls asleep. As soon as we wakes up, take him outside to his bathroom spot and praise him for relieving himself. Remember-don't make any kind of fuss when you take him out of the crate. Be calm, matter-of-fact and he will follow your example.

Overnight in the crate

The next big step is the overnight stay. Make sure you haven't fed your pup for the last hour or so before you retire for the night. Play with him, take him outside and make sure he has relieved himself. Now place him in his crate, close the door and get to bed. He will fuss. He will give up and fall asleep. He will wake up and fuss again. When he does, do NOT let him out. Instead, wait for him to quiet down and them immediately go get him and take him outside to his bathroom spot. After he has relieved himself, place him back in his crate for the night.

Young pups under 3 or 4 months of age will need to go out at least once in the middle of the night. Think of it like a baby you need to get up to feed and change. In the morning, get your pup calmly and take him outside again. Praise him for relieving himself outside. Well, you both survived your first night!

Repeat the same thing during the day: when your pup gets tired, place him in his crate and close the door. During the day when he's up and about, leave the door open so he can wander in if he wants. What you'll find after a few days of this is that your pup will start to go into the crate when he's ready for his nap. This is good! This is what you're aiming for!

Utilizing the crate

If you're going to be busy for a while and can't keep an eye on your pup, place him outside if you have a fenced area. If not, place him in his crate. Give him a toy or two to play with and keep him busy. Don't keep him in the crate for more than a couple of hours though. It's not a kennel. If you start confining him to the crate for most of the day and night, he will think of it as a cage, not a den. Going to the store for a couple hours? Repeat the process with your pup-tire him out, take him to relieve himself and place him in his crate with some toys.

When you get home, calmly take him outside. Eventually, as your pup gets used to the routine, you can crate him for half a day while you attend to work or shopping or other things. If you are going to be gone for longer than 3 or 4 hours, arrange for someone to come let your pup out and play with him during the mid-day break. As your pup matures (at about 5 or 6 months) you can leave him in the crate while you're at work all day. If you have a fenced backyard, it's preferable to leave him there, with plenty of water. If this is not an option, you can place him in his crate with a small bowl of water (like the kind rabbit cages have that attach to the mesh gate). Give him toys to chew on and amuse himself with.

Be sure the first thing you do upon returning home is take your pup outside to relieve himself and then spend some time playing with him. In no time at all your pup will be housebroke and thinking of the crate as his den-his security blanket. You will know you've accomplished this the first time your pup gets himself in trouble or scared and he runs for the safety of his den as you laugh at the sight of him scurrying inside for safety!