How to Crate Train Your Dog or Puppy

Crate training uses the dog's natural instinct to seek a safe den in which to sleep. The idea is to make the crate the dog's go-to safe place, which he associates with pleasant things. When done correctly, crate training is beneficial to the dog and helps to decrease his stress. In addition, because the dog's instinct is not to soil his own nest, the crate is a great tool for housebreaking. The downside of crates is that they are sometimes used incorrectly as a place to confine and punish the dog. This goes against the main principle of crate training, which is to create strong links between pleasant things and the crate.