Crate Manners
Every puppy should have his or her own crate. A crate will greatly aid in housebreaking, but it should also be used when you can't watch your puppy. A crate, simply stated, keeps your puppy safe.
I set two important rules for the crate as soon as I bring my puppy home.
Rule One: No rushing through the door. I ask for a sit, or if the puppy does not know sit, at least a pause with my OK before the puppy exits the crate.
Rule Two: Barking (or whining) NEVER gets the puppy out of the crate. In extreme circumstances if you believe the puppy really needs to go potty, take him out, but put him back in the crate. Only quiet calm behavior gets a puppy out of the crate.
Some people feel that a crate is cruel, that dogs should never have to be confined in this way. This is not true. Dogs are den animals and can learn to love their crates. Most dogs go to their crate to rest even with the door wide open.
We never know what life will bring us. Our dog my have to have surgery, we may need to leave our dog in a kennel, or the dog may be in the car with us during an accident. All of these circumstances are very stressful for a dog, and if they are not crate trained it will be even more so.
Please crate train your puppy, and continue to use it from time to time even when the dog is trained and trustworthy in the home.