DO
* Remove all training/slip/martingale collars before you crate your dog -- always! With puppies or dogs who are just learning how to crate, we remove all collars. Once they are comfortable in the crate, a flat nontightening collar is generally safe.
* Leave the crate door open at first. Hide treats inside. Allows your puppy to explore it at his own pace.
* Feed him in the crate. First with the door open, later with it closed.
* Introduce him gradually. Being put in and left for several hours is not the best approach. Sometimes it is unavoidable, but it is not ideal.
* Practice confinement in the daylight hours at first. This allows you to work out the details without you, and possibly your neighbors, being kept up half the night.
* Crate him in the bedroom at night. He will be more contented if he is near you.
* Practice crating while you are home. Otherwise it will become a signal of you leaving and cause stress in some dogs.
* Exercise your dog before and after crate times. This is absolutely essential.
DON'T
* Put bedding in with your new puppy. The chances that he will make confetti out of bedding are excellent. A dirty dog may use the absorbent material to mask his mistakes. The exception to this is if you have a sighthound mix or some other thin-coated dog, they need the padding to be comfortable.
* Put newspaper in the crate. You're trying to teach him NOT to go in there!
* Reward barking and whining with freedom. This only trains the dog to bark and whine MORE! Exception: If your puppy really needs to go to the bathroom.
* Leave a puppy in there too long as that can force him to dirty the crate. The average three-month-old pup can wait three to four hours, four-month-old maybe four to five and so on. Forcing a pup to dirty his crate can lead to serious housebreaking problems.
A crate is a tremendous tool for keeping your puppy safe and for training. Well worth the few days it takes to get a puppy started off right with it. This is a ten year investment in your sanity and his. Good luck!