CRATE TRAINING
			Pet crates are an excellent way to train your dog and provide it with its own sanctuary. There are numerous benefits to crate training your dog. Security for your dog...safety for your dog and young children...prevents costly damage...helps you train proper chewing and elimination...easy traveling...improved dog/owner relationship. Training a puppy to be comfortable in a crate is a good way to keep him safe and confined during housetraining. Most puppies will quickly accept crate confinement when you make the introduction fun. Since it is important to associate favorable things with the area that your puppy is confined, it is a good idea to play with them there, or simply spend some time reading or watching television nearby as he relaxes with his favorite chew toy. If he is only in the area when you leave, it becomes a social isolation area that he may eventually resist entering. When you pick up his toys, store them in the crate so he will enter on his own to play. You may even want to occasionally hide a biscuit in the crate for a nice surprise.
	TIPS TO REMEMBER The crate should have enough room for the dog to stand and turn around....because dogs are social animals the best place for a crate is in a room full of activity....for the crate to remain a positive retreat, never use it for punishment. You can, however, use the crate to avoid potential problems such as chewing, biting or jumping....if you use social isolation, or "time out" place the dog in a seperate room instead of his crate.
		TRAINING PUPPIES Introduce the puppy to the crate as early in the day as possible. Place a few treats, toys or food in the crate to motivate the puppy to enter the crate voluntarily. The first confinement session should be after a period of play, exercise and elimination...basically when the puppy is ready to take a nap. Place the puppy in its crate with a toy and a treat, and close the door. Leave the room but remain close enough to hear the puppy. Expect some distress at first. Never reward the puppy by letting it out when it cries or whines. Ingore it until the crying stops and then release it. If crying does not subside on its own, a light scolding may be useful. Avoid any accessive correction-it can cause fear and anxiety, which could aggravate the whining or cause elimination. When correcting, remain out of sight so that the puppy does not learn to associate the punishment with your presence. A squirt from a water bottle or a sharp noise (try a shaker can containing a few coins) can be used to interrupt barking.  The time it takes to crate train a puppy varies...it could take a few hours, days or weeks.