The Crate as a Den

The crate is not punishment — it is a puppy's bedroom. Dogs naturally seek enclosed, protected spaces for rest, and a crate introduced well gives the puppy a safe place to decompress and gives you guilt-free time to get things done.

A puppy under four months should not stay in the crate for more than two consecutive hours during the day. Alternate crate rest with supervised free time: one hour out, ninety minutes in, and repeat. Make the crate rewarding by feeding meals and giving the best chews inside it.