<p>My husband and I cannot agree on a solution for training our now six-month old puppy. She has pretty much had the run of the house and has destroyed a lot of our furniture. She is also still having accidents in the house. I would like to try using a crate but my husband thinks this is cruel. Can you give us some advice?</p><p>To crate or not to crate, that is the question. I’m just wondering how much more damage your husband is willing to take before he realizes that “to crate”, is the answer. And by damage I mean to your puppy and her future as a stable, well-behaved and lovable pet. Dogs are den animals and when used correctly, crating provides protection and comfort and also establishes boundaries that any young creature needs. Therefore this “den” should NEVER be used as punishment which will defeat its whole purpose. And now, some do’s and don’ts: The crate should be just big enough so that your dog can get up, stand, turn around and lie down comfortably. You can also put some nice soft, inviting bedding inside and cover the back end of the crate to make it more “cave-like”. If you have a growing puppy, simply block off the rest of the crate until they grow into it. Leave the door open at first and start off gradually by placing some good treats near and then into the crate encouraging your dog with gentle words followed by big praise when they enter the crate. You should also try serving their meals inside the crate during this training period. Work up to getting your dog to stay inside the crate for at least 5-10 seconds and then lock the door and wait a few more seconds when you will open it, praise them lavishly and reward with another treat. You should also leave treats inside the crate from time to time which will condition your dog to check inside on its own. Once inside the locked crate do not let your dog out right away if they bark or cry. It is best to wait until they stop and then quickly reward that behavior with the release and a treat. Just like children, they will soon realize that only good behavior gets rewarded. Do not keep a young dog in the crate for more than two to four hours. I believe dogs should sleep in the same room as their masters’, therefore you should keep the crate in that room at night. That way when your young (un-housebroken dog) cries you can get him right outside to relieve himself. It is instinctual for a dog not to soil its crate; therefore getting them right outside to a designated “relieving area” will condition him/her very quickly to seek to only go outside. I have to say, I was raised in a crate, well ok a playpen then. I am one of six children and keeping all of us in a playpen kept us safe and secure, established our boundaries not to mention, kept my mother sane. We’ve all turned out pretty good as well as all of my own puppies!</p>