Until a puppy is perfectly trained, he needs a safe place in which he can do nothing wrong. So when you can't keep your eyes glued to your puppy and monitor his every move, confine him to a place where inappropriate behavior — soiling, stealing, shredding, chewing, or scratching — isn't an option. This book suggests crating because it eliminates the risk of him damaging woodwork, flooring, wall covering, or cabinetry.

Assuming you ultimately want your puppy to enjoy freedom in the house, crating is almost a rearing necessity. Crating is widely accepted by behaviorists, puppy trainers, veterinarians, and knowledgeable puppy owners as a humane means of confinement. Provided your puppy is properly introduced, you should feel as comfortable about crating him in your absence as you would securing a toddler in a highchair at mealtime.

Whether the enclosure is a room, hallway, kennel, or crate, it should be:

• The right size. It should be large enough that when your puppy is a full-grown dog he'll be able to stand without his shoulders touching the ceiling of the crate. This sized crate will be far too large for your puppy at first. Use a divider to limit the amount of space your puppy has; for the first month or so, one-third to one-half the crate should be fine.

• Safe. Homemade enclosures may save you money, but you would feel awful if he poked himself in the eye, stabbed or hung himself, or swallowed wood splinters or material like wallpaper or blankets because you ignored potential dangers. Make sure there are no protrusions or sharp edges, and no ingestible components.

Crates are not cruel. Remember, dogs are naturally den animals. They normally take to crate training very naturally, if you take care to properly set up the crate.

• Puppy proof. If he is prone to chewing, scratching or jumping up, prevent access to any woodwork, linoleum, furniture, counters, garbage, or windows so your home doesn't become a victim of your puppy's destructiveness during his training period.

Though your puppy will come to think of his crate as his sanctuary because it satisfies a puppy's denning instinct, he may not like the idea of going in the crate at first. If you reinforce his objections to the crate by making his early associations with it unpleasant, he may never adjust to it. Go slowly, and praise every positive step along the way.

Make the crate a safe and cozy place for your puppy. Put it somewhere your pup will have some privacy, but not where he'll feel all alone. A corner of the kitchen is usually a good spot. Line the bottom of the crate with newspaper for extra insulation from the cold floor, then put a soft blanket or piece of fleece on top of the newspaper. Hopefully your puppy will never eliminate on his sleeping material in his crate, but don't bet on it, especially not in the first few weeks. The blanket or fleece should be machine washable, and of course, the newspapers can be thrown away.

Get your puppy into a good chew toy habit right away by putting an appropriate chew toy in the crate. Puppies need to chew, so unless you want them to go to work on your shoes, furniture, floor — whatever — turn them on to puppy-appropriate toys early.

When his crate looks like something you might want to curl up and nap in, call him over to it. Let him sniff it. Don't push him toward it or into it. Let him discover it in his own time. Make it interesting for him by putting some small bits of something really tasty like cold cuts or cheese near the entrance. When he shows interest, toss a goody into the crate. If he runs in and gobbles it up, tell him what a good puppy he is. Get excited about it!

Don't shut the door on him the first time he goes in the crate. Let him go in and out a few times, continuing to praise when he shows interest. After all this stimulation, take him to his potty spot. This is his first introduction to the crate.

Later, feed your puppy in the crate. Place him and his food inside and sit with your back blocking the doorway of the crate. Don't close the crate door. Sit there and read a book or magazine until he's finished eating, then take him out.

For his next meal, prop the crate door and sit at the opening with your puppy. Keeping his food in the bowl, place a few pieces of kibble in the crate, then feed him a few pieces from your hand outside the crate. This way he associates being fed as something that happens in the crate and out. Feeding your puppy from your hands is also an excellent way to teach him that your hands mean good things.

Your puppy (and later, your dog) should always associate your hands (and any person's hands) coming toward him as a good thing. There may be times when you have to grab his collar or take his food away or when strangers want to pet him. A puppy who's not afraid of hands will not want to bite when that happens.

For your puppy, a crate can be a very special and favorite place to call her own away from the hustle-bustle of the rest of the household. When crate-training is a positive experience, she will love her private place.

Next, teach your puppy to enter and exit the crate on command. Put his paws right in front of the opening. With one hand on his collar and the other pointing into the crate, say Bed. Gently guide him in by the collar as you place your hand under his tail and behind his rear legs to prevent him from backing away. If necessary, gently lift him in. Immediately invite him out by saying Okay and praising him for coming out to you.

Practice several repetitions of this routine three times or more every day so he goes to bed on command — without being enclosed. If you shut him in and leave him every time he is put in the enclosure he may develop a bad association with crating. But when he learns to go in the crate on command as a result of frequent practice, he is more likely to also accept being enclosed.

If you reserve his favorite toy for the times he spends in the crate, he may actually look forward to crating as an opportunity to play with it. Leave food and water out of the crate; puppies don't need it in there and most will dump or scatter it instead of eating or drinking. Create a peaceful environment by covering the crate with a sheet or, if his tendency is to pull it in, surround the crate with a couple of stiff panels for a more enclosed, den-like atmosphere.

What to Do if Puppy Barks in the Crate

Sometimes a puppy will bark, yodel, whine, or howl when crated. Unless he is trying to tell you he has to go potty, ignore any noise he might make. Most pups will quiet down if you ignore their pleas. If yours doesn't and you or your family members are losing sleep or sanity, startle him into being quiet, use a word for it (Shush) and praise for the quietness.

To startle your barking or crying puppy, your timing has to be accurate. While he's in full voice, clap your hands sharply twice. You can also create an earthquake by attaching the leash to his crate and giving it a quick jerk as he barks. Do these things where your puppy can't see you. You don't want him to associate you with things that startle or scare him. You may need to do this a number of times before he learns what Shush means. He'll still try to get your attention by barking or crying. Combine ignoring the noise and startling him until he's settled down.

If your puppy sleeps in your bedroom in his crate, you must resist his crying in the middle of the night, otherwise you're teaching him that you will respond to that noise and he'll continue to make it. Make the crate more accommodating for him, especially during the first week at home. Covering the crate with a sheet at night can also help. If none of these things work, consider keeping your puppy crated in the kitchen where his cries won't reach you as loudly. Remember, your puppy is not trying to torture you. He wants to be with you. It may take him a few nights, but he'll eventually quiet down.

A crate-trained puppy is not housetrained. Your puppy is likely to do things you're not going to like when loose in the house and, therefore, needs plenty of supervised exploration to learn the house rules. If your puppy is out of his crate, keep your eyes glued on him or, better still, umbilical cord him so when you can't follow him, he'll follow you; this affords you the opportunity to curtail misbehaviors before they become habits.

Here's how umbilical cording works: Tie his leash to your belt on your left side. Give him only enough slack to keep him at your side without your legs becoming entangled. If he attempts to jump up, chew, bark, or relieve himself without your approval, you'll be able to stop him instantly by tugging on the lead to distract him. You'll also be able to tell him what a good puppy he is when he trots after you or sits by your side as you work around the house or sit down to do something. Umbilical cording is a fantastically simple technique and important training tool, which every ablebodied household member should use. You can even umbilical cord two puppies at once. Or when one pet is trained and the other isn't, you can cord the untrained puppy while giving the reliable one his freedom.

Although dogs normally won't mess in their crates, some do. Occasional accidents shouldn't concern you, but if it happens every other day or more, try these suggestions:

• Remove all bedding in hopes he'll be repulsed by having nothing other than his body to absorb the mess.

• Use a smaller crate so he only has enough room to turn in place.

• Teach him to enter and exit his crate on command (Go to your spot).

• Put his food and water in the open crate to encourage a better association about being in there; remove it when he's enclosed.