“A crate is not a jail: it is the safest place the puppy can be to be housebroken, have its meals, sleep at night, ride in the car and stay in hotels and motels. It will become its own portable den. The nature of a dog is not to foul its nest. This means that until you have instilled in the puppy an idea of house-breaking, a healthy puppy will not go against its natural instincts.”
—taken from the PCA poodle information page
Choose a crate that is large enough for the puppy to turn around and stand in. You may need to get a larger crate as the pup grows. Too small a crate will cause discomfort and too large a crate will give the puppy ideas about soiling the den. The crate will be your dog’s home away from home so make his time in the crate enjoyable. Always reward the puppy for going in the crate.