The first step in crate training your puppy is to find the right crate. You do not want to get a crate that is too big or too small. Try to buy a crate that your puppy can grow into. If you know what type of breed your puppy is you can usually get an idea of how big he will grow to be. Buy a crate that will fit him once he is grown. While he is a puppy you can simply partition the crate off into a smaller section for him.
The second step is to introduce your puppy to his crate. You do not want to throw him in there lock him up and leave for hours. This could scare him so badly that he will only see the crate as a bad thing. Let your puppy explore the crate on his terms for a while. Put some toys or treats in the crate so he will walk in on is own. Be sure that you have a comfortable bed in the crate for him to curl up on.
The next step is to feed every meal to your puppy in his crate. Leave the door open while you do this. Once he is comfortable with that you can move on to closing the door with your puppy in the crate. Feed your puppy a treat while he is in the crate with the door closed. The next step is putting your puppy in the crate for ten minutes and shutting the door. After ten minutes open the door and walk away.
