It makes a puppy feel secure. Most puppies were raised in a small pen or whelping box. (Remember, dogs in the wild such as wolves and coyotes raise their pups in dens.) The best way to approximate this familiar den is by providing a crate that's big enough to feel cozy to your puppy. Dog houses have been accepted for generations. Consider a crate an indoor dog house.

Crate training helps in housetraining. Most puppies are instinctively clean and will not soil their beds. When your puppy cannot be with you, his crate gives him a safe place to stay until you can get him outdoors to eliminate in the appropriate area. If you allow an untrained puppy the freedom of your home, he will unknowingly make mistakes. If you use his pack instincts and crate as a training tool, you will be providing your puppy with the opportunity for success -- and your heartfelt praise!

It's a safe place. Babies start out in cribs with slats built-in for their own safety. Until they are ready for more freedom, puppies need the safety of their crates when they are napping or can't be supervised.