Crates, puppies, rainbows. Heck yes.

So.

Crate training is very appealing to me. Let me proceed to tell you why: it works. There, I'm done.

No really, it does. Buddy is crate-trained and he is a very well behaved, happy dog. Heck, even the Humane Society of the United States recommends it. Now, some of you may just be thinking, exactly what is crate training, exactly? Here's the scoop!

Crate training is basically teaching a puppy to treat a crate as his own safe place. This in turn will help you show the puppy where he can and can't go in your house, as well as where he can and can't do his business. In a nutshell, crate training minimizes accidents, destructive behavior and any other trouble a puppy can get into.

My favorite page detailing the process of crate training is the Humane Society of the United States'. Check it out here.

However! Let it be known that you can't just stick a puppy in a crate for a million hours while you go run around doing whatever. A crate is not a replacement for YOU. A crate is a tool, and that only. I understand this, I just want others to understand too. I am not advocating keeping your dog locked up in a box. Dogs do not appreciate it!

Anyway, I'd like to hear from you! Did you crate train? How did it go? Was it magical? Uplifting?