We crate trained ours for the first 8 months. During the day while we were both working we took turns coming home to take her out to potty, play, cuddle etc. We called the kennel "her room". She also slept in there at night time. We got up every two hours during the night to take her out to potty. After the 8 months she was fully trained with going to the bathroom and chewing. She's had free range of the house ever since. In fact her kennel sits in the corner of the dining room where it is used to store her things. I think crate training when used properly(leaving an animal in a crate for 6-8 hours without a break is not good) is a good thing. Like anything anyone who is going to get a puppy should do some research and decide what is best for them. Everything is trial and error. In this case it worked for us.