Originally Posted by JGLI

Just to clarify, the use of a crate should not be a temporary thing. The benefits of crate training are evident throughout a dog's life. Dogs are often hospitalized, recuperating at home, need to travel, and situations arise where the dog may need to be isolated or confined. As well, the crate is the dog's
"safe area". A dog may not always need a crate to curb destructive behaviors or for potty training purposes, but the crate will have multiple uses and once a dog is comfortably crate trained, the crate need not be removed.