My dogs, as puppies, were put to bed in these crates {what Cobra poasted}. That way they could walk around a bit (it was big enough... when we got them, both fit comfortably into one) as they pleased. This prevented them from getting into trouble while we were sleeping or at an outing. We took off their collars, put down a kennel-bed (there's pad specifically for them) with a blanket and a safe hard-toy if they wished to bring one in with them. We even found a way to hook the doors to each other so that it created a small tunnel between them when they had nap-time as pups. These kennels also helped with dog potty-training.
We since took it away, as they outgrew them, but we bought them a new pair and have not needed to use them. My male dog like to have covering over his head, so we will ocassionally bring it out for him if he pleases. They girl dog like to be spread out on the floor or on her big cushion that we put on the couch.
As they got older, we bought a soft-kennel, this:
It came with a lame piece of cloth on top of cardboard (as shown), so we put some of my feather pillows and blankets in there. The sides open and close, so we'd open them during the summer and daytime, and we'd close them during winter or when it's time for bed. They went in there as they pleased, and we occasionally put them in there when we would go out. My dogs don't use them anymore, but we travel with the kennels just in case. I do think that me and my family used them in a positive way, as I think my dogs do see them as a positive object.
