The most important thing about crate training is to remember to never, and I mean ever, use the crate for punishment. A dog will associate this with every time it goes to the crate. So instead of associating the crate with a happy, safe time, it will associate it with the dog having done something bad. Give your dog a reward every time it goes into the crate along with a verbal command, something like "Kennel up". That way the dog can associate this command with entering it's crate. Eventually you can get to the point where you don't need to give the dog a treat to get it to go to it's crate, unless you want to of course. A new dog that is being trained to stay in it's crate overnight is a difficult thing to do. Dogs will tear at your heart strings trying to get you to let them out. The way that they cry will make you think you're torturing them, but you are not. It may seem like punishment, but it is not. The key is to ignore these cries. It's hard, and some dogs get so loud that you can't ignore it. The more you go in there, the more you take out the dog, the more the dog is going to expect to not be put in the crate, and expect you to take it out all of the time. You have to leave the dog in there. It's the only way it will learn. And it will. It just may take some time.
When trying to crate train a new puppy, follow the exact same steps. I recommend lining the bottom of the crate with old towels that you don't care about any more. That way, when they're ripped, urinated on, pooped on, you won't care. Remember also that puppies don't start developing the muscles to hold their bodily fluids in, until somewhere around 12 weeks. So switch out your towels often.
Never put water, food, or toys in the crate with your dog. You're asking for a mess with food and water. Bones, food, and toys are choking hazards for dogs. You should actually always watch your dog when it's playing with toys or chewing on bones.
I hope this has been helpful. Remember to be strong, and be patient.
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