Just a comment on crates in general. Our current resident, Harvey the whippet, came to us at 13 months and we were told by the breeder (puppy framer in reality) that he would benefit from having a crate to retreat to and that has very much been the case. He can go days without using it but when I was getting up to let our old boy out at 2am Harvey was most often curled up in his crate, in a little nest he had rumpled up around himself.
If someone he takes an instant dislike to comes into our living room and running a guest house this happens quite often Harvey either does not get up to greet or he retreats into his crate, his safety zone.
We are bringing our new lad Alby home from his family on Saturday and we are buying a "dog cave" for him and also setting up a 2nd crate so if he wants he has a choice.
In our experience dogs love having a safety zone and Harvey often takes himself off to bed before we do and it is far from uncommon for him to choose the crate so where the cruel element comes in we cannot see.
PH