Where to put my pup at night?

Question
My family is planning on getting a young mastiff pup. The pup will have plenty of room during the day to run but we plan on putting him in the garage at night to avoid cold and predators. Is this ok?

Answer
The garage should be ok if you really have to, but make sure it doesn't get too hot or too cold.  A lot of garages are not vented and can get really hot or cold depending on where you live.  A better idea would be to crate him at night in your house.  Get a crate large enough that your dog can comfortably stand and turn around.  Once you get the pup, get him used to being in the crate by putting his food in there when you feed him (you can start crate training him with the crate outside).  Then, if he's into treats, start throwing treats in the crate periodically during the day.  Once s/he's comfortable going in and out, start closing the door for seconds at a time and then start increasing the time the door is closed.  Never show any emotion while putting the dog in or letting the dog out.  You want it to be just another thing the dog does, no big deal.  Once the dog is starting to get comfortable going in and being in the crate, start saying, "crate" as the dog is going in.  After a while, the dog will learn, "crate" means go in your crate.  Good luck.