Crate training 7 1/2 week pug/cocker spaniel mix.

Question
I recently got a 7 1/2 week old pug/cocker spaniel mix. We've had her for 3 days. The first night, we put her in her crate and she only woke me up 3 times. The next day, we put her in her crate for not even 2 seconds and she literally screamed the whole time. I tried telling her quiet and ignoring her, but I live in an apartment with really thin walls and my neighbor complained about her. Today, I put her in her crate when she was sleepy, and she did sleep in it for a while, and then when she woke, she starting crying. How can I get her to stop crying when I put her in her crate and learn to like it in there? I'm at home most of the day with her, so she stays out here with me, and she sleeps with us at night, but I don't trust her being out of her crate while we're gone yet. I want her to learn to look at her crate as a place to go when we're not here and as a safe place for her to be. How can I do that?

Answer
First of all, it's natural for puppies to cry in their crates.  It's not that they don't like the crate, it's that they don't like being separated from you.  Some people also have a crate in the bedroom for the dog to sleep in while the owners are asleep.

Here are some links to housetraining and crate training, and will hopefully help you make it a positive experience.

http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/crate-train.pdf
http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/pup-housetrain.pdf