hey, victoria! :--)

i have *always* taken every pup out at 3-AM every night, until they were 15 to 16-WO and could go thru an 8-hr night w/o needing a potty-trip. No, they do not learn to demand it, they outgrow it, LOL. (good thing...)

i have put pups in the crate, right beside my bed, the very first night -
and i would use a SHIPPING crate, not a wire-crate, that is sized for the dog as an adult. a med to Lg dog will use a 2-ft x 3-ft x 27-inch high crate - its a standard size.
a shipping-crate is so useful for the dogs lifetime - don;t sell it used when the pup is housetrained, for travel they are GREAT. my dog stayed in 4-star hotels with me, b/c i always told them i would sign anything for liability that they put in front of me, she is ALWAYS crated if i cannot take her along, and ALWAYS along anytime that she can be, and she is NEVER allowed on furniture of any kind - just the floor.
they were happy to accomodate us!
for safe travel in the car, a crate can be a lifesaver - bodies should ALL be secured, in case of an impact. accidents happen, it is better to be prepared than not. a crash rated dog seat-belt is another option, but the pup may chew it in half - it has happened! so U might stick with the crate in the car in pup-hood.

congrats on the pup, and happy training!
--- terry

terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, IPDTA, TDF