yes totally agree.. that is what i did in the beginning when i first got Chicle ..
another thing you have to do it in a stern voice say NO BARKING.. well in my case i placed him in there when he was gonna go to sleep ..so i would say CHICLE GO TO SLEEP! eventually he got the idea and stopped barking all together.. to the point that now whenever i put him in there and to noises or things that he would bark to if he were to FREE.. he wont bark . b/c he knows he has to be quiet inside his crate.
sometimes he tries to be a wise guy and you hear a MUFFLED BARK lmaooooooo soooooooooo cute!