Whoa! What is this "withholding water is cruel"? ANY potty training guide will tell you to control your dog's access to food and water. Limiting their free access to the house is also a cornerstone of potty training. It would be WAY different if he left the dog in the crate for 10 hours w/no water... but an hour? Come on!
The only thing that's regrettable about this story is that it was motivated by extreme frustration. Would have been far better if he had been told much sooner to use the "How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days" (
Amazon.com: How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days... ) method - which, BTW, includes lots of crate time.
I'm not a fan of yelling at my dogs... but I've been known to do it, when I've been pushed past my limit. Of course, I always have to think back and realize I should have intervened with the maddening behavior LONG before it got to the point of me losing my temper.