Taking naps

I thought Iwas going to have crate problems with my puppy, Anubis, before I brought him home. So I read around to see how to handle the whole crating deal. Some suggestions for getting dogs to like their crates that I read were to put some of their favorite toys in there or throw a treat in there when they go in. Anubis loves his crate, so I'm not sure I can't guarantee these ideas will work. You could try giving your dog some of those dental chew bones, usually Anubis will take it and go chew on it in his crate. Now I haven't had problems to with the crying, but I blieve that it's best to just try to ignore them and not come to them till the puppy has quieted down. Or the other thing I read was to throw a couple of pennies in a bottle and shake it when they get loud, but do it from where they can't see you shaking the bottle. As I said though I haven't tried that since Anubis is a fairly quiet puppy. I hope this helps some.

What is she napping on when she is outside her crate?  A blankie, pillow?  Put that in the crate next time, and toss in a couple of treats on top of it.  At first, you may need to leave the crate door open and occasionally toss a treat in there so she goes in on her own.

Everyone uses different training techniques, so I do not want to insult Zero's penny shaking idea, I just want to present a different point of view on that.  A noise like that can scare a young pup, and that would be counterproductive to your goal of having her feel comfortable and secure in her crate.  Use positive training and patience, bit by bit making her crate a very happy, comfortable place, with her favorite pillow/blankie and treats, and perhaps a kong.  Before long, she'll learn that only good stuff happens in there. 

It's early days to expect her to go into the crate by herself, she doesn't really know what it's for yet.  I'd suggest that when you see your puppy lose interest in playing, or flop down on the floor for a few minutes after playing, then take her out for potty, praise her if she goes.  Carry her back in and put her in her crate.  As you put her in the crate you can say "bedtime" or whatever words you're comfortable with.  (This will then become her command to go into her crate eventually.)  Put her gently in the crate, give her a small treat (break a biscuit in half for example), then shut the crate and walk away.  Make sure she has something comfy to lay on and a toy or two in the crate with her. 
 
If you keep a daily log of her potty, play, naps etc, you'll find that within a few days you'll have a much better idea of when she needs a nap.  Always make sure she's had a chance to potty before you crate her.

If you want to leave your dog in the crate to take a nap, make sure the crate is in a place where they can't see you. They will lose interest in crying pretty quick when they can't see you and you don't respond. My puppy would usually cry for about 5 minutes before she would give up and take a nap. I also feed her in her crate and give her a treat when she goes in when i tell her too, she also has a bed, toys, and a nylabone, so its her own place she can be alone in.