In your opinion what is the best way to housetrain a dog?

No, don't go for the crate, its cruel and lazy on the owners part. I just went through house training with my pup, you have to be vigilent though. After every meal and in the meantime whenever you think of it. Take the pup to the place where you want it to go and leave it there until it goes, never hit or smack a dog, do the opposite, always praise for good behaviour. When it goes to the toilet give it heaps of praise. There will be accidents, never punish the pup for this but show it then put it where you want it to go. Mine was trained in a week and now she just sits at the door when she needs to go. Good Luck with it.

I use a crate. It's not cruel if you purchase the right size (big enough for the dog to lay down in, turn around in, and stand up in). Use it for when you are asleep or when you are away from home and your dog is alone. First thing in the morning or home, walk your puppy and make sure it goes potty. Most dogs feel more secure with a kennel -- we adopted a greyhound and he treats it sort of as his "bedroom". When the house is noisy or we have visitors that he is unsure of, he retires to his crate without us telling him to go. I take that as a sign of his liking the crate. It's easy because you don't have to worry about coming home to a mess. As long as you use it properly (don't just leave your dog in the crate all day and night), it isn't cruel.