Dog Crates and Kennels
Welcome to Dog Crates and Kennels Review. As a dog trainer, I believe every dog owner should have and use a dog crate.
Why? There are a number of reasons; but the two most important are:
Dogs are den animals. A dog needs a place to call his home or den. He needs a safe, quiet place that he can get away from the hustle and bustle of life … crazy kids, other pets and even his owners.
Dog crates are also great teaching tools. Dog crates allow us to keep our dog safely placed when we can’t watch him … especially early in his life. We don’t want our dog to run amuck in our home, to be able to poop anywhere and chew/destroy anything he wants when we are not present to supervise them.
The dog crate helps us teach our dog the appropriate behavior by allowing us to correct these unwanted behaviors and praise the good behavior.
What kind of dog crate should I choose?
There are three basic designs of dog crates. There are wire dog crates that look like a cage, plastic dog crates and the newer canvas soft dog crate. They each have their pros and cons and are discussed on the other pages of Dog Crates and Kennels website..
What size dog crate should I purchase?
There a number of different considerations that should determine the size of your dog crate.
Is it a puppy or full grown? If it is a puppy, you may need to get a wire dog crate that has a divider in it during house training. (If a crate is too large for a puppy that isn’t house trained, the puppy can soil in one area and lie in the other remaining clean.
How big will your dog grow? If you aren’t sure, your veterinarian or breeder can probably give you a pretty good idea.
A dog crate should only be 6 – 10” longer than your dog’s body length and at least 6” taller than your dog. Again, a divider may be needed if you have a puppy or young dog that has not finished growing.
Dog crates sizes are usually designated as:
Extra Small Dog Crate – The extra small dog crates are usually around 24” in length and weighing up to about 25 lbs. The type breed this dog crate would house may be a Maltese, Chihuahua, Bichon Frise or Chinese Crested Dog.
Small Dog Crate – Small dog crates are usually 30” in length and designed for dogs weighing between 25 and 40 lbs. The typical breed for this size crate may be the French Bulldog, Dachshund, King Charles Spaniel or a Miniature Pinscher.
Medium Dog Crate – The medium dog crates are normally 36” in length and will house dogs weighing from 40 to 70 lbs. Breeds in this size dog crate may be the Beagle, Bassett Hound, Bulldog and the English Springer or Cocker Spaniel.
Large Dog Crate – Large dog crates are 42” in length and designed for dogs weighing between 70 and 90 lbs. Breeds for this type of dog crate would be Australian Shepherd or Border Collie, Boxer, Standard Poodle or a Golden or Labrador Retriever.
Extra Large Dog Crate – The extra large dog crates are 48” in length and will house dogs weighing between 90 and 110 lbs. Typical breeds for this size crate would be Bloodhound, Malamute, German Shepherd, Doberman and Rottweiler.
XXL Dog Crate – The XXL dog crates are 54” in length and designed for mammoth dogs weighing over 110 lbs. Breeds that may fit this crate are the Great Dane, Great Pyrenes, Mastiff and Saint Bernard. You may also find some of the bigger bred dogs from the extra large crate section should fit here as well.
Not all dog breeds are represented here. Dog breeds vary in size today and these determinations serve as a guideline only.
If you do not feel comfortable using a dog crate, contact your veterinarian or a real professional dog trainer. They should be able to help guide you. The vast majority of dog professionals believe in dog crates.
Hopefully, your search for dog crates and kennels has started well. There are many vendors and different companies you can find online. You may even notice a few of those websites above and in the other pages of dogcratesandkennelsreview.com.
Good luck and thank you for visiting. Click here to read more.
