# How does your dog fit in his crate?



## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

This question came up in my house lately. Watson has a standard 36" crate. He's not a large dog, only 42lbs and about 19" at the shoulder. I know people with Chessies who use the same size crate and I don't think it's fundamentally too small for him (though of course more room is better). Eventually he should have access to the house or at least one room while we're at work, which will cut down on the time he's in there anyway.

This weekend my mom bought him a foam crate mat to provide more comfort for him, and it's probably 1-1.5" thick. Now she thinks it makes the crate too short for him. He can stand up fine, but when he sits, his head does touch the top, but it did before too.

So how does your dog fit in his crate? When he sits or stands does his head touch the top? It has made me think that crates could be made taller, since he's not a tall dog, but a few more inches in height would be nice.


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## llillio (Aug 15, 2013)

We have a small (24") crate for our 13lb m.sch. It's probably a bit big for him. It's stuffed with crate bed and couple of large blankets and still enough room for couple of dogs of his size to hang out in there...

I would think that if there is enough floor space for the dog to comfortably lie in, then the crate is big enough?


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

llillio said:


> I would think that if there is enough floor space for the dog to comfortably lie in, then the crate is big enough?


That's basically how I feel. He can turn around and lie down in a number of positions, so I think it's fine. It's not like he spends all day sitting up in it. I wouldn't mind a larger size, but since he won't be in it forever I'm not that worried. My mom seems to think it's way too small for him now though, because he can't sit up completely straight.

For transport or temporary things, like shows, I definitely think a little on the small size is fine. A Great Dane sized crate at home is fine, but I wouldn't want to haul one to a show for my little 40lb dog.


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

My dogs' crates were advertised as for 25 lb dogs of so. Sheltie on the packaging. They have a lot of room and ehad room and can lay down either direction in their crates. Not sure the exact dimensions but they have a good 6 or so inches past their heads. They can both stand on their back feet in their crates (head is jammed to the ceiling then)

During work they stay in a double x-pen though. My travel carriers are tiny but they only use them while the car is in motion. At shows they're locked in the larger crates in the back hatch.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Laurelin said:


> My dogs' crates were advertised as for 25 lb dogs of so. Sheltie on the packaging. They have a lot of room and ehad room and can lay down either direction in their crates. Not sure the exact dimensions but they have a good 6 or so inches past their heads. They can both stand on their back feet in their crates (head is jammed to the ceiling then)
> 
> During work they stay in a double x-pen though. My travel carriers are tiny but they only use them while the car is in motion. At shows they're locked in the larger crates in the back hatch.


I'm jealous of your little dogs! Hauling that heavy 36" crate to seminars and shows is such a pain, and it won't fit in either of our cars in its assembled state. Can't wait until we get a soft sided crate and I hope we can find one to fit in the car.

My 9.5lbs of bunny (two buns in one carrier) fit in a little cat carrier and it's so convenient.


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## dagwall (Mar 17, 2011)

I have a 42" crate on loan from the rescue for my foster Tony and it's huge. Jubel and Tony are about the same size, within an inch of each other at the shoulder and probably within 5# of each other in weight. They are built differently though, Tony's body is shorter in length and he's a bit chunky right now. Trying to remember for sure but I think Jubel can sit in the crate without his head touching. Right now I'm planing on buying a 36" crate at petsmart for their black friday sale, half off. He may not be able to sit in the 36" crate without his head touching but he'll still have plenty of room to lay down and turn around as needed. I'm only getting the crate for travel and possible trial needs so he'd never spend large amounts of time in it.

He's actually taken a liking to the crate I set up in the living room for Tony. I've only used it for Tony a handful of times. Tony is very good in the house so he gets to hang out in the basement and Jubel gets the upstairs.


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## CoverTune (Mar 11, 2007)

George has his own crate, but honestly, he chooses to cram himself into the Chihuahua's crate instead.


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## kadylady (Sep 23, 2010)

> I'm jealous of your little dogs!


Same here^^

We have an XL Great Dane size crate that we used for Luke from about 7 months until he was allowed free roam (probably when he was 1.5 or so). Then pulled it out when we got Zoey. She was much smaller (only 40# full grown, which was Luke's weight at 6 months lol) so we added boxes to the back of the crate to make it smaller during potty training. Obviously she has tons of room in it no matter which way she turns/sits/lays. If Luke were to sit up in it, his head would be pretty close to the top if not touching, but he has plenty of room to turn and stretch out, which I think are the most important things. That crate currently lives in the basement, it's a monster.

I bought a soft sided crate this summer since we have started showing agility and rally. I needed to buy one big enough for Luke, so this is what I ended up with.



This one is 38x26x29, Luke's head definitely hits the top if he is sitting up in it and it's a tighter turn for him, but it does the job at the trials. Zoey could definitely go down a size and if I get a second one it will definitely be the size down for her. I have actually started leaving this one up in the house so the dogs are comfortable with it and Luke likes to go in there and nap (when the cat isn't occupying it), it is also becoming his hiding spot during thunderstorms, so I like that.


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

Do they actually stay in that soft crate? We have had the worst luck getting the papillons to respect the soft crates like at all. Even dear old Summer escapes constantly.


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## dagwall (Mar 17, 2011)

Laurelin said:


> Do they actually stay in that soft crate? We have had the worst luck getting the papillons to respect the soft crates like at all. Even dear old Summer escapes constantly.


Haha, yeah I wouldn't even bother trying a soft crate with Jubel.


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## kadylady (Sep 23, 2010)

Laurelin said:


> Do they actually stay in that soft crate? We have had the worst luck getting the papillons to respect the soft crates like at all. Even dear old Summer escapes constantly.


They are both great in it (so far, knock on wood lol). I was worried about it for sure at first, especially with Zoey because she destroys beds/blankets when she's crated. But they both respect it extremely well. I made sure at first not to leave them unsupervised for more than a couple minutes, especially at the trials but they haven't really even tested it, so I'm just counting myself lucky and giving lots of praise! Only problem we have had is that occasionally Luke tries to lay against the side too much and the thing starts to tip over lol.


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

I have the XL wire crates which works for all the GSD's and I start my puppies in the XL wire crates . Arka lol I don't know what I will do for Arka as he doesn't fit in the XL anymore..lol...


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

kadylady said:


> They are both great in it (so far, knock on wood lol). I was worried about it for sure at first, especially with Zoey because she destroys beds/blankets when she's crated. But they both respect it extremely well. I made sure at first not to leave them unsupervised for more than a couple minutes, especially at the trials but they haven't really even tested it, so I'm just counting myself lucky and giving lots of praise! Only problem we have had is that occasionally Luke tries to lay against the side too much and the thing starts to tip over lol.


Mine used to roll it around the house like a hamster ball. (After I tied the sippzer shut and before they chewed through it)


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## kadylady (Sep 23, 2010)

Now if I were to leave them in it at home alone....that could be a different story. Luke would probably be fine, Zoey may do some damage, not really sure.


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

Mia rolled it across the agility field once while I was working Summer. It was hilarious.


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## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

The wire crate I use for Kris is 29" so she has to duck her head but as she is only using it at night so she is lying down sleeping, it works alright. I managed to buy another bigger crate for her to use in the Van as she has to jump up into it and she has room to turn around and lie down and not have to keep her head down when she is standing. That one should last till she is old enough to be uncrated in the house or in the Van.


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## Damon'sMom (Aug 2, 2011)

I think a crate for car travel and shows should be big enough for the dog to lay down in. Doesn't have to have tons of room. 

If the dog is housebroken and is crated for long periods of time while the owner is at work then I would give more room. I have a XL 48"L x 30"W x 33"H crate for Jasper to spend the day in. Once I get my next pup I will give that crate to her and I will buy Jasper a XXL 54"L x 35"W x 45"H. 

I bring Jaspers crate to shows but he does not ride there in it. He is just harnessed into the backseat.


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## mashlee08 (Feb 24, 2012)

Jäger has plenty of room for the time being, when he sits or stands he is too tall (his ears stick out the top, it's hilarious) but there is ample room for him to lay down in. He will need a bigger one in a couple of months when he outgrows it.
His soft crate is the same size, which is constantly set up in the boot of the car for him to travel in, and he sits in it at shows etc, so we need a bigger soft crate too, but then that means Indie can have his one instead of lugging the wire one around when we take the both of them. 
He sleeps in his wire crate overnight and when we aren't home, he destroys all bedding, so it's just the crate tray for him! 

I would like him to have more room, and now that he is pretty reliable with toilet training I will probably look into a bigger more permanent crate for home just for comfort. 

Indie is left out, but she does try this when we are putting him away before we go out.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

I think the rule of thumb is that the dog can lie down comfortably to sleep, and can turn around. When I crated Shep, he didn't stand or sit comfortably in his crate, but he could turn around easily, and sprawl out to sleep. And, that seemed to be enough.


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## Kayla_Nicole (Dec 19, 2012)

I'm sure yours is just fine for him, based on the typical rules of thumb. When Alannah still used hers we had a 42 inch. She didn't need all the extra space but it made me feel better knowing she could move around and stand up part of the way and see out the window. She is 19 inches at withers and 35 pounds.


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## Gogoclips (Apr 27, 2013)

I've been trying to figure this one out for myself. The crate we bought is a 36" I think. On the front it said suitable for whippets, but our guy is on the big side for a whippet. He has to duck his head when he goes into the crate, and also when he sits, but he also has a super long neck. Otherwise, once he's in there he can comfortably turn, lie down in various positions (his favorite is upside down with his feet in the air), burrow in his comforter and go to sleep. So, I'm not sure if we should be looking for a new one.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

I took Sassy with me to try out crates. She was 21" tall at the withers and weighed 44 pounds or so and a 32" long crate that was 22" wide and 24" tall fit her perfectly. She mostly used it in the car and definitely was more comfortable when she could brace against the walls. She could curl up in the back half of this crate and sitting would hit her head. Max is a couple inches shorter and uses the same crate. My dogs aren't left crated for more than a couple hours at a time. When we have had pet sitters I get out the 48" exercise pen and make up larger enclosures with water and a bed for them. I expect my dogs to be sleeping when crated and just be shifting position so don't see any reason they need to be comfortable sitting in there.


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## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

Lark is the only one who stays specifically in a crate while we are gone, she is 19" and 37 pounds and her crate is 48"long x36"wide x30"tall I like giving her a larger space while I'm at work.


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## momtolabs (May 27, 2012)

When the 3 older ones had crates mae was the only one who could sit. But tank and Bentley had stretch room and could move. Now there loose all day in my room or living room. Mia has tanks old crate and its way too big. She has her toys in there,thick blanket, and herself. She has room to sit,stretch turn and still have a lot of room. One day my cousins rat terrier came over and they both went in there and both comfortably stayed in there. They could have came out and no one told them to go in,they just did,lol 

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## Jare (Aug 12, 2009)

I know this thread is a little bit old but I was just thinking of Aija's crate. She is 55 pounds and really not a large dog at all but her crate is gigantic (for her). I'm not sure what the exact dimensions are, but she was lay on her side, stretched out in it, and not be touching all sides at the same time. She can sit and stand with an inch or so above her head open, and when she curls up in it you could definitely fit a another dog or two in it. 

I got it from a family member who gave it to me after their got lost, and I have seen a photo of my 180+ pound, tall, stocky uncle inside of it. Not that I think she NEEDS a crate this large, she had a smaller one before, but I figure she enjoys it at least.


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## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

When I bought Kris a new wire crate, I bought a 42 long 27 wide and 30 tall. She likes to curl up in a ball and the only way I could get the extra width was to go bigger. She has loads of room in it and sleeps in it every night. The crate in my Van is a little smaller but she is not in it that much, just when we are travelling. I got it when they were on half price. I have a feeling she will be sleeping in it for a long time yet.


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## lreed89 (Jan 30, 2014)

We have a large crate for Daisy - made for dogs over 50 lbs, and she's not quite 40 lbs. We now gate her in the kitchen while we're at work, so she's hardly ever in that [expensive] crate, but she has plenty of room to move around in it when she is. Her crate as a puppy was too big, too, especially for crate training, but seeing her cramped up in some tiny crate wasn't something I was okay with. The rule is that they should be able to sit, stand, lie down, and turn around in it. I think that's good for crate training purposes but, once they're trained, I don't think the size of the crate matters. I just think that, if they're going to be crated for more than a couple of hours, they should be able to move around.

We found that the kitchen worked better for us and her both at night and while we're gone for work. She's got a lot more room than she would in a crate, it wouldn't cause a huge mess if she did have an accident (which she never has), she and the cat have access to each other, and her food and water is available to her without her being able to knock it over like she always did in the crate. Plus there's plenty of room for her big, comfy bed. I'd feel awful crating her, even in the big crate, all night and for 7-8 hours during the day.


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## cellophane (Dec 30, 2013)

lreed89 said:


> The rule is that they should be able to sit, stand, lie down, and turn around in it.


For fit - does standing up mean they are able to lift their head to a normal position or have enough room to fit at the shoulder with their head down? The crate I have is tall enough at the shoulders (barely) but she has to keep her head down and it makes me sad, especially since I know all too well how that feels - I'm 6'3" and have to duck on most planes and it sucks.


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## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

Even though Kris' crate is 30 inches tall, and she is 26 inches at the shoulder, she has to duck her head a bit when she is sitting or standing, it is hard to get a crate that is much taller and have room to put it somewhere. Luckily I had a 12 x 12 addition put on my little house so I had somewhere for a washer and dryer so have room for the big crate in there. Could not have fit it in anywhere else, like my bedroom or kitchen.


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## Miss Bugs (Jul 4, 2011)

Gem's soft crate is a 42, I've had lots of people say its too big(shes 23" and 46lbs) but the next size down is a 36 and she's rather squishy in it, she has to duck down and fold her body to fit. normally I'd be ok with that, but Gem has a history of hating closed in spaces, she is fine with crates now but I'd just rather not cause any undue stress but putting her in a space she has to squeeze into. in the 42 her head is no where near the top and she's narrow so the width is super wide, but end to end she is tip of nose at the front and her bum touches the back. its as wide as she is tall, so it LOOKS huge lol. at home Gem and Gyp share a 42" wire crate and in the car same thing, they are squished but they are hardly ever crated together so whatever lol. the rest of my dogs have either 200 or 300 vari kennels, none of them can stand up at all in them, they just prefer the small crates, usually choosing the smallest open kennel they can find.


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## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

Hmm.... depends...





But actually, his wire crate could comfortably fit a great dane; I bought the largest there was, even though Soro is only around 65lb. I recently got rid of that crate though, since it's not easy to transport. I would be comfortable giving him something he can stand, turn around, and lie on his side in... And also fit a water bowl. Easier said than done, since he's so tall.


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