Crates

[SoCrafty]

So, every chance I get, I am dragging hubby to the pet section of a store to check out their selections. I'm focusing on crates at the moment. I'm torn right now. With birds, I know the bigger the better, but I really can't decide for the puppy.

The first one is like 24 x 18 x19. It has a front door and a side door, and a partition to make it smaller. Good for housebreaking a puppy. I think bad for adult. Judging by the breeders adult dogs, they would fit, but I think they wouldn't be able to stretch out.

The second crate is 30 x 21 x 24. It too has a side and front door, but no partition. Its bigger than the other, and without the partition, too big for a puppy (if you ask me). I like this one because I can use it until adulthood but I have no idea how I would make it smaller for a puppy.

So, did you guys buy multiple crates as your puppy grew into adulthood, or did you get an adult size and use a partition?

 

[RBark]

So, every chance I get, I am dragging hubby to the pet section of a store to check out their selections. I'm focusing on crates at the moment. I'm torn right now. With birds, I know the bigger the better, but I really can't decide for the puppy.

The first one is like 24 x 18 x19. It has a front door and a side door, and a partition to make it smaller. Good for housebreaking a puppy. I think bad for adult. Judging by the breeders adult dogs, they would fit, but I think they wouldn't be able to stretch out.

The second crate is 30 x 21 x 24. It too has a side and front door, but no partition. Its bigger than the other, and without the partition, too big for a puppy (if you ask me). I like this one because I can use it until adulthood but I have no idea how I would make it smaller for a puppy.

So, did you guys buy multiple crates as your puppy grew into adulthood, or did you get an adult size and use a partition?

Get the 30x21x24 and put something in it to block part of the crate off. Doesn't need to be fancy. A plastic storage tub, or whatever.

 

[SoCrafty]

Never thought of that. Like a Rubbermaid that doesn't have any edges to chew?

 

[Laurelin]

I buy bigger than needed. Hank's crate is lab sized and he's 20 lbs. But he has to hang in there while I'm at work so I feel better about it. The paps crates are what a lot of people use for dog's Hank's size or bigger. In fact I know smaller BCs that have crates roughly the size of Summer and Mia's.

Your dog is going to be a sheltie, right? They vary so much in size it would be hard to predict... I wouldn't go too small.

 

[Beanie]

Have you checked craigslist? With Auggie, the breeder lent me a small plastic crate. Payton was in a small wire crate that I bought used from craigslist. Actually the girl happened to have a crate that is the size of my normal ones and also a small crate, and she gave me a deal on both so I took the small one too. It was super cheap, and now I basically have a puppy crate that I just store in the garage for the next time I have a puppy.

These are the crates I prefer - Payton is in a slightly bigger one but Pepper and Auggie are both in these, and these are the crates I take to agility trials (I don't mind P being in a slightly smaller crate for a trial.)
http://www.amazon.com/Midwest-1530-iCrate-Single-Door-30-By-19-By-21-Inch/dp/B000OXAERM

I think those do actually come with partitions but I kind of hate messing with the partitions, so I was happy to get the small crate off craigslist! I don't think I would go out and buy a small "puppy crate" new or anything, especially since those do have partitions. But it might be worth a look on craigslist.

 

[sassafras]

For Squash's very first puppy crate, I did get a small puppy-sized one. When he outgrew it, I did get a bigger one than needed - although he turned out to get bigger than expected so he did eventually outgrow that one, too.

If you get one that comes with metal/grate partitions, don't use them. It's really easy for a puppy to get a paw tangled and stuck (as me how I know this). Agreed with using a rubbermaid or something instead (although if you end up with a puppy who will chew that, you may need to figure something else out.

 

[SoCrafty]

I haven't checked Craigslist yet, but that is a really good idea. A good power wash and bleach should disinfect and clean one. I will have to check it out.

Yes, it's going to be a Sheltie. All of her dogs were roughly the same size, so hopefully our puppy won't vary too much from that.

The link from Amazon is the smaller crate we were looking at. I liked how sturdy it was. The bigger one is only a little more expensive than the smaller size I was looking at. But its a LOT cheaper than the ones I've seen at the big chain stores.

 

[DJEtzel]

I keep them in a small one until they're housetrained and/or I need to upgrade due to growth. I use many different crates in the process, usually.