Crates / Indoor Kennels

Many people view crates as cages and don’t like the thought of them for this reason. Your dog on the other hand will think of a crate as his own secure personal space, where he can retreat to when he wants some peace.

Dog Crates are great for when you go traveling. If you take your dog to a friend or relatives house for instance, you can take the crate with you and your dog will have somewhere he knows and feels safe to retreat to. This is especially useful at night, as your dog may feel insecure if shut in a strange room to sleep, which can lead to whining, barking or accidents. The crate will give your dog the comfort and security to just go to sleep.

There are many different dog crates available today and come in a variety of materials and styles, so you should be able to find something to suit both you and your dog. If buying a crate for a puppy, remember that it will grow so you will want a crate to fit the size of the adult dog, but be prepared to buy another when in case the dog grows larger than you expected.

The 4 basic materials used for dog crates are metal, plastic, wood and cloth. Each material has it’s own benefits and drawbacks.

Metal Wire Dog Crates

Benefits

Allows the dog to see what is going on around them.
Has excellent ventilation.
Easy to keep clean with a slide out tray on the base.
Some come with dividers so that you can enlarge the area as the puppy grows.
Hard wearing and good for destructive dogs.
Can be collapsed for easy transport.

Drawbacks

The dog may be able to get his paws through the wire mesh and injure himself.
The dog may be able to damage any near by objects or drag them into the crate.
May lead to whining or crying as dog can see everything in the room.
Can be heavy or awkward to carry.
Family members may injure themselves on the corners of square shaped wire crates, especially children.

Plastic Dog Crates

Benefits

Provide good insulation keeping the dog out of draughts.
Have good ventilation.
Dogs can’t see through the plastic, giving them more privacy and security.
The top normally detaches making them easy to keep clean.
Tough and durable.
Fairly light and easy to transport.
Normally have rounded corners so less chance that family members will injure themselves on it.

Drawbacks

Les ventilation than Wire Crates
May trap odours
Don’t fold flat so take up more space when stored.
Persistent chewers may damage the crate.

Wooden Dog Crates

Benefits

Many different designs.
Don’t look out of place in the home.
Most have excellent ventilation.
Depending on design, the dog can see more of his surroundings than a plastic crate allows but gives more privacy than a wire crate.
Removable bottom tray allows for easy cleaning.

Drawbacks

Persistent chewers may damage the crate.
May trap odors.
You must check any stains or wood preservers used is safe for animal use.
Can be heavy and not so easy to transport.
Wont fold flat for storage when not in use.

Cloth Dog Crates

Benefits

Light and easy to transport.
Can be folded flat for storage when not in use.
Normally have a removable bottom tray for easy cleaning.
Some have removable flaps over the mesh side windows so you can restrict how much the dog can see, which can help keep your dog calmer when travelling.
Less chance of family members injuring themselves on it.

Drawbacks

Not as sturdy as the other types of crate.

Destructive dogs may destroy the crate.
May be a little more awkward to clean than other types of crate.
Ventilation may not be as good as other crates.
May trap odours.

Which type of crate you choose really depends on the temperament of your dog and how much time your dog will spend in it. The advantages and drawbacks listed above are based on the basic crate design.

As crates become more popular new designs and features are always being introduced. For example I recently came across a wooden crate that has a bed built on top of it complete with it’s own flight of stairs, so it pays to look around before making a purchase.