5 Best dog travel crates for long trips

When you travel with your dog there are many things to take into consideration, and choosing the best dog travel crate is the single most important one. It is essential to have a reliable, secure and comfortable crate for your dog. You want your furry friend to be comfortable and safe no matter where you’re going or how far you have to travel.

How do you know what kind of travel crate to purchase?

Of course, your dog’s size and the mode of transportation you will be taking are the two biggest factors to take into account when choosing the best dog travel crate for your needs. Your pet will have to fit comfortably in the carrier without having too much excess room, and the carrier will need to be appropriate for the car, plane, train, or other mode of transportation that you’ll be taking.

Video: How to Travel with Your Dog

If you and your dog are taking a trip by vehicle, finding a crate that is suitable and fits your car is essential. If you are both travelling by plane, it is a good idea to be aware of the airline crate policies before purchasing one of your own, as airlines require specific dimensions and rules for travelling with pets in crates.

You’ll want to be sure to check with the travel agency that you’re using, and all locations where you will be staying, to make sure that pets are allowed and to see if they have unique crate specifications. Each airline has their own guidelines and the same can be said for every bus service, train service, and hotel. Planning ahead could save you from dealing with unnecessary issues during your travels.

“But, how do I decide what size travel crate to buy?”

Measuring your dog is the only way that you’re going to be able to select the most appropriate size travel crate. Some pet carriers will give weight guidelines and other will give breed specifications, but you shouldn’t trust these guidelines. Two dogs, both weighing 55 pounds, can have completely different measurements, and the same can be said for two different dogs of the same breed.

When measuring the length of your dog, you should begin at the base of the neck and measure to the base of the tail. Add 3 inches to this and that should be the minimum crate length that you should be looking for. To measure their height, simply start at the ground and measure to the top of their shoulders. Add 3 inches to this measurement to get the minimum crate height you should be looking for.

TIP: If the measurements are between two crate sizes, always choose the larger size.

Once you’ve measured your dog, you’ll know the appropriate size crate to choose and now you’re well on your way to choosing the best dog travel crate for your canine companion. Pet stores are full of travel crate options and you can also shop online, but the choices there will be nearly infinite.

Researching your options will be the next step, and I’ve done some of that for you here. These crates are all safe, comfortable choices for your dog, but you’ll have to find out if they meet the traveling guidelines that you need to follow.

Top 5 Best Dog Travel Crates

MIM Safe Variocage Dog Crates by 4×4 North America

The Variocage has to be my favorite of all the crates that I have researched. They are on the pricey side, but well worth the investment. Not only do they look very stylish, but they also rank very highly for safety as well. These crates are very comfortable for dogs and easy to clean too. In addition, for added security, the Variocage includes a built-in key lock.

Variocages are the only crates that are rated using government safety standards for the protection they provide during accidents. That means that they passed the front, rear and rollover crash tests. Also, all models include an emergency escape as an additional safety measure. This crate really is a must have for any dog owner that frequently travels with their pet in the car.

MIM Safe Variocage dog crates come in 14 changeable sizes to fit most dogs, and they come in four different models. This gives you a better chance at finding a suitable fit for your vehicle or one that will pass the guidelines for the method of transportation that you will be taking.

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Noteworthy customer review (make sure to read the full review on Amazon): I am a professional dog trainer, and frequently travel with one of my dogs. I use this crate without the divider for my German Shepherd, who LOVES it…

Petmate Pet Porter Fashion Dog Crate

Less pricey than the Variocage, the Petmate Pet Porter Fashion dog crate, is another one that tops my list of best travel dog crates. Not only is the crate comfortable for your dog to travel around in via vehicle, but these crates meet most airline crate requirements if you need to travel by plane with your dog. They are well built and extremely solid. In fact, if you’re crate training your dog at home, this would also be a great model to choose.

The Petmate Pet Porter Fashion dog crate is very easy to clean and, although they are made with heavy duty plastic, they are surprisingly lightweight. These travel crates are equipped with tie-down holes in all four corners to make them more stable while traveling. They also include a hole so the door can be secured with zip-ties during travel.

They come in a variety of sizes to fit most dog breeds, and the wire doors of these crates lock shut with a chrome squeeze door latch. The crates are shipped as two half shells and are very easy to assemble. They come with no-rust plastic wing nuts. These crates are also equipped with side air vents.

Noteworthy customer review (make sure to read the full review on Amazon): This is wonderful! I adopted a pitbull from the Humane Society. I Love her, but she chewed her wire crate up. (broke the little welds) This Petmate is strong and heavy…

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EliteField 3-Door Soft Dog Crate

This is the first of two soft sided crates to make the list of best dog travel crates. Typically, when you put your pet in a crate to travel you want to be sure the crate is sturdy and won’t collapse on your pet. However, if your dog will be in your care at all times, a soft crate may be appropriate.

What I love about these EliteField crates, is that they are soft and extremely easy to set-up and fold-down. There are no tools involved, and it only takes a couple of seconds. It comes with a carrying bag for simple storage and a mat for your dog’s comfort. The entire crate breaks apart quickly for easy washing as well.

Another feature that I like is the fact that it has a top, side and front door for easy accessibility. The EliteField 3-Door soft dog crate is also equipped with two convenient accessory pockets. It has a strong steel tube frame and is very well ventilated. These crates come in four different sizes and four different colors.

Noteworthy customer review (make sure to read the full review on Amazon): This is a great kennel. I’d recommend it to anyone. I like that’s it’s so portable. I just fold it up, put it in the carrying bag. It’s made of very durable fabric. My puppy scratches at the mesh all the time and I have no worries that she’s going to rip it…

Guardian Gear Collapsible Dog Crate

The Guardian Gear Collapsible crate is very visually appealing. These crates come in multiple colors and have huge mesh windows on each side that will give your dog lots of ventilation. Like the EliteField soft crate, it is extremely easy to assemble and collapse if you need to store it away. You won’t need any tools for this one either.

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Guardian Gear collapsible crates are water-resistant and very easy to clean as they are 100 percent polyester. They have flaps on the side panels that are easy to roll up so you can check on your pooch, or you may choose to leave them closed if you’re in a crowded area. This travel crate comes in a variety of different styles and sizes to suite your needs and requirements.

Another great thing about this product is that it comes with a faux sheepskin mat to provide extra comfort for your dog while traveling. The Guardian Gear crate also comes with a matching carrying case for easy transport and there are five different sizes to choose from so you’ll be sure to find one that is the right size for your dog.

Noteworthy customer review (make sure to read the full review on Amazon): This is one of my small dogs and cats favorites, I have used many times to easily transport my small dog or cat to the vet, via bus or cab. Excellent quality, easily folds down to take along on a vacation. Used it in the back of my SUV for 5 day trip from Chicago to Vegas…

Midwest Life Stages Folding Metal Dog Crate

The Midwest Stages folding metal dog crate can be used throughout the life of your dog. They recommend buying the crate as if it was for your full size adult dog, if you still have a puppy that is. A divider panel is included with the crate to adjust its size as your dog grows. Alternatively, this gives the option for the crate to be used for more than one dog, as the size of the cage can be adjusted for each dog.

This is a metal crate, so it’s easy to clean and extremely durable. It has double doors for front and side access. It also has slide-bolt latches that provide easy entry as well as security. The Midwest Life Stages folding metal crate is surprisingly uncomplicated to set up and put away.

It also includes handles for easy carrying and a plastic pan for comfort inside the crate so your pup isn’t sitting on the metal bars. Metal crates like this one are great because you can see your pet from all angels since there there are no hidden sides. Midwest has seven different sizes for your dog that adjust to his growth.

Noteworthy customer review (make sure to read the full review on Amazon): Purchased this crate (42Lx28Wx31H model) as a secondary travel crate for my two Huskies, but because of how impressed I was with the build quality and features, it has now become my primary crate and can comfortably house both Huskies (50lbs x 2) simultaneously if need be.

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