5 Types of Dog Crates and How to Choose a Perfect Pet Crate for Your Dog

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How to choose a perfect pet crate for your dog

1. soft sided dog crates

Pros:
Cons:

Video: good vs bad rabbit cages

2. plastic dog crates

Pros:
Cons:

3. metal or wire crates for dogs

Pros:
Cons:

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There’s a huge variety of dog crates on the market, but with so many different styles it can be hard to choose which type is best for your dog. This guide will help you make the right decision for a pet crate that will work for your pooch and your lifestyle.

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Before reading further and picking the perfect crate for your dog, ask yourself some questions that will make this job a little easier:

How are you going to use your pet crate?
What specifically do you and your pooch need it for?
Does the pet crate need to be moved easily and constantly?
Are you going to travel with it?
What is your dog’s temperament?
Is it important that the crate looks good in your home?
How much are you willing to spend?

These things will all play a big part in picking the best type of dog crate for your pet. For example, if your canine likes to chew a lot and is a strong chewer, a soft-sided dog crate won’t be a good fit for him. Likewise, if you’re hoping to use the pet crate when you travel, a heavy wooden dog crate won’t be a smart choice.

Let’s take a brief look at the type of dog crates that exist and their pros and cons so that you have an easier time deciding which pet crate would be perfect for your pooch.

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How to Choose a Perfect Pet Crate for Your Dog

Pet Crate

1. Soft Sided Dog Crates

What’s a soft sided crate for dogs?

As you can see in the above image, a soft-sided crate usually means that its walls are going to be made out of soft mesh material (or something resembling that texture). Some soft crates will have steel tube frame for the crate to resemble more of a cage/den construction, while others may look more like a backpack or carrying case.

Which type of soft dog crate you choose depends on how you plan to use a it, how often you’re going to use it and what type of dog you have. Take a look at the pros and cons. One of the most popular soft sided dog crates on Amazon at the moment is 3-door one from Elite Field, which has garnered some great reviews from many pet owners.

Soft sided pet crates are the most popular option among pet owners. They’re not too expensive, lightweight, easy to carry and dogs usually like them too. However, soft dog crates are not the best option for every canine or every situation.

EXAMPLE LIST: Top 5 Best Soft Sided Dog Crates

Pros:

Soft sided dog crates are great for airplane rides and car rides. Because they are very portable, they are perfect for travel. Many airlines have approved pet crates of this kind for in cabin use.
They are extremely portable because they are very light.
Soft pet crates fold down for easier storing.
These crates also tend to be the most comfortable for your pet.

Cons:

Soft sided dog crates are not well-suited for canines who like to chew, scratch, or are distressed from being contained.
Because they are so soft, these pet crates don’t last very long and are not very durable.
They are the hardest pet crates to clean. This means they are not a good choice for dogs who are not crate or potty trained yet.

When do owners usually use soft dog crates?

The biggest selling point of a pet crate that’s made out of mesh material is its portability and weight. Therefore, majority of dog owners will choose these crates for traveling, whether by car, airplane or other means. However, there are a lot of safety precautions to keep in mind with these pet crates and not all of us usually remember about them.

As an example, a soft crate may not always be a great option for car travel due to how unsafe it is if left unsecured. You should always secure your dog in his crate with a seat belt and make sure that the crate will not be sliding or moving whatsoever.

For more on the safety of traveling with soft sided dog crates, I recommend you take a look at Center for Pet Safety research study on safety of pet crates (PDF) and how they performed. Spoiler alert: there’s a lot of risk involved if the crate is not secured.

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“…even if you can’t afford one of the top performers, any restraint is better than none. At the very least, it will keep your pet safer in normal driving and make it much less likely to distract you behind the wheel. That alone can help you avoid trouble, since distracted driving is a leading cause of accident, injury and death on the road.” – Baltimore Sun on the study results [source]

Here’s more recommended reading related to traveling and soft pet crates:

2. Plastic Dog Crates

What are plastic crates for dogs?

Plastic pet crates are the middle ground between soft sided ones and the metal dog cages. They’re not the best looking crates you can buy (in fact, most of them look pretty cheap and unattractive), however, depending on the reason you buy one, it may just do the job.

A plastic crate will certainly be more sturdy than a soft sided crate, and it will allow for a little more privacy for your pooch than a metal wire cage. But even with all the holes in the crate, the ventilation isn’t always sufficient and the dog cannot stay there for too long. Plastic crates may or may not be easy to clean depending on the type you purchase.

The most popular plastic crate for dogs on Amazon is currently the Petmate 2-door plastic kennel for dogs up to 15 pounds. Overall, these are good crates for short travel and quick trips in the car or airplane (provided you confirm that the airline has approved your specific design). Take a look at the pros and cons of

Pros:

Plastic dog crates are really easy to clean. Just a quick hose down would suffice.
They are durable. The thick plastic is pretty hard to break. They can be stacked on top of each other when not being used.
Because they are enclosed and thick, it creates more of a “den” feel for the dog.
They can help keep reactive dogs calm and quiet, because they can only see out of one side.
Most airlines have approved these plastic pet crates for both in-cabin and below the seat use.

Cons:

Plastic crates for dogs do not fold flat so they are harder to store.
They are durable but some dogs may be inclined to chew on this pet crate as it is made of plastic.
Plastic absorbs odors so even though they are easy to clean, after a while they can have a permanent dog smell.
They are bulky and can be difficult to carry around.

More recommended reading about pet crates and their use:

3. Metal or Wire Crates for Dogs

What are metal wire dog crates?

Metal dog crates and/or wide crates for dogs are the ones people usually think of with the mention of a crate, kennel or cage for dogs. These crates are exactly what you imagine: a construction made out of metal wires that’s very well-ventilated and provides great visibility (for you and the dog).

Metal pet crates are the best option for puppies who like to chew a lot, since it would be nearly impossible for them to destroy this type of crate (although certain larger breeds do manage that). The best thing about them is their sturdiness, visibility and the extra air-flow, but the major con is that they’re heavy and difficult to travel with.

Fortunately, there are plenty of metal dog crates that have been designed to fold easily for quick breakdown so that owners can take them wherever they go. The best and most popular metal dog crate option on Amazon is the MidWest Double-Door iCrate. MidWest are the experts in wire cages for pets and have a huge selection of high quality metal crates for dogs and cats of all sizes. Browse their store for more options.

LIST: Five Best Metal Dog Crates

Pros:

Most metal dog crates will fold up for easy transport.
They are also easy to clean. Some even have bottom trays that could slide out for cleaning.
Dogs can’t break through this type of pet crate.
They are “open air”, which means that there is a lot of airflow. This is great for breeds that get hot easily.
This type of cage will not absorb odors and remains odor-free.
For dogs who like to be apart of all family activities these pet crates are great because they allow for 360 degree visibility.

Cons:

Because of the high visibility of these metal dog cages, they are not recommended for canines who are reactive.
They are easy to clean but over time dog hair and dirt can get stuck in the cross bars.
Because they are made of metal, these pet cages will rust over time.
This is a heavy type of crate, so while they do fold up, they can be hard to move just because of their weight.
The dog’s nails on the plastic tray tend to make a lot of noise.
Some metal dog crates can be easy to escape from because of the door closures.