Learn the right dog crate style and size to buy? | Veterinarian explains!

So, all 5 of my dogs are crate trained and I am a huge believer in crate training and the usage of routine crate and kennel training throughout the day. You can see my dogs on my instagram: LindsaybutzerDVM!

MY instagram:   / lindsaybutzerdvm  

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So lets talk about what type of crate to buy? I personally love the
simple metal wire dog crates sold at any pet store. These wire
crates come in about 5 sizes, one for Toy breeds, small dogs,
medium size dogs, large dogs and XL large dogs.

What I love about metal dog crates is that they are durable and the dog can see through them and still feel apart of the room. They are also collapsible which is really nice for traveling with them. What I don’t like about them is that if you have a super strong dog, that has anxiety the really can bend the metal bars and cause damage to the crate. But that’s an extreme case and most of my metal crates hold up great with my crazy dogs.

The other type of crate style is an enclosed or dome crate. These come in many different brands also but typically looks like this. These crates still have adequate airflow but not as much peripheral vision. This is a very sturdy crate and harder to destroy than the metal wire crate. It doesn’t collapse like the metal wire one, but it is easy to clean out with a hose if needed.

The third type of crate is a fancier furniture type of crate. I really only recommend buying these when your dog is less destructive at 2 years old so they don’t chew and break this more expensive crate. But I have 3 furniture crates also and my dogs love them.

If you are working hard on potty training your puppy, you will want a crate where they don’t have too much extra room so that they can’t go poop or pee in the crate and move to another area of it to sleep comfortably. You want to train them not to go in their living area. For this you will need a crate where they can easily stand up and turn around and where they have about 6 inches above below and in front of them of wiggle room.

You can use a measuring tool before you go shoping and measure your puppy so you can accurately choose the right size crate.

For your adult dogs the same rule applies. If you notice them hunching over when theyre in there crate, or having to navigate slowly around to turn around to curl up in a ball to sleep, they don’t have enough room and you need a bigger crate.

Being in a small crate is also bad for their health. It causes early onset arthritis and even circulatory problems. So having a bigger crate than a smaller one is always ok in my opionion.

For older dogs that are potty trained you can be very liberal with the crate space you want to give them. This way you can put bigger mattress pads and dog beds inside their crate for them to make sure they’re comfortable.

In my house we built Kennels or runs that are huge. All my dogs are 3 years and older and we already did our potty training, but I keep them in their runs when Im at work or have to leave the house so I know there safe.

And I highly recommend this for all pet owners. No matter how good your dog is, they can always get into something while you’re gone or not supervising them.

Alright guys, I hope this video helped you pick out the right crate, see you next time! Please leave a comment below if you use crate training with your dogs!