what is a good size crate?

Hello this is my first real post
I am wondering what size crate i should be looking for
we are getting a puppy on xmas eve and she will be 9 weeks old
We plan on taking her camping with us etc.. so we want to crate her from the start.
i have a small crate/carrier.. but will this be ok for now?.. what size will she need as a fully grown puppy.. and when will she reach full size?
thanks
mel

iv got an ex large crate which is for staffys ebt labbys ect
and a pet carrier might be lucky if you get a couple of weeks out of it as they grow so quick
most new crates have got a couple of clips which allow them to be put flat in a couple of seconds so will be esey to take with you when you go away

I go camping with my Bull Terrier & we take a soft, portable crate with us as it's so easy to put up/take down & pack away.

You'll find your pet carrier won't last very long at all - they grow so quickly. Also, if the pup gets too used to that it may be more difficult to get it used to a bigger one.

If you can, I'd buy on line - most of the sites will give you a recommendation as to which size to get for which breed. It'll seem too big to start but your pup will soon love it. When we brought Dempsey home he seemed lost in his crate so we took the top off our pet carrier & put it inside the crate as a 'bed within a bed' if you see what I mean.

As to when she'll be fully grown, she'll probably reach her fyull height at around 12 months and her full width by around 2 years.

Thank you
I have seen those on ebay etc.. they look very "cold" in the winter tho
i guess we would be able to throw a blanket over it and keep her warm inside.
they look easy to clean so that is a bonus
thanks
Mel

thats what you do throw a sheet/blanket over the top but i dont think you will have many probs in oz as your winter better than our summer lol

I keep a blanket (well, actually, at the moment it's a thick curtain as I'm washing the blanket!) completely around 3 sides of Dempsey's crate at all times. That way he feels cosy & secure & he can't be poked or stared at from all 4 sides!!

bigwazza wrote:thats what you do throw a sheet/blanket over the top but i dont think you will have many probs in oz as your winter better than our summer lol

Oh, that is SO true! I'm sitting here watching the snow fall & freezing my............well, you know!

I have seen those soft ones... i was worried she would chew it to bits.
her own little tent lol
How do u find camping with your dog?
I am having issues getting parks to take us in the school holidays which is a pain in the butt...
Although the gov are starting to relax on the dog laws and allowing us on the beaches before 8am...

If it makes you feel any better... we are in for our wettest summer in 11-15 years
not a great thought... we are only reaching low 20's and usually by now we are in the high 20's to 30's....
If i miss out on summer I will be a cranky pants.

thanks for the crate into guys.. big help.

when do you think it is safe to buy a 'soft" chewable one lol

Well, we took Dempsey to the Yorkshire Dales last summer (seems SO long ago) and all the camp sites accepted dogs as long as they were always on lead & exercised off site. The only problem we had was other dogs! Dempsey is a very dominant dog & won't take ant nonsense from others, and some of the people on the site were letting their dogs roam around.

Don't worry about her chewing it to pieces as it won't be her 'permanent' crate so she really won't be in it that often. Also, by the time you first take her she'll be used to her normal crate & will probably just accept the soft one without a problem. I take Dempsey to work with me & the crate I use for holidays is also used for work - he lays in it with the flap open & sleeps most of the morning!

never lol she will take it to bits if used more than a couple of days

It all sounds great in theory LOL
I was wondering about the other dog owners in the parks.. not everyone would be as responsible as we would be.
I am also worried about that when she is off leash at the beach.. I guess time will tell.

bigwazza wrote:never lol she will take it to bits if used more than a couple of days

If she's used to sleeping in a crate, I doubt she'd cause too much damage (hopefully!).

Mel Skora wrote:It all sounds great in theory LOL
I was wondering about the other dog owners in the parks.. not everyone would be as responsible as we would be.
I am also worried about that when she is off leash at the beach.. I guess time will tell.

Unfortunately you can never account for what other people will do with their dogs - just be responsible with your own & take the rest as it comes!

As far as being off leash is concerned - training, training, training! Make sure you train her to come when called & to stay & leave when told and you should be ok.

Don't no about use but my crate a can fit in it easy takes up my hall a fair bit but its her den

Yeh, I can get into Dempsey's as well - and very cosy it is too!!

YE I CAN GET THE WIFE AND KIDS IN MEMPHISES WHEN THEY GET ON MY NERVES LOL

I suppose you lock the door as well?

A would

yee padlock and shoot bolt

and seany boy you would lock my wife and kids in a cage

Mel Skora wrote:Hello this is my first real post
I am wondering what size crate i should be looking for
we are getting a puppy on xmas eve and she will be 9 weeks old
We plan on taking her camping with us etc.. so we want to crate her from the start.
i have a small crate/carrier.. but will this be ok for now?.. what size will she need as a fully grown puppy.. and when will she reach full size?
thanks
mel

I just got two xxlarge crates for my two pups and two adults but i also got dividers which can come with the crate to make is smaller for pups (they wont soil) and seperate adults from fights/ you should get one where your dog can lay down comfortable stand up and turn around so i would get a cage that would fit her adult size so it'll last there are loads of great deals on ebay where i got my two xxlarge ones for £72. just make sure there are toys in there with them and only a comfy sleeping area.

Thanks for all your help. I will be looking on Ebay today
they are about $75 AUD... which i guess is around F150 in your $$
double the price but she is worth it

Ok i will post a pic of her when I work it all out lol

1st time my mrs gets init again am locking her in to et some peace lol

seany boy wrote:1st time my mrs gets init again am locking her in to et some peace lol

lmfao

EVIL men lol

I was wondering what size crate aswell. Lola is a very leggy staffie and stretched out she can fit into her extra large plastic dog bed. Just measured her and in length she is 26 inches roughly and 18 inches high. I am just toying with large or extra large.

I haven't ever crate trained but someone here will help although I heard on here that getting the larger one would be better and then you can block off sections and open them as Lola grows

Mine's 27" high, 43" long & 32" wide, but then Dempsey's an EBT, so he's bigger than a staff. Most seem to be about 27" high.

This is the one Jasmine has now http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DH48-GALVANISED-DOG-CAGE-3-DOOR-UP-OVER-DIVIDER-2BOWLS-/230572488012?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Dogs&hash=item35af30f54c she started of with a smaller one which lasted a couple of months but she loves her new one. I did put a nice big bed in it for her but she decided to rip a hole in it and pull out the stuffing so now she just has blankets.

If I could turn back time & start again, I would not have bothered with the smaller one and just gone straight with the huge one and put the divider in.

Here she is trying it out:

She looks very very cute in there xx