# what size crate? Accessories?



## dmp (Jan 23, 2012)

Bringing home puppy; I want to ensure I have everything set. Can anyone suggest a size of crate for her? I'm not entirely sure how tall/big she'll be and I see a number of different sized crates. Same will collars and what-not - should I be shopping for 'small dog' sizes? Anyone know of a 'growth chart' I can use as reference something showing approximate/average size and weight per age?


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

PetSmart... Top Paw brand wire crate, LARGE size (42"/28"/30")
Comes with a divider which we never used. 

They have the economy version featuring thinner wires, but that one fell apart in the store


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## mollys mum (Feb 3, 2012)

I would be worth asking and friends and family who have dogs if they have an unused crate tucked away in the garage.
We borrowed a small one for the drive home and used it for the first couple of weeks. We've also been given both a medium and a large, the medium she is using now (16 weeks) but the large we're probably going to need in another month. The large one weighs an absolute ton!!

Dog crates seem to be a bit like baby gates, people store them after they've finished with them and are only too glad to give them away!

We've now got a baby gate that we don't need any more!


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## dmp (Jan 23, 2012)

Thanks all -

We have a large crate - would probably suffice when she's grown (Used it to house two 18lb cats for a long-distance move). 

I'm thinking I'll find a small plastic crate for the first couple weeks, then slowly migrate to larger, as she grows. Good advice, both of ya!


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## Vizsla Baby (Nov 4, 2011)

Don't buy a crate based on projected weight of 45-55 pounds. Vizsla's are so tall & gangly, it will be too short. Buy the next size up.


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## kristen (Oct 18, 2011)

Vizsla said:


> Don't buy a crate based on projected weight of 45-55 pounds. Vizsla's are so tall & gangly, it will be too short. Buy the next size up.


I agree! We did that, and found it too short for Odin by 7 months or so, and had to go back and buy the next size up.

Also different manufacturers sizes are different. We found a intermediate one that was just as tall as a large but not as wide, and it works perfect. (we live in a small house)


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

Totally agree with Mollys mum. A friend heard we were getting a puppy and offered us a huge crate for the house, which he uses in the kitchen (with the door open), and a small plastic crate for the car, which was great until 14weeks. I looked around pet stores etc for a crate for the car - which are very expensive in the UK, came home with one of the cheaper one £169 and couldn't bear it rattling in the car so measured it for size guide lines and found a much better one on Ebay for a fraction of the price £49.00 and it was delivered the next day.

I won't feel hard done by if he outgrows it as I will just resell it on ebay. It might be worth having a look on ebay - you never know you might pick up a bargain.


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## Darcy (Jan 30, 2012)

If you're in the UK we've found petplanet.co.uk and Amazon to be the cheapest places for crates (home and car).


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## dmp (Jan 23, 2012)

Thanks, mate - I'm not. I'm in the colonies.


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## Darcy (Jan 30, 2012)

dmp said:


> Thanks, mate - I'm not. I'm in the colonies.


God I wish I was!  Currently suffering from a gorgeous British spring, i.e. its raining so hard that every time I try and take the dog out he looks at me as if I'm insane!


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## dmp (Jan 23, 2012)

Ya know, friend, that's not unlike the part of the states I grew up-in. In/around Seattle, WA is weather like you mention.

Not just a spring-thing, either. 40F and Raining = Spring and Fall. Winter=33F and Rain. Summer = 70 and Rain. (sigh).

Am now in the mid-west; four REAL seasons is fun!


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

Buy one crate and use it for his/her whole life. The more consistaincy the better off you and the pup will be. As others stated, use the divider. There are many other posts on this topic. A search will yield more info.


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## dmp (Jan 23, 2012)

^^ Thanks - I think we're differing in definitions - what I wanted info on, specifically, was the size of dog carrier-type thing to use while we pick up the pup and establish the dog's residency; that sorta migrated to wire crates, etc. I didn't know what it meant by 'small' dog for things like carriers and collars and what not.


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

Usually bring the pup home in my lap. Then when we pull up to the house it goes directly to the pee spot until it pees. Once in the house introduced to the Den (which is a wire crate) with treats inside. That is what the pup will call home for the rest of his life. No need for another crate unless the Pup will be stowed in the hull of a plane.


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## Vizsla Baby (Nov 4, 2011)

Be very careful with wire crates. 

When my V was a puppy we put her in our older dogs crate to begin with (by herself of course) and she got her bottom jaw caught in the wire opening while she was in there.

Luckily we were home, otherwise she would have broken her jaw. She was really stuck. :'( 

We bought her a large plastic one the next day.


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

I don't doubt you, just never heard that before. Usually, if they get it stuck, they can get unstuck.  They will not break thier own jaw.......unless they are looking for a movie rol,l like the guy who cut his arm off.


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## Vizsla Baby (Nov 4, 2011)

My vet warned me that they can break their jaw by getting it stuck in another dogs collar too. 

What happens in the crate is they get hung up, panic & start thrashing around. Not worth the risk in my opinion when you can get a plastic crate instead of a wire one.

One more piece of advice about crates. Please - TAKE YOUR DOGS COLLAR OFF before putting them in a crate.

About 15 years ago, my bother had a beagle puppy who hung itself to death by its collar in its crate. Ever since them my dogs have gone in their crates au natural.


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

For all you plastic crate people....what can happen in a wire crate can certainly happen in a plastic one. : If you're that concerned hire a baby sitter.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

After reading all these posts - what size - material - do they come with electrified walls and tops - to put Ozkar in - LOL


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## Suliko (Sep 17, 2011)

We bought for our now two-year-old Sophie a large metal crate that she could stand up as an adult and used the partition to adjust it to her size as she was growing. Stopped using it before she hit 1 yr mark. For my little 4-mos old Pacsirta, I have a 30x21x24 hand-me-down metal crate and a slightly smaller plastic crate that she was in when shipped from overseas. Once she grows out of this smaller metal crate, I will put out Sophie's old metal crate. Pacsirta doesn't like the metal crate. She doesn't mind the plastic one when riding in the car at all. Sophie on the other hand loves to go into Pacsirta's crate and roll up in a perfect little circle and sleep there before bedtime. Go figure... :


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