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What sized Crate does a Lab-retreiver need?

2K views 16 replies 5 participants last post by  sassymomma 
#1 ·
I was thinking I'd Crate train Shamas in the portable kennel that we have, but he doesn't like it. I believe that a number of factors play into that:

We have had the kennel itself since babysitting my dad's dogs, and he told us to keep it-so it smells of everything BUT shamas

It's dark inside

The cats used it for 6 months before we got Shamas(had not planned on a dog until hubby switched shifts so it was merely another toy to them)


I feel like a Wire crate would be better for Shamas, as it would be bright and airy, but give him his own space. I could kee the cats out from the start, and if he needs walls, use a blanket. But there doesn't seem to be a size betweeen 36inch, and 42? Am I missing something, or just int he wrong store? 36 looks a tad tight...ok for travelling, but not as a kennel. 42 is huge, half the size of our couch lol. He'd definitely not grow out of it lol. something in between would be perfect...
 
#2 ·
Scrub it in the tub, or use a handheld spray.

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2 x 2 x 3, nominally - it's actually abt 26 x 27 Hi x 36 long.

Actually, shipping crates [which is what this one sounds like] are better than wire AKA show crates, for a number of reasons.

- they're the gold standard for pet transport:
crush-proof, won't collapse, etc, vs wire crates, which collapse, fold & trap the occupant, skewer the occupant or anyone in the car [every wire is a potential kebab], rupture & eject the occupant, etc.

- they provide privacy & security.
Dogs go under coffee-tables & lie behind sofas not b/c those places are "airy & bright", but b/c they're den-like, hidden, & the dog is not visible. / The windows or slots in the top half provide plenty of ventilation, but the closed BOTTOM HALF lets the dog lie down & be hidden, except from the direct-to-the-door POV. That fully-enclosed bottom half also protects the dog from floor-level drafts, just like a bolster on a dog-bed.

- show-crates pin the dog down in the open.
They're INTENDED to make a dog visible from all angles, to any passerby; that's their function. :eek:


I'd give it a good scrub, wipe it down with OdorGone, & spritz it with DAP pump-spray - or just lay his own bedding / used towel / mat in it. It'll smell like him, soon enuf! ;)

- terry

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#3 ·
the one we have is a Canvas one. Portabe Pet Home is embroidered on it, and it folds flat into a big canvas bag when not in use. Youre right, it won't collapse on him, as it goes up like a tent, with zippers on each end providing the support structure, which is a wire frame within the canvas. It has a door, dark mesh, that zips closed or rolls open.

I'ts this one, in green...about 40 inches I think, because it's about 3/4 the size of the loveseat
https://www.amazon.ca/Petmate-25288-Portable-Medium-Grounds/dp/B002MA7USG/ref=sr_1_1/140-9295411-9035831?ie=UTF8&qid=1514991457&sr=8-1&keywords=portable+pet+home
 
#4 ·
umm.

the one we have is a Canvas one.
...
.

That won't take the place of an airline-approved shipping crate. :eek:
He can rip right thru it at home, at his leisure, & it's not safe for transport.

the original purpose of shipping crates / airline kennels was to safely confine & transport pets - & they still do that.
That's what they were designed for, & they remain the gold standard for pet travel - in a car, on a plane, or anywhere else. AND they're virtually escape-proof.
[Wire AKA show crates are not.]

- terry

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#5 ·
When you say Shipping crate, are you referring to what I would think of as a large Carrier? Like what I have for my cats? Solid plastic, with a grate for air, and metal door? I use a puppy sized one for my cats, because my Matt is 16lbs lol.
 
#6 ·
Photo

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like this...

http://www.dogforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=221889&stc=1&d=1514999067

I actually prefer the ones with slots molded into the upper sidewalls, vs mesh screen inserts, which can rust.

they're not pretty, but they're very functional. :) My 2 x 2 x 3 was my bedside nightstand for years on end, as it housed either my dog, or whichever visitor was being housetrained / getting intensive B-mod / whatever.
My lamp, current book, the leash, & so on, were on the roof, within easy reach, & if a dog was anxious in a new setting, they were literally within arm's reach & could hear me breathing as i slept, which helps reassure them.

They last for decades, are easy to sanitize in case of diarrhea / contagious illness, & protect dogs in transit.
Just be sure it's an airline-approved model - lookalikes aren't tested to the same degree, & might crush or rupture in an impact. A few dollars more to ensure the dog is safe is money well-spent, IMO.
Airline-approved crates are tested & rated for burst strength - so many pounds of pressure per square inch, B4 failure.

PetMate 'VariKennel', LiveBest, Navigator, or KennelAir, there are many well-established brands of reliable quality.
Dimensions & 'airline approved' are typically stamped in raised characters above the door opening, molded in - they are not stenciled & won't rub off. Thus U can see if it's airline-approved even when U buy used crates. ;)

- terry

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#8 ·
proper fit for safety in transit: least space vs most comfort


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they can stand up - they cannot stand fully erect, with head up & neck extended.
The reason for that is that in any impact, U want LIMITED space for their bodies to accelerate. A bigger crate = "hitting harder" when all that momentum is suddenly halted by an immovable object, like the roof or sidewall.

Remember the conservation of momentum, & inertia - everything in the car is traveling at the same speed as the vehicle.

https://education.ufl.edu/gjones/files/2013/04/teachers_guidePhysics.pdf

U don't want the dog rattling around like the last peanut in the jar - U want them safely confined in limited space, with a solid impact-resistant shell to protect their bones & organs.
The U-turn test is the simplest way to determine the least-size plus the most comfort possible for safety. :)

Friends of mine returning from a major show in Alexandria, VA, many years ago now, were on the interstate when they were hit from behind by a drunk driver. He propelled their vehicle violently into a grassy median at speed, where it rolled over 3X B4 coming to rest a few feet from the shoulder of oncoming 65-MPH traffic.
All 3 of their English Springers were crated separately in shipping crates, in the mid-body, & all 3 were ejected when the van door failed, & they were flung from the tumbling car.
Her husband, who was driving, had his head slammed against the side window / roof; he had a concussion & whiplash injury, & stayed overnight in the hospital. She was in the front passenger seat, & aside from a few bruises, was fine - incredibly.
Their van was totaled. // The dogs were all taken to a nearby vet for observation, in case of internal injuries - to watch for blood in urine, respiratory issues, etc. All 3 dogs were released the next day; she spent the night sitting by hubby's bed, sleeping in a chair.
Dog-show buddies nearby picked up the dogs from the vet, then that evening, when hubby was discharged wearing an oh-so-fashionable neck brace, they played host to my friends for the next 2 or 3 days as they recovered from the scare, thanking their stars for a very, very close call, & then drove home in a rental - on side roads, all the way to central-PA, doing 35 to 40-mph all the way.

If it hadn't been for crates & seatbelts, plus a van designed to absorb & decelerate impact, all of them - dogs & humans - could have died at the scene.

As a healthcare pro, i've seen the aftereffects of auto-accidents, even single car low-speed ones, far too often.
I take safety seriously - & even the very best k9-seatbelt doesn't offer the same degree of protection as an airline crate.
For myself, i'm more-likely to ride around stark nekkid than i am to ride without a seatbelt - i've been in 9 car-accidents in my 50-plus years, & was seriously injured in just ONE. The other 8 i walked away from, with bruises or wrenched muscles, but no broken bones & no stitches.
I love seatbelts. :huddle:
[For the record, i was the driver in only one of those 9, & the damage to 2 vehicles was under $300 total, per the cop we called to the scene. It was at a 5-way intersection with no traffic light, in New Jersey, at very low speeds. // The other driver bilked State Farm of $1,200 for damage to the OTHER SIDE of her 10-YO junker, after our insurance agent failed to respond to my multiple messages - yes, fraud exists. :headshake: ]

- terry

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#9 ·
Honestly if you're not transporting your dog with your crate, and it is just a space for him to call his own at home, it doesn't really matter what size it is, and I always err on the size of too big for a house-broken dog.

I have a pretty large variety of crates, wire ones, canvas ones, and basically a large cat carrier that we used for Heidi as a puppy, and they're all just a little too big for my dogs. Actually my canvas crates are 42", which is HUGE for my 19" BC, but she likes it.

My dogs also prefer the dark "den-like" crates. If all three crates were in a room, their preference would be:

1. Canvas crate (dark green, black mesh panels)
2. Wire crate with black blanket over top.
3. Wire crate, open to environment.
 
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#11 · (Edited)
My purpose for crate training is the denning instinct. I believe that every dog should have a safe, secure place to call their own. I also believe that at least once in the animal's life the vet is going to say "keep him quiet, don't let him jump around" Perhaps he will come home medicated, and the crate is the safest place to let him sleep it off.

We don't travel outside of the city, and I use the seatbelt attached to the Traffic handle on Shamas' harness to keep him in place in the van. We braked once, and he fell from the seat, and skidded across the van...that was the end of free-roaming Shamas. I think if I get a travel crate, I'll probably use it in the van, I just dont have one yet
 
#15 ·
Well, it looks like shamas will be crate trained with the intention of leaving him home in the crate. we've been leaving him in our bedroom, but i noticed today he's damaging the door. It looks like he's trying to dig out under the door when we leave him alone.

That being the case, shipping crate will be my choice for training, because I'd be afraid he'd try and chew his way out of a wire one.

I'm going to give my dad a quick call, see if he has one- when he rscued his setter the poor boy was believed to have lived only in a crate for 2 years, and was not secure unless he was denned up. I'd like to see if I can get one free before I drop a hundred on a new one
 
#16 ·
some leads

...
I'd like to see if I can get one [for] free, before I drop a hundred on a new one.
.

FreeCycle -
https://www.freecycle.org/

Join & look for local towns / cities, then search for "shipping crate". :)

a sample of Mass. ads on CraigsList, selling used crates:
QUOTE,
Dec 28
NEW!! 42 inch DOG CRATE CAGE KENNEL -- $80 (prv > Providence) pic map

Dec 24
DOG CRATE, CAGE,SKY KENNEL $85 (prv > Blackstone) pic map hide this posting

Dec 24
DOG CRATE, CAGE, VARI KENNEL MEDIUM SIZE $25 (prv > Blackstone) pic map

Jan 4
CRATE FOR THE CHRISTMAS PUPPY - Reduced price (prv > Cranston) map

Dec 12
LARGE Dog Crate w/ Divider for puppy to adult growth (prv > Providence) pic map

Dec 27
Large Crate (prv > Riverside) map

Dec 7
BRAND NEW 36 inch Heavy Duty Dog Crate Cage Kennel $150 (prv > Providence) pic map




Hard-sided travel crates listed on eBay -
http://tinyurl.com/ybk8k9le

NOTE that those may or may not be airline approved designs.

I'd put a "wanted" notice on the local CraigsList & all the nearby FREEcycle sites - ya never know. ;)

- terry

.
 
#17 ·
thanks, I'll check it out. Kijiji has some, averaging 80-120...but if i'm going to spend that much, i'll spend it new, and get the Plastic crate Petsmart has for 120. the reviews are indicating it's sturdy, and I dont need to travel with him.

I called my dad, and he has Chloe's crate still. Only thing is, I
it'll be a tight fit. He says Chloe grew out of hers about 55lbs, and that's about what Shamas is. Although, shes got the Retreiver Barrel thing going on, and Shamas is skinny and rolls himself up into a ball to sleep. He fits on our laps, for all of his standing height. I'll judge it when I see it. I'm going to guess it's the 36inch size. that's the one I looked at and thought he might go in but it wouldnt give him much room. and the 42 was huge. Too bad there's not an in-between size....
 
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