What size dog crate does my dog need?+
Measure your dog standing, nose tip to tail base, and add 5 to 10 cm for the crate length; then floor to the top of the head or ears plus 5 to 10 cm for the height. The dog must be able to stand, turn around and lie flat. Roughly: 76 cm for a cavoodle or French bulldog, 91 cm for a staffy, 91 to 107 cm for a border collie or kelpie, 107 cm for a labrador and 122 cm for a greyhound or German shepherd.
Should I buy a puppy the crate it will need as an adult?+
Yes, as long as it comes with a divider. Buy the adult size for the breed, set the divider so the puppy can stand, turn and lie down but cannot wee in one end and sleep in the other, and move it back every few weeks. Buying two or three crates as the pup grows costs more and the dog never settles into one den.
How long can a dog stay in a crate?+
Short periods only. The RSPCA describes a crate as a place a dog chooses to rest, not a place to leave it while you work. A few hours for an adult that has been walked and toileted is the sensible ceiling, and a young puppy needs a break roughly every hour it is awake. If you are out all day, a fenced yard, a dog walker or a playpen with the crate inside it is the better setup.
Is a wire or plastic crate better in the Australian summer?+
Wire, by a long way, for a crate that lives in the house. It is open on every side, so air moves through it and the dog stays close to room temperature. A plastic kennel holds heat and only makes sense for flying, or for a small dog that likes a dark den in a cool room. Whatever the type, keep it out of the sun and never leave a dog crated in a parked car.
Can I use one of these crates for a domestic flight?+
Only the plastic airline kennel. Australian airlines and their pet transport partners require a rigid IATA-compliant container with a secure door, ventilation on several sides and room for the dog to stand and turn, which rules out every wire, soft and furniture crate here. Check the airline's size table before you buy, because a kennel that fits the dog can still be too large for a particular aircraft.
Which crate suits an apartment or a rental?+
A folding wire crate is the easiest to live with: it collapses flat when friends come over or when you move, and it leaves no marks on a rented floor if you sit it on a rug or a mat. If the crate will stay out permanently in a small living room, a furniture-style crate earns its space as a side table. Skip heavy-duty steel unless you have a dog that has already broken out of wire.
Do I need a heavy-duty crate?+
Only if a wire crate has already failed. Most dogs never test the walls, and for them heavy-duty steel is weight and money for nothing. Dogs that bend bars, chew latches or hurt themselves trying to get out need the tube-steel type, and they usually also need help from a trainer or a vet, because that kind of panic is separation anxiety rather than stubbornness.
