Suggestions for a soft or "camper" style dog crate?

forwardxmo

In the past, my dog and I have always travelled with my boyfriend's hatchback which fits my dog's wire and transport crates. Unfortunately, it looks like I'm heading to a dog show without him at the end of March. I can't switch cars with him because mine's a stick and he never learned how to drive one (and I'm not going to teach him on my old car, it's on it's last wheel as is...).

So I'm looking into a soft sided crate (the kind you usually use for camping). I can't just fold up his wire crate... it still doesn't fit in my car (and I'm not sure how we'd cram poor Odie in there too...).

It seems like there's a lot out there, so I was hoping for some suggestions. I know you get what you pay for, so I don't just want to go for the cheapest thing I can find, but with the internet it seems like there are just SO many. Anyone have any experience with one that they'd recommend? Everyone I know here seems to have giant SUVs that fit their crates so they never looked into it.

Thanks.
Yah... he always has a pillow bottom in his wire crate. Not what i was asking about!

Answer
I like the Noz2Noz crates. I found the best prices on line but it's been a long time and I cannot remember where (I will probably think of it later... if I do, I'll add it). Make sure your dog is perfect about being crated! A soft crate will not contain a dog who would rather not be contained!

If anyone from your area is going to the same show you are, perhaps they could haul your crate along... that way, you would not need to buy another. Also, soft sided crates don't necessarily take up that much less room than a wire crate, they are just lighter. Make sure it will fit before you buy one!

Soft Dog Crate that Exceeds 33in in Height?

Maria N

Hi, I have an English Mastiff and his current crate which is 33in is starting to be too small for him. His head rubs and his back rubs. Id prefer the cloth instead of wire because its lighter for me to carry and more portable. Can anyone help me find a portable/soft crate that is around 33-54in in height?

Answer
You mentioned that your dog's crate was starting to get too small so I am assuming he is not fully grown. The largest soft-sided dog crate I have seen was 36" inches tall. The tallest wire crate is also 36". May I suggest a soft sided dog exercise pen which is lightweight and portable at 48" tall. Good luck in your search.

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How to you keep your dogs warm inside crates?

dog crates soft image

AnimatedPe

Other than placing a blanket over the crate, what are other options to create a cozier crate for the pup? The crate should be ventilated and not stuffy.
Thanks for all your advice. I guess I'm worried about chewing, and want to prevent any destruction as well as dangerous ingestion of flannel/cotton/spongebob.

Answer
I placed soft fleece blankets in my dog's crate. They also have two pillows, which are optional. You can get bumpers for the walls of the crate so that when the pup leans on the walls it's comfy, I wouldn't advise these for a chewer though. I cover their crate in the evening as well. I do not cover it during the day, but when they were puppies I covered 3 sides during the day and left the front uncovered. This seemed to keep them calm. They love their crate and have gotten so used to it, that often times I find them napping in their crate when they want to get away from everything.

To keep ventilation you can make a crate cover out of a thin sheet like material, this will keep the crate airy. I wouldn't use a heavy material, expecially if your home is warm. My dogs always end up burrowing. As soon as they get in their cage, they curl up under their blankets by themselves. So perhaps you could try leaving one side uncovered.

How to figure out the proper size of a crate for my dog?

Trixies Ma

I have a new 7 year old Miniature Pinscher/Chihuahua mix. He is quite fat though, at 16lbs. I do have him on a diet though.
I've decided that due to certain behavioral issues he's having, that he needs to have a crate to be put in.

I've read that a crate shouldn't be too big, or be a metal wire crate. I already have a metal wire crate, and it might be a tad too big (if that can be an issue). Would it be ok to just use this crate (with something soft on the bottom, of course)? Or should I get a different kind and size?

Answer
You need a good size crate, you do not want the dog to get his legs cramped at all.

Not being able to lay down, turn around in the crate is not good at all for him..

People make the mistake of getting a crate only large enough for the dog to stand and hardly turn around.

You can crate train a dog much better if the crate is large, much larger than the dog.

A dog will not want to sleep or lay where it has used the bathroom.

Get some pee pads, put in one area of the crate, this teaches the dog he is to go on the pad only, and slowly reduce the size of the pee pads and he will be crate trained.

Same as having the dog out in the house now to train, you put down the pads, and slowly, and little by little you reduce the size of the pads, then the dog will not be going out in the house any longer, and will be house trained.

This is the way, I always trained all my puppies and it worked like a charm.

Please do not get a crate that is too small for the dog to have room to lay, sit and turn around in, and you need to get an all wire crate. They are the best, the dog gets air from the sides and top as well.

I bought mine from Pets Mart, they have some really good ones, you do not want to buy a carrier, where the front door is the only wire area, the dog is closed up on all sides, even though they have air holes, the open all wire ones, are much better. The dog will be happier, to be able to see out all around them.

Good luck.

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How warm should a dog sleep in?

dog crates soft image

Joe

I have a 6 month maltese and I heard that they need to be in warm weather because they have no undercoat. I put him in a crate with a soft bed that he lays in. I usually set the thermostat on AC at 72 degrees. Is this warm enough for the dog to sleep? It gets pretty cold at night downstairs.
or should i put him in the garage with the garage door open slightly for air to get in. It usually is 80 degrees in there.
I can't set the thermostat to anything higher because it will get too hot upstairs where i sleep. I can't control how many degree it is upstairs or downstairs as it is programmed to have it works the same time for the whole house.

Answer
I'm sure the dog will be fine at 72 degrees. If he seems cold, just get him a little doggy sweater for the night time and colder weather. He should be perfectly fine :) If you're extremely worried about it, try asking your vet what he or she thinks. There are also Maltese Forums you can read. I will link one below.
http://spoiledmaltese.com/forum/59-everything-else-maltese-related/108838-how-cold-too-cold-maltese.html

Congrats on your puppy (:

How to you keep your dogs warm inside crates?

AnimatedPe

Other than placing a blanket over the crate, what are other options to create a cozier crate for the pup? The crate should be ventilated and not stuffy.
Thanks for all your advice. I guess I'm worried about chewing, and want to prevent any destruction as well as dangerous ingestion of flannel/cotton/spongebob.

Answer
I placed soft fleece blankets in my dog's crate. They also have two pillows, which are optional. You can get bumpers for the walls of the crate so that when the pup leans on the walls it's comfy, I wouldn't advise these for a chewer though. I cover their crate in the evening as well. I do not cover it during the day, but when they were puppies I covered 3 sides during the day and left the front uncovered. This seemed to keep them calm. They love their crate and have gotten so used to it, that often times I find them napping in their crate when they want to get away from everything.

To keep ventilation you can make a crate cover out of a thin sheet like material, this will keep the crate airy. I wouldn't use a heavy material, expecially if your home is warm. My dogs always end up burrowing. As soon as they get in their cage, they curl up under their blankets by themselves. So perhaps you could try leaving one side uncovered.

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How to you keep your dogs warm inside crates?

dog crates soft image

AnimatedPe

Other than placing a blanket over the crate, what are other options to create a cozier crate for the pup? The crate should be ventilated and not stuffy.
Thanks for all your advice. I guess I'm worried about chewing, and want to prevent any destruction as well as dangerous ingestion of flannel/cotton/spongebob.

Answer
I placed soft fleece blankets in my dog's crate. They also have two pillows, which are optional. You can get bumpers for the walls of the crate so that when the pup leans on the walls it's comfy, I wouldn't advise these for a chewer though. I cover their crate in the evening as well. I do not cover it during the day, but when they were puppies I covered 3 sides during the day and left the front uncovered. This seemed to keep them calm. They love their crate and have gotten so used to it, that often times I find them napping in their crate when they want to get away from everything.

To keep ventilation you can make a crate cover out of a thin sheet like material, this will keep the crate airy. I wouldn't use a heavy material, expecially if your home is warm. My dogs always end up burrowing. As soon as they get in their cage, they curl up under their blankets by themselves. So perhaps you could try leaving one side uncovered.

How to figure out the proper size of a crate for my dog?

Trixies Ma

I have a new 7 year old Miniature Pinscher/Chihuahua mix. He is quite fat though, at 16lbs. I do have him on a diet though.
I've decided that due to certain behavioral issues he's having, that he needs to have a crate to be put in.

I've read that a crate shouldn't be too big, or be a metal wire crate. I already have a metal wire crate, and it might be a tad too big (if that can be an issue). Would it be ok to just use this crate (with something soft on the bottom, of course)? Or should I get a different kind and size?

Answer
You need a good size crate, you do not want the dog to get his legs cramped at all.

Not being able to lay down, turn around in the crate is not good at all for him..

People make the mistake of getting a crate only large enough for the dog to stand and hardly turn around.

You can crate train a dog much better if the crate is large, much larger than the dog.

A dog will not want to sleep or lay where it has used the bathroom.

Get some pee pads, put in one area of the crate, this teaches the dog he is to go on the pad only, and slowly reduce the size of the pee pads and he will be crate trained.

Same as having the dog out in the house now to train, you put down the pads, and slowly, and little by little you reduce the size of the pads, then the dog will not be going out in the house any longer, and will be house trained.

This is the way, I always trained all my puppies and it worked like a charm.

Please do not get a crate that is too small for the dog to have room to lay, sit and turn around in, and you need to get an all wire crate. They are the best, the dog gets air from the sides and top as well.

I bought mine from Pets Mart, they have some really good ones, you do not want to buy a carrier, where the front door is the only wire area, the dog is closed up on all sides, even though they have air holes, the open all wire ones, are much better. The dog will be happier, to be able to see out all around them.

Good luck.

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How long can my dog use a crate?

dog crates soft image

Isaac

So, I'm getting a puppy fairly soon - and have one main question.

I'm fifteen - and until some time when I was thirteen (mid year) when I moved in with my dad, I had dogs all my life.

I've had two dogs - a Cocker Spaniel crossed with a Lhasa Apso - which was always old in my life. She was generally a calm, kind dog - but occasionally would bite - and my first dog bite was actually from her - on my face.

My second dog was a Jack Russell/Parsons Russell. She was a lot better than my first - as I was old enough to help train her. My mum was pretty bad at training dogs, despite having had dogs for over half of her life. However, after I moved out, my mum ended up having to give her to her recluse ex boyfriend - just so she wouldn't be around people as her behaviour worsened after I left.


Anyway, I'm planning on getting another Jack - though I would like a Jack crossed with a Staffy, or a similar Jack cross. I've been reading a lot on dog behaviour, training and psychology. I've got to work for three months at any job I like, before my dad will let me get a dog - which I'm fine with.

I'm pretty confident about everything - and save for the dog itself, I've found everything I will need for the dog - and should be able to afford it from some of the money I earn from my job (my dad's willing to pay most of the money for the puppy, up to a point.) So, I've come to look for a crate. Obviously, I need a small crate for while the dog is a puppy - so I can properly house train it. However, as I'm at school for six hours (and throw in another hour for coming home) I was considering using a larger crate for part of the day when I'm away - my dad is willing to take her out a bit, but I think that if she learns to like the crate, there shouldn't be much of a problem.

However, I was just wondering if anyone who actually knows what their talking about has any ideas or tips to put toward this. Obviously, Dogs in the wild would have dens - and that's why its fairly easy, when done properly, to have a dog love its crate as its own personal space. But most people do give their dogs free roam of the house after a while - and I was wondering if perhaps having the crate long term for the dog (until I move out - as I have a job with my older brother in his web design company - which I can do from home - lined up when I'm sixteen) would be a good or a bad idea.

Thanks in advance - anything else, ask it in an answer - and check back soon.

In regards to the crate sizes, while its a puppy I would likely use a standard size travel crate - the kind you can carry around with you and that puppies would be in when being brought to the house commonly. Obviously, the dog is going to be a Jack - so it should be fairly small. The second crate I would get would be one that would go underneath my desk - which is roughly 40 wide x 24 deep x 27 inches high. I feel like that would be a fairly large crate for a Jack Russell - and wouldn't be used until the dog was house trained.
@Ronaldo

Sorry, but your answer was absolutely hilarious to read. Many dog behaviourists believe that having a crate for a dog is incredibly important. Obviously, in house training, it is a massive factor. Dog's sleep when in a crate, usually - they commonly sleep when their owner is away - or when their owner is sleeping. Sleeping in a cosy area that you associate as your own personal space is actually very comforting. Frankly, if you have had experience where having a crate is cruel, you've been doing it wrong. My last dog was introduced to a crate later in life - and took to it incredibly happily. She liked to sit in it, with the door open, when she wasn't on a walk or playing - and I never had to force her into it. That was a Jack cross Parsons - who was larger and more hyperactive than your average Terrier.
In regards to the dogs exercise, which I think I should have mentioned before due to the nature of the question, I'm planning on taking him/her on my jogs.

I jog for 30-45 minutes in the morning before school and then jog or walk for a while after school. I don't go out very often as my friends generally come over my house. This means that other than when I'm at school, I'll be with the dog - who will be out of the crate when I'm at home. In the next year or so, I'll be doing part time college - which obviously is a lot less time consuming that school - and working from home - so its not going to be long term. Its simply the fact that if a dog can benefit from having a crate later on also, as my previous dog seemed to, then I want to know how to conduct that properly.

Answer
You can do a couple of things. 1. Get a crate that adjusts to the growth of your puppy. 2. Get a soft crate that can fold. Click on the link below it has a review of crates and shows crates that adjust to a dog as they grow and soft crates that would be great for a travel crate. Best wishes.

How warm should a dog sleep in?

Joe

I have a 6 month maltese and I heard that they need to be in warm weather because they have no undercoat. I put him in a crate with a soft bed that he lays in. I usually set the thermostat on AC at 72 degrees. Is this warm enough for the dog to sleep? It gets pretty cold at night downstairs.
or should i put him in the garage with the garage door open slightly for air to get in. It usually is 80 degrees in there.
I can't set the thermostat to anything higher because it will get too hot upstairs where i sleep. I can't control how many degree it is upstairs or downstairs as it is programmed to have it works the same time for the whole house.

Answer
I'm sure the dog will be fine at 72 degrees. If he seems cold, just get him a little doggy sweater for the night time and colder weather. He should be perfectly fine :) If you're extremely worried about it, try asking your vet what he or she thinks. There are also Maltese Forums you can read. I will link one below.
http://spoiledmaltese.com/forum/59-everything-else-maltese-related/108838-how-cold-too-cold-maltese.html

Congrats on your puppy (:

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What is the best dog bed to keep your dog cool during hot weather?

dog crates soft image

bede3315

We live in Florida and it obviously gets hot here. What are some dog beds that keep cool? My dog loved the tiled floor in our old house. Is there a bed you would recommend??

Answer
I have long haired dogs and live in Southern California.

My house is air conditioned and we have tile BUT the dogs REALLY REALLY LOVE their Canine Cooler Pad made by Soothe Soft. My friends have tried the imitations and they are no where near as good.

I have found the best price on these pads on E bay.

I have them in my dogs crates and around the house, and they will always seek out their cool pads.

http://www.chillow.com/cc.html

I also take them with me to dog shows and to dog training if its even a little bit warm.

How do I keep my cat and dog from fighting?

Spadinskiz

Tomorrow I am moving and my cat and my dog have to be in the same car for 40 minutes, my dog is pretty big and my cat is tiny. I have a pet taxi but it bounces around so I don't want to put my cat in there, he might get hurt.
How do I keep them from eachother?

Answer
The pet taxi is your friend in this instance, as well as a dog crate for Fido. I say this because it's very unnerving to be a little thing crammed into a little box, with a BIGGER thing that wants to eat you prowling around outside and growling at you through the bars (if he's inclined to do that). Better two walls than one. Also, a crate would keep your dog safer, too.

Strap down both the pet taxi and the crate before taking off. Some pet carriers have places where you can fasten the seat belt around or through them, but I also suggest putting a soft towel into the pet taxi and a large blanket on the floor of the dog crate to protect them from being jostled around too much.

Some people give dramamine to their pets to avoid travel sickness. DON'T do this unless you know the right dosage, which your vet can tell you. The dramamine will make them drowsy and more inclined to sleep in their crates, which will reduce the chance of injury by a LOT.

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