What crates do you use for what purposes?

[DJEtzel]

I'm thinking about getting a soft-sided or larger airline crate... but I'm looking for more opinions. Looking for something not ridiculously priced, durable, that will contain my dogs for what I need, and be EASY to transport.

We're doing more events out of town or where the dogs need to be crated (Frag (90lb GSD) and Recon (40lb Border Collie)) such as flyball, agility, and herding, and I don't always have my car close enough to keep them in. Lugging around 2 36" wire crates is wearing on me; I'm 130 pounds of out of shape girl, fyi.

I really want to get two guardian gear medium & large soft-sided crates for them, however I have ZERO experience with these and the quality... If I leave them crated and I'm doing something else, such as working another dog... and a 95lb GSD starts to scratch at it (He scratches/paws at the crate lightly when he gets anxious to work) is it going to tear or rip? I know the fronts of these are mostly screen and nylon... If I zip it up all the way so that he can't see are your dogs less likely to whine/paw at the cage to get out? The last thing I need is either dog (Recon does the same pawing if he thinks we're going to play, work, etc) escaping while I'm running another dog.

Do you use airline crates for some sports/events and soft-sided crates for more calmer ones? (like dock diving, perhaps, or an out of the way area at agility/herding?) Should I just save the money and hassle and stick to wire and buy some crate covers?

The soft-sided crates have the plus that they are light AND compact, whereas the airline crates are a little lighter than wire, but take up a lot of room... the wire ones are a little heavy, but compact. They also rust, along with the airline crates...

Input needed... I can't decide.

[doggiedad]

i wouldn't use a soft sided crate for any form of transportation.
if my dog scratched at his crate i wouldn't use a soft sided crate.
a metal crate is detachable. if i found that a metal crate
is to heavy to carry when detached i would get a folding
dolly/hand truck to carry it.

[DJEtzel]

Originally Posted by doggiedad

i wouldn't use a soft sided crate for any form of transportation.
if my dog scratched at his crate i wouldn't use a soft sided crate.
a metal crate is detachable. if i found that a metal crate
is to heavy to carry when detached i would get a folding
dolly/hand truck to carry it.

I'm not using any for transportation, just crating at sites.

The thing is neither scratches repetitively, but I don't know if one scratch here and there will wear on it badly or if it'd hold up for a good few years.

eta; How is a metal crate detachable? I've never known that about them and I'm been using them and transporting them for years! :P

[1sttimeforgsd]

My personel preference is the airline crate, which like you mentioned take up more room unless you use the jiffy nuts to take them apart and store the bottom inside of the top. It just takes about 5 min to assemble.

[doggiedad]

the metal crates that i've used snap together. the crates
you use do you have to assemble them together?

Originally Posted by DJEtzel

I'm not using any for transportation, just crating at sites.

The thing is neither scratches repetitively, but I don't know if one scratch here and there will wear on it badly or if it'd hold up for a good few years.

eta;

>>>> How is a metal crate detachable?<<<< I've never known that about them and I'm been using them and transporting them for years! :P

[4TheDawgies]

I personally love folding wire crates. I can pile up a million of them in my van and be able to bring a lot of dogs. I like that if I need to bring something big I can fold them down and I have the room to fit it. The airline crates are more annoying when not being used in my van.

I find really cheap crates on e-bay. There's a small brand called BestPet and their wire crates are VERY affordable and heavy duty!

[elisabeth_00117]

I have tried the Vari-kennels, the soft sided crates, etc... but always keep going back to the wire metal crates.

I have 2 - 48" crates in the house, 2 - 36" crates in the car and a third under my bed. I also have a x-pen (48") that I use on occasion.

I feel like the wire crates are durable, can stand up to 2 dogs who are anxious to work, etc.. Zefra is my wild one when she knows it's her turn to work so she can dig and paw at the door and the only crate to stand up to her has been the metal ones.

They are a PITA to haul around but are so easy to use that I just keep going back to them.

[doggiedad]

wow, how big is your van?

Originally Posted by 4TheDawgies

>>>>> I personally love folding wire crates. I can pile up a million of them in my van and be able to bring a lot of dogs. <<<<<


I like that if I need to bring something big I can fold them down and I have the room to fit it. The airline crates are more annoying when not being used in my van.

I find really cheap crates on e-bay. There's a small brand called BestPet and their wire crates are VERY affordable and heavy duty!

[Cassidy's Mom]

At flyball practice and tournaments, and dock diving events I've noticed that most people use either the plastic airline crates or the folding wire crates - I'm one of the few that uses a folding soft crate. I don't know anything abut the Guardian Gear brand, I had to look them up, but they look very similar to the Noz 2 Noz that I have, except that they come in prettier colors!

IF you have a dog that might try and scratch their way out, soft crates are probably not a good choice, but I've never had a problem. I have an extra Vari-Kennel that I use for transporting Halo to events, but I leave it in the car. The soft crate slides easily behind the front seats in my little Audi A3 wagon. The nice thing about the soft crate is that I can carry it and walk Halo at the same time, and I can also set it up and break it down while still holding her on leash. With another kind of crate I'd have to either make 2 trips, or leash her to something while I set up if there aren't an extra set of hands to help.

The ONLY time Halo has scratched at hers was at dock diving, and we were both right there. We told her to knock it off and she did. At flyball, I can put her in her crate and walk away with no problem. She's in sight of the practice field or the ring at tournaments and she's very calm until I take her out and it's our turn to work. I can walk off and go to the bathroom, and she's never tried to escape. I don't know if it makes a difference that she's very used to being in a crate - even though she's 4 and Keefer is 7, they still sleep in their crates in our bedroom, and both of them go in on their own at night, and will also take a nap there sometimes when we're around during the day.

[elisabeth_00117]

My friends pup was in my soft sided crate at schH and ended up getting out. Thank goodness we were only doing obedience and we caught him before he went onto the field, but since then I only will use wire or Vari-kennels. Just gives me a piece of mind.