Crate Sizing

[Packen]

Originally Posted by TankGrrl66

How about this one? I like the price and the size seems good. Thankfully shes a girl and I like the color pink


http://www.amazon.com/Triple-Door-Suitcase-Style-Folding-Metal/dp/B001QXLANQ/ref=sr_1_15?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1326047790&sr=1-15

The size is perfect but this design will make it extremely noisy. I would get a similar dimension crate but with only one door. The more doors and fancy openings are in a wire crate the more it will rattle. Something like the below one is more practical,

Amazon.com: Midwest Life Stages Single-Door Folding Metal Dog Crate: Pet Supplies

Amazon.com: Midwest Life Stages Single-Door Folding Metal Dog Crate: Pet Supplies

[Liesje]

I agree. With wire crates you have to address rattling, unless you really don't care. With three crates in my van sometimes traveling several hours at once I can't stand rattling. I use bungees across their doors (and anywhere else that needs to be "tight" to avoid rattling) and it's not an issue. I'd wonder if having all those doors compromises the tensile strength of the crate?

[Packen]

Originally Posted by Liesje

I'd wonder if having all those doors compromises the tensile strength of the crate?

It does, the panels and all these doors/openings are made with very wide tolerances and the whole thing is seriously "loosey goosey". The rattle factor would be more than having 3 of 1 door only crates as everything is so loose. Best to keep it simple, you get relatively higher sturdiness and waay less rattle with a 1 door only crate.

[Liesje]

Yeah I've got one two-door, only because it has to open out the side (sliding door) and I couldn't find a crate that had a side door but no normal door, and it rattles more than the others without being bungeed. Luckily the end with the door I don't use butts up against something, so even if the dog got slammed on impact the door can't open.

[TankGrrl66]

I don't mind the rattling much; I listen to music while I drive anyway.

That metal crate would be sturdier than this:

Amazon.com: 36" Pink Pet House Soft Crate Carrie: Pet Supplies

Amazon.com: 36" Pink Pet House Soft Crate Carrie: Pet Supplies

Which is what I still may get but I really can't decide. Yeah, pink seems to be the least expensive color! I don't mind it...seems like this one would keep any vomit contained within as well.

Would it be safer to get a soft crate for the car? I was thinking about it today and...wouldn't the sides of a soft crate kind of 'catch' the dog? If the crate was generally fastened to the seat? It would deaden an impact...a wire crate would remain steady and give her something hard to slam into. Or worse, pop the two retaining clips and let her keep going through it. I wish there was a study on this...I'm gonna go look now

My budget for a 2nd crate is about 40-50 bucks.

[AbbyK9]

Personally, I would never use a soft crate in my vehicle. I think of a crate inside the vehicle as primarily being used for keeping the dog contained and preventing the dog from becoming a projectile that will kill me if we ever get into an accident. I don't think there are any soft crates that are sturdy enough to do both. Heck, most soft crates won't even contain a dog if the dog tries at all to get out.

I have been using a wire crate in my car for some time and that has been working well for us. However, because the majority of wire crates are designed to be folded flat for transport or storage, they still have weak points and I don't think any of them will ever be as sturdy as a plastic airline kennel. I use Zip-Ties on my wire crate to reinforce all the sides where the panels come together, and I use bungee cords across the front door when I am transporting my dog, just in case. (Also cuts down on the rattling.)

My crate is also secured to the rollbars in my Jeep by straps ... one going to the back corner of the crate from the roll bar pillar behind the passenger seat, and one going to the front corner of the crate on the driver's side rear pillar. Holds it securely in place. If we ever were to get into an accident, I'm pretty comfortable that the crate would remained secured.

I recently got one of the Ray Allen RAMTech kennels on Craig's List (for $100) and that's currently my main "at home" crate but will also be my travel crate. I haven't figured out yet how to best secure it so it can't move around the back of the car, though.

If your budget is $40 to $50, I think you would get the most bang for your buck picking up a used plastic airline kennel on Craig's List. $50 should get you a nice 36" one. Most of the VariKennels I've had over the years, I got this way.

Another thought ... if your dog gets car sick, a plastic kennel may be a better option, anyway. I have never had a wire crate that had pans like Liesje describes, only the kind where the pan is in the bottom, with maybe 1" lip around it. I once had a transport dog get car sick in one of those ... it was an enormous mess. It was everywhere. I would never again transport a dog that gets car sick (or has the runs) in one of those. Ever.