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Gideon's girl- you can get those temporary stall kits. Those are pretty much folding crates for horses!

I actually had 2 of one type of those, they didn't hold up the year we had 3 hurricanes. But I'm really good at post hole digging and cattle panels. :P

 

So basically what I'm getting from this thread is that, when I'm sitting in a house with 10 crates and no dog because they keep making the crates dirty, I can't say I wasn't warned... :P

Oh no, you should definitely have multiple dogs and then crates for every occasion. :lol: I have house crates, car crates, airline crates, crate I don't mind lending, little crates, and big crates. I don't recommend less than 2 dogs, with 3 being preferred.

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I probably have 20+ crates, but then I have 8 dogs, so 20 or so (not counting soft crates or wire crates, neither of which gets used often), doesn't seem terribly excessive. I actually have fewer cat crates (compared to number of cats), but that's because the cats are homebodies, lol!

 

J.

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Ok, here's my crate tally...

Three wire SUV crates (Tex, Georgia & Faith)

Two 48in soft cates (Tex...the store was going out of business...amazing price...75% off)

One 36in soft crate (Georgia)

One 32in soft crate (Faith)

Two 48in wire crates (one permanently placed, the other a spare...it was free)

Three 36in wire crates (Two permanently placed, the other a spare)

One 30in wire crate (just because)

One 54in wire crate (another freebie)

 

I got tired of moving crates in and out of the truck so my SUV crates are in there permanently. The soft crates are for trials. Permanently placed in the house are two 36s, one Faith's daytime crate (no bedding) and the other her night time crate (with bedding) next to my side of the bed. I also keep one of the 48s up in the house. The top of it is essentially dog central, there's a heavy topper on it so I can prep meals there and storage for much of their supplies. The 48 is big enough for me to crate both GA & TX should I need to.

 

I have three dogs and 14 crates. I may have a problem. And I feel like I'm forgetting one.

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Please tell me you were listing length not height on those crates, if not they are HUGE!!

 

Crate size is usually referenced by the length of the crate. ;)

 

A few of Beach BCs' crates are pretty huge by anyone's standards, though. (54"? I could fit all three of mine in that one with room to spare. :o )

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There are some on this board you need to start a self help group for crate hoarding .... Speaking of large crates, I am still wrapping my head around the fact my border collie needs a 48" vari kennel to fly in... It's the one they sell for mastiffs ;) ... He is 1/2" to long and 1" to tall to fit in the size small... And I can't take the risk that they won't let him fly.... And yes I have measured him, remeasured and then again !!!!

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yay, I'm not alone! lol I have 2 42" wire crates, 1 42" soft crate, 2 36" plastic crates, 1 30" plastic crate, 3-4(I don't even know....) 26" crates, and 3-4 smaller crates in various places, plus the couple crates I have just given away... so that's approx. 11-13 crates around my house..there are 7 dogs in my house, only 3 of those are ever crated and of those 3, 2 share 1 crate....

 

** the 3 42" crates are the only ones I paid for new, the rest were $5-15 or free

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I have never liked the term "crate". It was apparently borrowed from the word used for a solid six-sided (sometimes 5-sided) box used to transport/move goods. I would not want to put my dog in one of those for very long.

 

How 'bout terms like: "box pen", " six-sided pen", "SSP", "wire pen", "plastic SSP". They would work for me, and much friendlier sound than, "Put Jess in the crate". Domestic animals are confined in small pens, and wild animals live in dens.

 

Simply change the command from "crate-up" to "pen-up". Your dog(s) will appreciate the considerate ring to it. Manufacturers/retailers will readily follow suit. -- TEC

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TEC, many people call them kennels. ;)

The term "kennel" has a far better connotation than "crate", and it describes the meaning without resort to context. How did the term crate ever get started? There are so many meaningful words. "Kennel-up".

 

A little rant just feels good once in while. :) -- TEC

 

ETA: I have one that is heavy welded-wire (lives at the foot of my bed), and one that is easily portable, constructed of fabric and designed to fold (usually stored in the garage).

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Yes, using "kennel" instead of "crate" can be confusing, especially in certain contexts. I do applications for a rescue, and it's often confusing when people are telling us where the dog will be kept when they're not home. (And, yes, I tend to think of a kennel as an outside area, too.)

 

I don't hate "crate", but I don't like "cage."

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Please tell me you were listing length not height on those crates, if not they are HUGE!!

Yes, those are lengths. And yes, some of my crates are pretty darn large. A couple of the really big ones were free and I can't say no to a free crate. They do come in handy when I dog sit my friend's Ridgebacks.

 

People always ask why Texi's soft trial crate is so big. I joke that he has a very large personal space bubble. Truthfully, #1 it was very inexpensive and #2 I like that Texi can stretch out or curl up at will when he has to hang out all day...personal preference, I suppose. Initially he and Georgia were supposed to share space but that didn't work out as planned.

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How did you get your free crate?

 

It's a pity I don't live closer to you all. I could help you out with your crate addictions by taking one off your hands. Purely for your own good, of course. Anyone wanting to give up chocolate should contact me as well.

 

It's enough space for the dog to lie down straight, and turn around in, right? Baffled by the measurements. And do you put anything in them? Beds, mats, water? I don't like the idea of a dog being any length of time without water

 

I don't mind 'crate' so much as a word. 'Kennel' to me would mean more of a run and house, or a commercial establishment that looks after dogs in some way- maybe the wooden house.

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I don't care what word you use and I don't think my dogs care either. When you say crate, nobody actually thinks you are putting your dog in a wood shipping crate, they know what you are talking about. I do prefer kennel, but I know that's what some people call a "run." Being understood is more important.

 

We size crates by height here, always have, but shipping regs didn't used to care about length, and I don't even know anyone who has shipped a dog in many years, like since well before the regs changed. I always buy crates according to height too. My dogs are not in them long enough that I've ever had to worry about whatever length comes with the right height not being OK. Most people have an idea how tall their dog is. I don't hear people discussing their dog's length much. How do you determine the correct length of a crate?

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Like I said, all I've heard is people saying it should be long enough for the dog to lie down straight in (front paws to base of tail lying down). Of course I can't remember where I read this.

 

I forgot to mention height, that should have been included. I've heard shoulder-to-ground plus 3 or 6 inches.

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I've heard that for length, but I've never seen a crate that wasn't that long if the height was right, but I thought some were saying that they had to have even longer crates for flying. Maybe they have really long dogs?

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I am going to be flying Rievaulx to the UK and BA and Virgin (the only carriers authorized to carry dogs out of Boston to the Uk) have strict regs about the size of the crate. The dog has to be able to fully stretch out in a " regular down" they measure from the base of the neck to the start of the tail, and the length of the leg to the elbow. They also require the dog to be able to stand up without his ears touching the crate... And even in the giant crate those prick ears come awfully close to touching ;)....

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How did you get your free crate?

 

It's a pity I don't live closer to you all. I could help you out with your crate addictions by taking one off your hands. Purely for your own good, of course. Anyone wanting to give up chocolate should contact me as well.

 

It's enough space for the dog to lie down straight, and turn around in, right? Baffled by the measurements. And do you put anything in them? Beds, mats, water? I don't like the idea of a dog being any length of time without water.

One of my free crates came from a friend who clears out foreclosed homes of the stuff left behind. The other one was from a person my husband works with. I told her she could sell it but she just wanted it out of her house. And my husband is my enabler. ;)

 

As for bedding in my dog's crates, the only one without bedding is Faith, and only during the daytime. She has bedding at night and she's good as gold. She shreds everything during the day. And all the dogs get water. In the SUV crates I use stall mats, no slip sliding if I have to stop or turn quickly.

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I have always relied mainly on wire crates from General Cage -- a smaller size for travel and larger ones for the house. But now that I need a new travel crate, I find that General Cage apparently no longer makes crates with doors on the end -- their doors are only in the long side. That's useless in my vehicle.

 

So . . . does anyone happen to know where I can get a decent wire crate with door on the end that's 30"L x 21" or 22"W x 25"H?

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I don't care what word you use and I don't think my dogs care either. When you say crate, nobody actually thinks you are putting your dog in a wood shipping crate, they know what you are talking about. I do prefer kennel, but I know that's what some people call a "run." Being understood is more important.

 

^^Exactly. For me, kennel means the wire runs (6 x 10, 10 x 10, etc.). I think in the context of most savvy dog owners, the term "crate" is easily understood for what it actually is.

 

ETA: I have found very cheap crates on Craig's List, and have also had them given to me by people who didn't need them anymore. I got an XL Varikennel for $25 off Craig's List.

 

J.

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FWIW, Ruff Tough crates come in the 2 sizes that are fairly close to your specs. Check out the intermediate and the large crate sizes. The bi-directional door is on the end, and if you wish, you can order the crate with 2nd door on the other end. (~$10 additional)

 

BUT, it is not a wire crate. It is plastic.

 

Just a thought - as I switched from a wire to the Ruff Tough and have been very pleased.

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