ktig Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 Hi everyone, Looking for some opinions. I have a miniature schnauzer pup who is now 6 months old and much to my disapointment has almost outgrown his crate as he is looking to be a little bigger than the breed avereage in height/length! He has a wire crate at the moment with a blanket thrown over it to make it more secure and is quite reliable in it and settles happily. I plan to compete in obedience and agility with this little guy and had planned to look into soft crates for then to have in addition to his wire crate at home, now I'm not sure whether to fast forward this plan or simply get a wire crate in the next size up and look at soft crates if and when I need one for competitions. Does anybody use soft crates around the house as an everyday crate as well as for outings? If so what sort of brands do people have and would they recommend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redial Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 If he chews at all, I wouldn't get one for long term house crating where he'll be unmonitored. if he's good than sure why not. Although I imagine ventilation might not be as good as the wire ones... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becks Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 I wouldn't use a fabric one for everyday use, they don't seem to be made to lasst that well in those circumstances. Just get the next size up wire crate (36" should be right). You could then sell your smaller crate and put the money towards a fabric one at a later date - however, your dog needs to be settled being left in a crate in a strange place, the fabric ones can roll around like a hamster ball - i've seen it a few times at shows! You would also want a lock to secure the zip as some dogs learn how to open them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topoftheheap Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 The ventilation in the soft crates are not great. We use one occasionally out of desperation and the dogs get quite hot in them even in air conditioned comfort of the car, and under the shade of a gazebo. Plus we have only used it a couple of times, and it is already showing signs of wear. I wouldn't really recommend one for long term use. We use the black metal crates at home, and there great. We cover them when there cool, and they feel nice and safe, in fact they love thier 'dens' so much, sometimes they won't even come out!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dxenion Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 I had an opportunity to trial a soft crate and happily gave it back. It quickly got warm in there and was easy to tip from inside plus I was constantly worried about the strength of the fabric. We now have collapsible wire crates here. The youngest loves it so much, he's figured out how to manipulate the door from the outside so that he can open it and let himself in for a snooze. Our dogs have taught me to be careful when giving them cues about the crate too. One day I gave the cue from another room for one to go into the crate. When I got to the room, I found that three of our four shepherds had managed to squeeze into one 42" crate! They looked so pleased with themselves too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vacuna Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 I wouldn't use a fabric one for everyday use, they don't seem to be made to lasst that well in those circumstances. Just get the next size up wire crate (36" should be right). You could then sell your smaller crate and put the money towards a fabric one at a later date - however, your dog needs to be settled being left in a crate in a strange place, the fabric ones can roll around like a hamster ball - i've seen it a few times at shows! You would also want a lock to secure the zip as some dogs learn how to open them! My smart little people only lasted about 10 minutes in their soft crates in the car before they climbed into the front seat. Thats how long it took them to work out how to open the zip. When I pinned the zip closed one ate through the material around the zip. I have fixed it but I definitely wouldn't leave them in it in an unsecure area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 What size crate do you have now ?? I have both for varying occasions & have big & small dogs but generally the wire are easier ,more freindly for water bowls,air flow or covering & unless you are prepared to spend decent money on a soft crate it wont last Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 I find my soft crates cooler than the outside temp. I use the k9 Soft crates though and the roofs are insulated. I guess the cheaper ones look the same but don't function the same. The soft crates look nicer in the house I think. But the wire crates are easier to clean if the dog has an accident in them. The dogs don't seem to have a preference over either type of crate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktig Posted December 10, 2011 Author Share Posted December 10, 2011 Hmmm....lots to think about then. I have a blanket thrown over the top of the crate at the moment, so I think ventilation wise it probably would work out the same. For those of you that use wire crates for outings do you find them bulky/heavy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becks Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 They are heavier then the fabric BUT for a mini schnauzer size, the crate isn't going to be to heavy to move around if a wire one, even if it has a metal instead of plastic base tray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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