Recommendations For Crate

[Darcy&Zoe]

Hi everyone

I have a ridgeback x staffy who weighs about 28kg as well as a 7 month old cavalier, 6.6kg. I will doing obedience classes one after the other so need to crate one dog whilst I work the other.

Any recommendations for a secure crate? (My cavalier is a bit yappy so thinking I will need a cover on the crate.)

Any advice appreciated.

[Tumbleweed]

Are you looking for a soft crate or hard crate?

My hard crate I got for a reasonable price at PetStock. It collapses flat but is big and heavy and unwieldy. I actually don't like it as it is so heavy to handle...but my young dog destroyed 2 soft crates by clawing at them - so needs a big heavy wire crate! Function wise, it is great - a front door and side door and I bought a nice cover online for it for about $40.

For a soft crate I highly recommend http://www.k9softdogcrates.com.au/ Their crates are great quality and the service I've got from them across 2 separate purchases has been great. You can also replace the skins separately if they are damaged but the frame is still OK. They come with all the extras - walls that can be rolled up to let breeze through, zipper lock (to prevent dog opening the door!), reinforcement at all the pressure points and clips to fold and secure.

Hope that helps - good luck!

[Darcy&Zoe]

Thanks tumbleweed

I was actually hoping to get a K9 soft crate which will be perfect for my cavalier ... but I am just not sure how secure they are for my ridgeback x as he has never been crated and worried if he could scratch his way out thru the mesh? If I was using it as a bed at home I wouldn't be so worried as I will be able to supervise but as I want to use something at obedience training, I am not sure. At this point, I am hoping to just have the one crate as it will be a case of one dog in, one dog working and then swapping. Worse case I can get a K9 soft crate for my cavalier and a wire crate for my ridgeback x.

Do you know how secure the mesh part of the K9 soft crates are?

[sheena]

Another one here for the K9 crates Why don't you do a bit of crate training with your big dog before the events...set it up at home & get him used to sleeping in it.etc. What I do with my two at trials (they both have their own K(crate) ...I face the crates away from the activity & when I take one dog out to work, I scatter a small hand full of kibble in the other crate through the top zipper, & by the time they find & eat the kibble they have forgotten that the other dog is missing :) Magic !!

[Tumbleweed]

It really does depend on your dog. My Siberian Husky has always been fine in crates. Got our first one when she was 4 or 5 years old and she just took to it - has never ever scratched/chewed etc. So a soft one is fine for her. Only issue is that after being in the crate twice she learnt to undo the zips! Easy fix with the zip lock, or even a paper clip to hold the two zips together.

My Aussie is another story though - she hates it when I take out my other dog and scratches and barks and carries on...so needs a wire crate. In fact it wasn't the mesh she clawed through on the soft crate, she actually ended up ripping apart the canvas near where it was stitched (but not the seam itself, which stayed secure)

If it is possible, can you borrow a crate and see how your two go in it? Then that will help guide your decision with a bit more certainty. They are a significant investment so you don't want to replace them... but being a small human myself, I find the soft ones so much easier to manage.

Edited September 15, 2014 by Tumbleweed

[Darcy&Zoe]

Thanks for the feedback. I love your idea of scattering food to swap the two over Sheena.I will make sure to face them away from the activity too (which I thought I would have to with the cav anyway, she likes the sound of her own voice lol).

I do have a metal crate for my cav already as she was crate trained so I can take that for her if needed but I think she will feel more secure in the K9 soft crates. OMG opening the zip (sounds funny but wouldnt be if my dog did that lol).

My Darcy isn't a barker generally and is pretty calm by nature. Another thing in my favour is he has his class first, so hopefully he will be happy to laze about in his crate while Zoe has her turn. Tumbleweed, is your Aussie pretty full on generally?

Someone suggested leaving them in the car, but I am not comfortable with that due to weather conditions ... cars get hot very quickly, even though the class is early in morning and another is after dark.

Unfortunately I dont have a crate I can borrow for Darcy ... I think I need a crystal ball for him so I can tell if he would cope with the soft crate lol

I guess my fear is watching a cat rip a soft crate to pieces on its first use (it wasn't a K9 soft crate though) ...

[Tumbleweed]

There is more to the zip opening story....

Zazu and I entered the State Obedience Trial several years ago. It was only our second ever trial, and in WA it is the most prestigious event on the obedience calendar. It is done on the nice conformation grounds and is all nice and fancy (all other trials in WA are on the lower performance oval). Zazu and I completely bombed out...she paid no attention during the heeling and we were a NQ about 1 minute in. And then at the recall...she took off and did beautiful zoomies all over the grounds - through all the other rings! Me being a raw newbie (and typical husky owner aka paranoid about them being off lead) I just ran after her through all the other rings too, completely ignorant about how bad manners it was.

Once I recaptured her, I then had a few minutes away to compose myself (I was incredibly nervous prior to the trial and felt even worse after) and then popped her in her crate. A few minutes later I hear the 'pitter, patter, pitter, patter' of dog's feet and think 'someone's dog is out'. Only to turn and see it was my dog wandering around! I think everyone was understanding the first time she ran off - but wouldn't have been a second time! Luckily she came straight to me, and there were no issues. It was a good lesson though, and typical escapist Sibe behaviour :D .

In answer to your question about my Aussie - she is quite jealous and I think also suffers a little separation anxiety so she is quite 'full on' if she thinks she is being left behind. She is also definitely a barker. (Complete opposite to my Sibe who is super laid back and bombproof).

I do use my car as a crate as much as possible at night and during winter - but like you said in Australia sometimes the weather simply won't allow it, and the dogs need to be out of the sun in a crate.

[Darcy&Zoe]

OMG I can only imagine the horror

It would be helpful to be able to use the car ... the evening class should be ok at 7pm onwards I am guessing (Darcy is used to being in the wagon and I could use the metal crate in the wagon for Zoe) but the morning class from 8.45 I am thinking Perth weather will be too warm by then (especially as the warmer weather really kicks in)

I think I might try the K9 soft crate as Darcy is very laid back by nature and Zoe would definitely be more comfortable in that than the metal crate that I already have for her.

The next trick is working out where to position the crate for the dogs ... I guess within my view is a good thing :laugh: which will mean moving the crate for the second class. The joys of a newbie trying to figure out how to juggle 2 dogs :)

[Tumbleweed]

It was horrible at the time, but turned out to be liberating. Whenever I get nervous at a trial now I just think, 'hey, what's the worst that could happen?' and considering what Zazu has already done, it is all pretty tame in comparison :-)

You are most welcome to come and look at my crate next time I am in Perth, but I won't be up again for a while now. I *might* be up for the State Obedience trial in Oct, so if I am and you would like to have a look and play with the K9 crate. Otherwise if you are around the Bunbury trial this weekend come and say hi.

The joys of juggling 2 dogs! It is a challenge, but I'm sure you will have it sorted in no time. And then will be considering a third! :laugh:

Edited September 15, 2014 by Tumbleweed

[Darcy&Zoe]

Thanks for the offer, but I think with summer fast approaching I need to make a decision and start training both to be in the crate ready for classes. There will only be so long I will be able to get away with using the car.

The joys of juggling 2 dogs! It is a challenge, but I'm sure you will have it sorted in no time. And then will be considering a third! :laugh:

Yes already thinking of a third :laugh: but promised myself I wont add another cav to our family until my 2 are further ahead in their obedience ... that should be inspiration enough to work hard :laugh:

[skip]

I brought metal secondhand and the small two dogs got crates from one of those cheap shops like crazy prices for $39.

I would go metal as safer. In you were 100% sure the bigger dog would be happy material crates would be OK. It does only take seconds for a anxious dog to get out of a material crate.

I had a different problem with the lighter material crate as it could blow away with my chihuahua inside. Hence the tie down straps on the bottom of the crate.

[Darcy&Zoe]

I brought metal secondhand and the small two dogs got crates from one of those cheap shops like crazy prices for $39.

I would go metal as safer. In you were 100% sure the bigger dog would be happy material crates would be OK. It does only take seconds for a anxious dog to get out of a material crate.

I had a different problem with the lighter material crate as it could blow away with my chihuahua inside. Hence the tie down straps on the bottom of the crate.

OMG skip, your poor little chihuahua

My ridgeback x isn't anxious at all but I decided to go with a metal crate for peace of mind. Even the lady who makes the K9 soft crates said if a dog wants to get out of the soft crate, it will. I really appreciated her honesty.

So I have now ordered a metal crate off of eBay and a crate mat to go with it :) I got a crate mat that will fit into my cav's metal crate too so I think I am all organised for next term when my cav also joins the obedience classes :)

Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions everyone :)