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After a new round of testing, we have added the Frisco Heavy Duty Fold and Carry double door foldable wire dog crate as an option.
No dog owner wants to come home to an overturned trash can or a pile of poop on the floor. A good dog crate is critical to reducing such accidents and helping your pet thrive. This cage is a comfortable and safe place to rest, where even the most curious dogs will be locked inside while their human is away. We hired rescue dogs and our own rescue dogs to test 17 crates. We found the MidWest Ultima Pro double door folding dog crate to be the best all-around dog crate. It is durable, safe and available in five sizes, each designed to last a lifetime: thanks to removable baffles, the cage adapts as your puppy grows.
This crate is the strongest, escape-proof and folds for easy transport. In addition, it will accompany your pet for life.
The MidWest Ultima Pro 2 Door Collapsible Wire Dog Cage has a tight thick wire mesh to prevent escape and damage. Its bottom bowl does not give in or be clawed out, unlike the thinner bowls included in cheaper models. It folds securely into a briefcase-style rectangle with sturdy snap-on handles and won’t screech open if you grab the wrong piece. Even if you are confident that your dog is not afraid of separation and will not struggle to get out of the cage, Ultima Pro is a smart investment in providing your dog and future dogs with a safe space.
This box usually costs 30% less than our top pick, but is made from slightly thinner wire. It’s lighter, but probably won’t last as long.
The MidWest LifeStages Two-Door Collapsible Wire Dog Cage has a slightly looser mesh and finer wire than other dog cages we’ve tested, so it’s lighter and easier to carry. This crate is typically 30% cheaper than Ultima Pro. Therefore, if money is tight and you are sure that your dog will sit comfortably in a cage, LifeStages will help you. However, this lighter construction makes LifeStages cages less resistant to prolonged wear and tear from more aggressive dogs.
This dog crate is typically half the price of our main choice, durable and reliable. But the large design makes it more inconvenient to carry.
The Frisco Heavy Duty Folding Carry Double Door Folding Wire Dog Cage features heavy-duty steel wire that is just as strong as our best options but often half the price. The locking mechanism keeps the dog securely inside, and the removable tray won’t deform or slide out of the base after being used by the dog. But this wire box comes in a slightly larger size than the other boxes we have tested. In general, the Frisco dog crates are about 2 inches larger, making them slightly heavier than the MidWest model we recommend and more cumbersome to carry when folded.
This model has a durable plastic body and a secure latch, making it ideal for use at home or on the plane. But its smaller windows provide less visibility for your pup.
Whether you need a crate that you can fly with your dog from time to time, or want something that makes a pushy dog less likely to run away from home, a durable plastic crate (sometimes called an “air kennel”) is the way to go. , what you need. a good choice. Petmate’s Ultra Vari kennel is the top choice among trainers we interviewed, and it’s the best travel option for most dogs. The box is easy to assemble and easy to lock, and has the proper fasteners for safer air travel in an airplane. (However, this model is not specifically designed for use in a car, so think about seat belts). The Ultra Vari has a secure design with one door instead of two on adjacent sides like our other options. This way, your puppy will have fewer opportunities to escape. But if you use this crate at home, it can be difficult to find a spot where your dog can see clearly in a crowded room. Narrow cage windows also limit your view, which can be a problem if you have a particularly curious pup or a pup who is “afraid of missing out”.
This crate is the strongest, escape-proof and folds for easy transport. In addition, it will accompany your pet for life.
This box usually costs 30% less than our top pick, but is made from slightly thinner wire. It’s lighter, but probably won’t last as long.
This dog crate is typically half the price of our main choice, durable and reliable. But the large design makes it more inconvenient to carry.
This model has a durable plastic body and a secure latch, making it ideal for use at home or on the plane. But its smaller windows provide less visibility for your pup.
As my favorite Wirecutter writer, I cover everything from dog harnesses and pet GPS trackers to pet separation anxiety and the basics of training. I am also a pet owner and an experienced animal shelter volunteer who has dealt with many problematic and idiosyncratic dog cages.
This guide is based on a report by Kevin Purdy, a journalist and dog owner, who cage trained his pug Howard using a variety of cages. He is also the author of early editions of the Handbook of Standing Tables and Bed Frames, among other things.
For this guide, we interviewed a dog training expert, a veterinary technician, and two crate makers we vetted. We also read many related books and articles on dog training and behavior to learn how to make a good dog crate. 2 We partnered with Friends of Four Paws, an Oklahoma-based pet shelter, to test our dog cages both at home and on cross-country trips to meet their new families.
Not everyone buys or uses a dog crate, but they probably should. Everyone should at least think about a crate when bringing a dog home for the first time, whether puppy or adult, purebred or rescued. Experienced dog trainer Tyler Muto recommends every dog owner he works with a crate. “If you talk to two dog trainers, the only thing you can convince them of is that the third trainer is wrong,” Muto said. “Otherwise, almost every trainer will tell you board A.” the crate is a must-have tool for dog owners.”
At the very least, cages help prevent accidents when dogs are kept in the home and keep dogs from accessing dangerous or unhealthy foods or items when their owners are away. Keeping dogs in cages can stop their habit of destroying household items and furniture in the absence of the owner, Muto said. 1 Cages also provide a space where your dog can feel safe and at home, and allow owners to separate the dog from guests, contractors, or temptations if needed.
However, not everyone needs the same cell. For those with dogs that experience severe separation anxiety or avoidance tendencies, or those who must travel frequently with their dog, a durable plastic crate may be required. For those who have dogs, it is better to keep the dogs in a cage, and for those who only need a cage occasionally, use a wire board that easily folds into a suitcase-like rectangle with handles. A cage will do.
People who want to use the crate frequently in the common areas of the home, and who have a dog that truly loves crates and isn’t afraid of separation, may prefer a furniture-style crate that blends in with their decor, or can be used as an edge table. However, over the years, we have not been able to find a model that meets our safety and protection standards at a reasonable price, so we do not recommend them. While it may seem like a good idea to use your dog’s posh crate as a table (with a book or a fancy lamp on it), placing items on any crate can be dangerous in the event of an accident.
Finally, wire cages are not ideal for owners who don’t plan on removing their dog’s collar every time the cage is filled. For dogs, wearing a collar in a cage presents a risk of entanglement, which can lead to injury or suffocation. As a result, many veterinary clinics and boarding houses have strict rules for removing collars from dogs in their care. As a minimum, collared dogs must wear a detachable or similar safety collar and be free of dog tags that could snag on the cage.
All of our dog crates come in a variety of sizes, so whether you have a Cocker Spaniel or a Chow Chow, you’ll be able to find the right crate for your dog.
Choose a crate size based on adult dog size or estimated adult dog size (if puppy) to get the most bang for your buck. All of our wire cage picks have plastic dividers to help you adjust the cage space as your puppy grows.
According to the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, dog cages should be large enough for them to stretch, stand, and turn without hitting their heads. To find the right size crate for your dog, write down his weight and measure his height and length from nose to tail. Manufacturers often share weight ranges or recommendations and sizes for their boxes. While weight is important in measuring crate size, measurement is key to making sure your dog has enough space to feel comfortable in the space.
For adult dogs, APDT recommends that owners add 4 inches of extra space to the size and choose a crate that fits that size, increasing as needed (larger crates are better than smaller ones). For puppies, add 12 inches to their height measurement to account for their potential adult size. Be sure to use the dividers included with our wire box lock picks to seal off unused areas, as puppies can easily mess up the crate if there is a lot of extra space. (For more on the basics of potty training, see How to Potty Train a Puppy.)
APDT has a handy chart to help you determine which cage size is right for your breed. If you need to purchase a plastic travel case for your puppy, keep in mind that it does not have dividers. In this case, it’s best to choose a crate that fits your dog now, and then adjust the size of the new crate as it grows.
We have read about cage training from reliable sources such as the Humane Society, the American Kennel Club, the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, and the Humane Society of the United States. We also brought together a group of Wirecutter pet owners to discuss their expectations for a dog cage. We then interviewed a qualified dog behaviorist to find out what makes a good dog crate. Among those we interviewed were dog trainer Tyler Mutoh of K9 Connection in Buffalo, New York, who is also president of the International Canine Association, and veterinary technician at McClelland Small Animal Hospital in Buffalo, Judy Bunge.
We then looked at hundreds of listings online and dozens of options at local pet stores. We learned that every crate—no matter how highly rated or recommended by the experts—has been the subject of at least one review about an escaping dog or, even worse, a dog that was injured trying to escape. However, while we were doing our research, some of the drawers elicited complaints about specific flaws: the doors buckled easily, the latches opened with a blow to the nose, or dogs could slip out of the drawer from the bottom.
We have moved away from wire cages without removable baffles because this inexpensive addition allows the cage to change size as your puppy grows. We also like wire drawers with two doors as this design makes them easy to fit, especially in small or irregularly shaped spaces. The plastic crates we reviewed are an exception to this rule, as they can be used for air travel.
Using these results, expert advice, and input from a group of dog-loving Wirecutter crews, we identified several bidders ranging in price from $60 to $250 in wire, plastic, and furniture crates.
In 2022, we are recruiting volunteers from the Oklahoma-based Friends of Four Paws. I took my dog Sutton from this rescue before joining Wirecutter and I also consulted with the organization about Wirecutter’s guide to dog beds. Friends of Four Paws rescued animals from municipal shelters, the owners gave up, and the organization moved many of them from Oklahoma to New York for adoption. As such, these dogs are ideal for testing dozens of crates subject to wear and tear, and we have tested them with dogs ranging in weight from 12 to 80 pounds.
Dog trainer Tyler Muto was a key part of our initial testing of this guide. He inspects each crate and evaluates the structural strength of each crate, the presence of tamper-resistant locks and the quality of the lining of the pallet. He also thought about how easy each drawer would be to fold, set up and clean.
In general, a good wire dog crate should be easy to carry and strong enough to accommodate multiple dogs if needed. A good plastic crate should be about the same (although it won’t break often) and provide the security and restraint needed for air travel. A furniture drawer loses much of its damage-resistant disguise, but it still needs to be durable, and its look and feel are much more important than wire or plastic drawers.
Simultaneously with the Muto inspection, we were inspecting and testing the boxes ourselves. To test the strength of each crate against the pull of teeth or strong claws, we used a luggage scale to apply approximately 50 pounds of force to each cage door, first in the center and then in the looser corners away from the latch. We install and remove each wire box at least a dozen times. After each drawer was locked and fitted with plastic handles, we moved each drawer to three locations to see how well it held together (not all drawers do this). We removed the plastic tray from each drawer to see if it’s easy to remove and if there are any tricks or cleaning issues. Finally, we hand-check the corners and edges of each drawer, looking for sharp wires, plastic edges, or raw corners that could injure dogs or people.
This crate is the strongest, escape-proof and folds for easy transport. In addition, it will accompany your pet for life.
If you need a crate that will last your dog a lifetime and you may have another dog (or more) in the future, then the MidWest Ultima Pro 2 Door Folding Wire Dog Cage is the one for you. The boxes come in five sizes, the smallest being 24 inches long and the largest being 48 inches long, to accommodate many large breeds.
As a result, our testers liked this case more than all the others. Friends of Four Paws secretary Kim Crawford said the Ultima Pro “definitely feels like the most reliable and heavy enough to handle the toughest dogs,” noting that rescuers have long loved the brand.
The box has thicker wires and tighter mesh than any other reasonably priced box we’ve tested, and the 50-pound pull doesn’t affect it in any way. Our testers said the lock remains secure and is easy to lock and unlock. The box also folds smoothly into a “suitcase” for portability and is easy to set up again.
The Ultima Pro Tray is removable, but only by humans, and is easy to clean and durable. Available in five sizes, the crate comes with a growing puppy divider and rubber feet to keep it from scratching the floor – a hidden gem of the Ultima Pro. He backs the MidWest Company, with a one-year warranty against manufacturing defects, which has been in business since 1921 and has been making dog crates since the 1960s.
The drawer is made from thicker wire than most drawers in this price range and is noticeably heavier. The Ultima Pro is 36 inches long on its longest side and weighs 38 pounds. Other popular bi-fold boxes of the same size weigh between 18 and 20 pounds. But if you don’t move boxes around a lot and struggle with that kind of weight, we think the Ultima Pro’s durability is worth it.
The Ultima Pro also has more wires, with five arms on the shorter side instead of the usual three. This heavier and denser wire mesh means a shorter length of wire between joints, so the wire is harder to bend. The stiff wire means the drawer retains its cubic shape and all latches and hooks line up just the way they should. Every corner and buckle on the Ultima Pro is rounded to prevent injury while escaping. The wire is powder coated, which looks more attractive than the smooth, shiny wire on cheaper boxes.
The Ultima Pro is made from thicker wire than most drawers in this price range and is noticeably heavier.
The lock on the Ultima Pro isn’t complicated, but it’s secure and difficult for dogs to maneuver. Loop handle locking mechanisms are common on wire drawers, but Ultima Pro’s thicker wire makes the closing mechanism on this metal drawer comfortable and secure. In an emergency, it will be easier to get the dog out of the cage if the lock is in place.
Folding the Ultima Pro for travel is very similar to other wire boxes. However, the strong construction of the drawer makes this easier than drawers that tend to flex. When folded, the crate is held together with small C-clamps and can be transported using a thick plastic detachable handle. You need to fold the Ultima Pro in one direction so it snaps into place for easy portability, but once it takes on a “suitcase” shape, it stays together.
The plastic tray on the bottom of the Ultima Pro is thick but not heavy and is considered by our training experts to be the most durable. The included tray latch prevents violent dogs inside the cage from pulling the tray out. In our tests, the latch remained stable when we pushed the tray out of the drawer. This hole leaves floors and carpets vulnerable to damage, and dogs can injure themselves if they try to escape through the gap. In terms of cleaning, Ultima Pro pans clean well with an enzymatic spray and dish soap.
The included divider allows you to select the perfect full size Ultima Pro model to fit your dog. As the puppy gets older, you can move the partitions around so the dog has enough room to turn around and enough railing so he can’t use the crate as a toilet. However, the dividers are noticeably thinner than the drawers, with only round hooks holding them in place. If your puppy is already showing anxiety or avoidance, you can purchase a safer crate that matches his current size.
One little detail of the Midwestern drawer, the scratch-resistant rubber feet on the corners, may one day save you some heartache if you have a hard floor. New drawer owners may not be aware that the plastic tray is on top of the bottom wire, so the drawer itself sits on the wire mesh. If your dog bumps into the cage or you move it around a lot, these rubber feet are a little elegance that you barely notice, which is good.
Ultima Pro is available in five sizes from Amazon and Chewy, as well as from the authorized online retailer MidWestPetProducts.com. You can also find it in many pet stores. The box comes with a one-year warranty and a training DVD (you can watch it on YouTube). Midwestern is very clear and helpful in pointing out which dog crate size is correct, providing a helpful breed/size/weight chart; many other cell manufacturers provide only one weight estimate.
Post time: Aug-21-2023
