The best solution for training your dog
Where would you find the best solution for training your dog? Our review today will cover the Best Rated Dog Crates with positive and negative comments so you can make an informed decision on a crate for your pup. Let’s begin!
Midwest Life Stages Heavy Duty Folding Metal Dog Crate – 4 PAWS Rating
Prod
uct Description: Midwest Life Stages Heavy Duty Dog Crate comes with one or two doors to suit your crate needs. The product with the side door allows flexibility so your crate can be placed in the most convenient location in your home. The other benefit of the side door is that it can be kept open during the adjustment period when your dog becomes used to his new home. Another benefit of this extra side door is ease of clean up so you don’t have to reach all the way inside to take care of any messes that may occur.
It cuts housebreaking time in half – using the divider creates a smaller sleep area for your puppy because typically dogs don’t poop/pee where they sleep.
The divider allows you to adjust the living area as your puppy grows so you can use the same crate for his home when he is fully grown.
It is a very attractive crate with a durable black electro coat finish, easy to set up and take down to a portable size and its plastic removable pan makes for easy clean up.
Let’s take a look at what people are saying about the Midwest Life Stages Heavy Duty Folding Metal Dog Crate.
Positive Comments:
- Very roomy. It has enough room for my dog to stand in and turn around. She feels safe and secure in this crate
- So good that we got 2 of them.
- Easy to collapse and set up. No tools needed
- Very durable, great quality
- Having 2 doors is great, my dog got comfortable with it going in and through the 2 doors
- It comes with a divider so you can train puppies
- Love the quality and durability of this brand
Negative Comments:
- Design issue: My dog got her teeth stuck between the metal bars
- Metal components are very thin
- Latches barely close
- Be sure not to set it up upside down. My dog got his head stuck in it
Summary:
This sounds like a great crate. Most of the comments were positive, pointing out the quality in the manufacturing, ease of set up and most dogs love it once they get accustomed to it. It seems to us that the negative comments mostly come from crates arriving damaged or design flaws, which the company would be happy to replace. Another common negative comment came from rambunctious puppies who either hurt themselves by being too active or being irate about having to be in the crate in the first place. Overall it sounds like a quality product that has features that most people appreciate and enjoy.
Where to buy
Smith Built Heavy Duty Dog Cage – 4 PAWS Rating
Product Description: According to the SmithBuilt website, these products were built to last a lifetime. They use commercial quality materials in their construction and their superior manufacturing process provides a durable and safe place for your pet. They utilize an all-steel, high tensile strength wire that is securely formed and welded into a tight mesh pattern.
Their products are used by professional breeders, owners and handlers all over the world to ensure the safety of their animals. So if it’s good enough for the professionals, you can feel good about purchasing a SmithBuilt product.
This heavy duty dog crate is an excellent option for larger dogs because they have a thicker frame, look great, and are very durable. They also have a latch on top that makes it easier to pick up puppies or smaller animals and have a removable grate and tray that makes cleaning up after your pet super easy and convenient.
Let’s take a look at what people are saying about the Smith Built Heavy Duty Dog Cage!
Positive Comments:
- Heavy duty – my dog literally could not damage this crate as he has done to others in the past
- Metal bars are super strong
- Sheet metal bottom pan is sturdy, as opposed to the plastic used in most crates
- Possibly one of the best crates I’ve bought.
- Very well built and folds down for easy transport
- My 135lb Mastiff couldn’t escape so he just gave up. Great crate!
- Sturdy but not heavy
- Many comments about large dogs who have destroyed wire crates in the past who couldn’t break this one
- My dog loves it, uses it as her home when not caged up
Negative Comments:
- It needs a better lock for the door. Comes undone and the dog could escape
- *Note* It seems that all of the older comments from 2015 were about the crate not being sturdy and the dogs bent the bars, however in the newer comments from 2017 & 2018 are mostly favorable and speak of the sturdiness of the product and their dogs’ inability to escape or damage the product
Summary:
We feel like this is a great solution for strong, large dogs who seem to have issues destroying their crates as its durability is one of its strongpoints. A few commenters pointed out that the instructions were not explicit and while the purchasers were able to assemble in spite of the lack of direction, we would like to point out that if you take your time putting it together and with the proper tools, you can assemble this crate and make it solid and strong enough to withstand a rambunctious pup. Oh yes, and get your own lock just as a back-up. Those little escape artists can be very determined and you want to be sure to keep him safe and sound in his little home until you are ready to turn him loose.
Where to buy
Amazon Basics Double Door Folding Metal Dog Crate – 4 PAWS Rating
Product Description: This is a very basic dog crate, made of black enamel coated wire and great for crate training your small to medium sized dog. It comes with dividers for training smaller dogs so as to be able to have the sleep area expand as the dog grows. This is especially important if your dog is small, as the crated area should not act as a living room but a space that’s just big enough for him to stand and turnaround in.
It is designed with 2 doors (a single door version is available as well) but with the extra side door it makes reaching in and clean up much more accessible. The doors each have 2 latches that fold flat for easy storage and portability and are very secure.
On the bottom of the cage is the composite plastic pan so your pup doesn’t have to stand on the wires. The pan slides out for easy clean up as well.
Let’s take a look at what people are saying about the Amazon Basics Double Door Folding Metal Dog Crate!
Positive Comments:
- Very easy to set up
- Great product at a fraction of the cost of name brand
- Same quality as some of the expensive kennels from the pet store
- The 2 doors make it easy to change the food and water for my pet
- Fully painted and coated without any exposure to rough edges
- High quality construction
Negative Comments:
- Plastic tray seems a little flimsy and scared my dog, but we fixed that with a pillow
- My dog caused some of the bars to bow slightly
Summary:
It seems like this crate is a great solution for your pet if he is not super active or aggressive. In previous reviews we have found that the larger, more aggressive breeds have a history of destroying their crates so if you have this type of animal then this model one would not be suitable for you and your pet.
If, however your dog does not fit that criteria, this may be the one for you. It has a great price point, sturdy and easy to assemble, the double doors are a plus, and Amazon has a generous return policy in case you have any issues with the product.
Where to purchase
IMPORTANT! Please read before you purchase a crate so you are making the right decision on size. A proper crate should be able to house your dog when he is standing and able to turn around in it. Keep in mind that if you have a puppy, get a crate with movable divider walls so his crate grows and expands with him.
The size chart below is to help you buy the correct size of crate for your dog. Good luck!
How to measure your dog for his crate
Length: Measure the length of your dog from nose to tail. When measuring the tail, be sure to add approximately 2-4 inches to the overall length, depending on the size of your dog.
Height: To determine the height of the crate you will need, measure your dog from the top of the head to the ground.
Thanks for visiting us today! For more information on the basics of dog training, please read our post here
4 Comments
Hi there,
Great review!
My sister just bought a puppy for her little boy, and she really needs a crate to train him. He does his business a lot on the floor, and my sister is going crazy:) She can’t stand it anymore, she even thought of giving him away to another family. I will show her this article, I am sure she will find a nice crate for her puppy:).
Thank you for this excellent post!
Thanks Daniella for sharing! I found out about crate training my dogs a few years ago and it works great! We have house trained all of our dogs this way and it’s a safe, humane way to train them. They are great if you need to be away from home for a few hours and don’t want your dog to get into anything but don’t leave him in for extended periods of time. It’s not good for them and could cause some health issues like urinary tract infections from holding their pee for too long. Your comments are so appreciated, have a great day!
Thank you for your very informative review, I really appreciate how you can articulate the knowledge of your niche with somewhat of a product review intent as well, for me it is more captivating. My family has always had a dog, and I will say that I have never realized the complete capabilities of these amazing dog crates until know. I often hear people wondering how they will handle the dog when they leave home for a while, well here is the answer, in a much better way than I had ever thought. Keep up the great articles, I will be reviewing more content soon, sincerely, Jack
Hey there Jack! Thank you for your kind words, I really appreciate you commenting and sharing your thoughts. Dogs are such a big part of so many people’s lives and when they are disciplined, loved and understood we can have a more symbiotic relationship with them just as we do with our human counterparts. Much aloha to you!