# Crate Recommendations



## LexiLou999 (Nov 22, 2020)

Hi, everyone. I’ve been going through these forums for the last few months and have enjoyed reading everyone’s advice and stories. Now I have a question of my own.

My family adopted a rescue GSD (or GSD mix) over the summer. She was a fearful stray in a big city who was sleeping on porches. I don’t know for sure if she’s purebred (and it honestly doesn’t matter to me) but she looks close enough. Lexi is anywhere from 18 months to 2 years old, but possibly a little younger.

Unfortunately she is a bit too attached to us and suffers from some separation anxiety whenever my parents leave the house. We have been crating her as we don’t trust her yet to not destroy furniture or cause some other type of damage. I want to assure everyone that she isn’t crated and left alone for hours every day. My mom works from home and my dad is retired, so she is only crated whenever we are all out of the house running errands or going out to dinner. We have tried to put her in the crate while we are home at times to acclimate her and make it her space, and she usually does fine. It’s just when we leave that the howling and the escape attempts start.

I’m not sure of the brand of crate we bought for her, but it’s one of the classic wire crates with the plastic bottoms and two latches. It’s pretty sturdy, however my concern is that she is pulling and bending some of the bars on the door. I’m worried that they’re going to snap and cut her or she might get her nose stuck and hurt herself trying to push through. For this reason we are interested in a more solid crate with plastic sides instead of all wire.

Does anyone have any recommendations for this type of crate, or crates for escape artists in general? Most of what I’m seeing online looks very flimsy, and seems designed for aesthetic rather than function.

Here’s a couple pictures of our girl, much happier now that she is in a home where she is loved 🥰


----------



## chuckd (Jul 16, 2019)

Lexi is a cute youngster- looks purebred enough for me!

I had the same problem with my rescue male, Gunnar. Two mangled crates later (1 plastic, 1 wire), we're happy to have found Ruff Land Kennels. Out of all the "super safe, escape proof" crates, I think they're the lowest price. Still pricey, but definitely worth the peace-of-mind.

You may also want to check out Impact, Gunner and Dakota.


----------



## HollandN (Aug 12, 2020)

She is just gorgeous sorry don’t have a crate recommendation


----------



## Bramble (Oct 23, 2011)

Ruff Land Kennels. They have a metal door liner for dogs that try to get out of the crate. It is one solid piece of molded plastic.

If you are looking for a metal crate I like TNC Crates.


----------



## LexiLou999 (Nov 22, 2020)

chuckd said:


> Lexi is a cute youngster- looks purebred enough for me!
> 
> I had the same problem with my rescue male, Gunnar. Two mangled crates later (1 plastic, 1 wire), we're happy to have found Ruff Land Kennels. Out of all the "super safe, escape proof" crates, I think they're the lowest price. Still pricey, but definitely worth the peace-of-mind.
> 
> You may also want to check out Impact, Gunner and Dakota.


Thank you!!! I will look into those


----------



## LexiLou999 (Nov 22, 2020)

Bramble said:


> Ruff Land Kennels. They have a metal door liner for dogs that try to get out of the crate. It is one solid piece of molded plastic.
> 
> If you are looking for a metal crate I like TNC Crates.


Thanks for the recommendations!! I appreciate it


----------



## LexiLou999 (Nov 22, 2020)

HollandN said:


> She is just gorgeous sorry don’t have a crate recommendation


Thanks! Those pretty looks conceal all the crazy that lies underneath lol


----------



## txtrayce (Nov 22, 2020)

LexiLou999 said:


> Hi, everyone. I’ve been going through these forums for the last few months and have enjoyed reading everyone’s advice and stories. Now I have a question of my own.
> 
> My family adopted a rescue GSD (or GSD mix) over the summer. She was a fearful stray in a big city who was sleeping on porches. I don’t know for sure if she’s purebred (and it honestly doesn’t matter to me) but she looks close enough. Lexi is anywhere from 18 months to 2 years old, but possibly a little younger.
> 
> ...


So beautiful! Y’all are angels, thank you for rescuing!!!


----------



## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

If you need budget friendly
Petmate Vari Kennel is ideal for pet training or traveling 

I have used these for years for a variety of dog and while they have been gnawed I have yet to have a dog escape. The fact that they come apart makes cleaning easy.


----------



## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

The little tan guy ate through a Vari Kennel, and obliterated the living room.


----------



## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

PetMate Ultra Large Sky Kennel. Petco used to carry it and it was often marked down.


----------



## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

I would start with something cheaper plastic crates like @Sabis mom suggested. I would move to one of the heavy duty ones only if I was having escape issues. I’m not a fan of wire crates like you have since they tend to encourage escape artists. They also don’t last as long in my experience. I use them when I travel to club training, but that’s only because if portability.


----------



## LexiLou999 (Nov 22, 2020)

Bearshandler said:


> I would start with something cheaper plastic crates like @Sabis mom suggested. I would move to one of the heavy duty ones only if I was having escape issues. I’m not a fan of wire crates like you have since they tend to encourage escape artists. They also don’t last as long in my experience. I use them when I travel to club training, but that’s only because if portability.


Thanks! I think we’re leaning toward something more sturdy like the Ruff Land kennels that we’re mentioned earlier, as a more long-term investment. We keep a camera on her when we leave and the way she thrashes and rocks the crate back and forth for the first 10-20 minutes is insane.


----------



## LexiLou999 (Nov 22, 2020)

David Winners said:


> The little tan guy ate through a Vari Kennel, and obliterated the living room.
> View attachment 566032


Yikes! It’s always the cute ones with the wild gleam in their eyes... lol. Lexi hasn’t displayed too many destroyer tendencies (yet). The only couple of times she’s managed to get out (well after the initial freak out thankfully), she gathered various items from our kitchen and brought them over to her bed, then laid among them like a dragon guarding her hoard. And she also ate an entire bowl of sugar 😂


----------



## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Some dogs can’t be crated due to prior experience. I had a rescue who could never stay in a crate, so I taught him to be safe outside of it. You can always create a safe room for her that she can’t destroy.


----------



## LexiLou999 (Nov 22, 2020)

LuvShepherds said:


> Some dogs can’t be crated due to prior experience. I had a rescue who could never stay in a crate, so I taught him to be safe outside of it. You can always create a safe room for her that she can’t destroy.


Thanks, I wish that was an option but right now there isn’t a designated room that could be used for that. Plus my parents were traumatized when our last dog scratched up a door beyond recognition lol. She does eventually settle down and go to sleep, it’s just the initial 15 minutes or so where she tries to escape. We hope that eventually we can leave her loose in the house and not use a crate anymore once she’s older and more trustworthy.


----------



## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

I just reread my post! I lied. 
Bud trashed 3 of them, but to be fair I was happy that he did it. 1) Someone tried to climb through my kitchen window one night and Bud tore the door off his crate. 2) A former tenant entered with a key (always change your locks!) at 2am thinking no one was there and Bud went through the side of the crate. 3) I got attacked in the back yard while Bud was crated. I had Sabi with me but Bud thought she might need help. Kiss door #2 good bye. 
Lol. 
That said I have put all number of loopy rescues in them and had no issues. I never use wire crates.


----------



## EgansMom (Apr 18, 2020)

Sabis mom said:


> I just reread my post! I lied.
> Bud trashed 3 of them, but to be fair I was happy that he did it. 1) Someone tried to climb through my kitchen window one night and Bud tore the door off his crate. 2) A former tenant entered with a key (always change your locks!) at 2am thinking no one was there and Bud went through the side of the crate. 3) I got attacked in the back yard while Bud was crated. I had Sabi with me but Bud thought she might need help. Kiss door #2 good bye.
> Lol.
> That said I have put all number of loopy rescues in them and had no issues. I never use wire crates.


Christ on a cracker ! Where do you live ? lol. Way to go Bud !


----------



## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

EgansMom said:


> Christ on a cracker ! Where do you live ? lol. Way to go Bud !


Crappy neighborhoods in Calgary. Lol. Glad I moved. Now I just deal with wildlife.


----------



## LexiLou999 (Nov 22, 2020)

Thanks again to everyone for your recommendations. The Ruff Land Kennel crate arrived today and I’m pleasantly surprised that Lexi is already going in it on her own. This never happened with her previous wire crate. Hopefully this will become a chill place for her and help with the anxiety.


----------



## HollandN (Aug 12, 2020)

Aw she looks very content


----------

