# Wire vs. Plastic crate?



## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Which type do you think is better: Wire crates or plastic crates and why?

I need a new crate for my "teenage" Beauceron to stay in at night and when I can't watch him... He's outgrowing his 500 vari-kennel plastic crate and he needs something larger. 

The wire crates are a lot cheaper but I am just a little worried about the possibility of escape and that it may be noisy at night. I've been checking Craigslist for used plastic crates but I've only found a few that are the right size and the sellers never get back to me.
I've heard the wire crates are noisy and tend to rattle. I also feed him in the crate and I use a Busy Buddy Mushroom toy to put his food in, and he slams it around the crate to get the food out.


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## trcy (Mar 1, 2013)

Plastic crate. I do have a wire crate, but I do not use it for the GSD. They can get out of them. They can hurt or kill themselves trying to get out of them. The sides collapse down. 

Anyway, I have three dogs and three crates. The large wire crate that the GSD does fit in is my 30 pound dog's crate. I actually bought it, because both my 30 pound dog and 20 pound dog can fit in it. 

The GSD has a very large plastic crate. 

When my oldest dog had surgery I bought a smaller plastic crate that he should have been ok in, but he was to cramped in it. So, that plastic crate went to the 20 pound dog. 

Knowing what I know know I would not have gotten the wire crate, but it's here now and it does serve a purpose for the 30 pound dog.


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## MamaofLEO (Aug 8, 2014)

We (well, Leo) prefers the wire crate (I think it is a 42 in. crate). We *had* a soft crate with a covered board liner but Leo Shawshanked out a side window. He has yet to Houdini out of this one (we cover at night and nap time and he is finally walking in without any "assistant"/bribe/positive treat reinforcement--yay!) It has 2 doors and we have his blankie, carrot pillow and rugs in there and it is *finally* his sanctuary. We had used a plastic crate initially our Ridgie but he would cry and gnaw at the window so we eventually made it a convertible and then he slept in his bed. From our experiences--wire! (you can even add an ex-pen to make it like a condo for your pup


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## Snapdragon (Jul 1, 2014)

I think there are pros and cons to both. Wire you need to be sure not to leave them with a collar on when they go in, because it can snag and choke them. You also have to be careful what you put on top of it, in case they try and pull something through the bars (such as a towel), and as a PP said, the walls do collapse so if your dog is an escape artist or will thrash around in there a lot you may risk them falling in.
I found that plastic kennels such as Vari tend to absorb odor into the plastic, the airflow isnt as good, and the dog also can't see as much when theyre in there which can be good or bad depending on your dog. Some dogs may feel isolated from the pack and not enjoy that, while I personally know one who gets so anxious about his surroundings that he has a panic attack if he can see out of the crate.

I think it depends a lot on the dog/situation.


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## gsdlover91 (Jul 21, 2012)

I use the large and XL wire crates for my dogs. I secured both doors, and all corners with cheap clip things from Home Depot. Berlin, my escape artist, hasn't escaped since I did that - which was about 2 years ago. He's tried, but failed. The clips keeps the corners together and the doors locked. They last forever, are cheap. And I have two in my room at night and they are not noisy at all.

They are also NEVER crated with collars on.

I always worried that Berlin... And now tesla would chew the plastic. And destroy the plastic crates.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Most of mine did fine with wire crates. Midnite did escape and I put locks on it. All of my older dogs were out of the crate before they were a year. I still have two in a crate and I have one plastic and one wire. 

Now the story of why I had to get s plastic crate..

When Batman came back from my dads I had put him in the crate(first day) so he could re-adjust. I was in the kitchen and within 5 minutes I came back and found him as you see in the picture. It scared the heck out of me. I don't usually put them in a crate unsupervised with a collar on either. In this case it was minutes and taught me a lesson about leaving collars on. Within minutes we were out the door going to the pet store to get a plastic crate.


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

I've only used wire and haven't had any problems personally, though if I did I'd look at the plastic


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

I have both and have used both, but I prefer plastic. I think it keeps any sort of accidents/mess/hair contained more easily, and I've had toes get stuck in wire crates before.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

GatorDog said:


> I have both and have used both, but I prefer plastic. I think it keeps any sort of accidents/mess/hair contained more easily, and I've had toes get stuck in wire crates before.


Same for me....though in the hottest part of Summer I switch to wire in the vehicle. My dogs aren't destructive and I only crate pups and use a vari-kennel for young puppies. Prefer vari-kennel over a wire, as it does keep in the mess. I'm ordering one of these as I need another travel crate: http://www.miller-mfg.com/product/157322.html


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## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

GatorDog said:


> I have both and have used both, but I prefer plastic. I think it keeps any sort of accidents/mess/hair contained more easily, and I've had toes get stuck in wire crates before.


 Same here.

Also I've had a dog break multiple teeth on a wire crate, and multiple dogs escape out of wire. I do have one dog that can break out of a varikennel real easy but we've created a solution to that...


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I think if a dog wants to break out, it will do anything possible to try. Sad that they break teeth in the process. Some of those wire crates are so flimsy and dangerous. 

llombardo, glad you were home to help Batman. I also never leave a collar on the dog unless we're training, and remove it when crated in the vehicle.


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## scarfish (Apr 9, 2013)

even the plastic crates have a wire door so they can still break their teeth on it.


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## scarfish (Apr 9, 2013)

i do however prefer plastic but i don't think it really matters.


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## G-burg (Nov 10, 2002)

This really comes down to a personal preference I think... As both have their ups and downs... And many dogs have chewed through the plastic crates as well as busting the gate off.. Same goes for the wire ones..

I have wire crates that I use in the house and my dogs do just fine in them.. I personally like to have full view of my dogs. 

And I use the Vari-Kennels only in my vehicles..

If you go with the wire crates.. Spend the money and get the good, sturdy ones.. I put rubbing matting underneath mine and two of the dogs have rubber matting inside.. I find it makes them less noisy..


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

It's all about how well you've crate trained and your dogs ability to destroy. All my dogs were properly trained (crate beside my bed) from puppyhood (harder I know if you get an adult dog) and by the time they are 2 years old can be trusted in a fabric crate. 

But I'd never put a puppy in a fabric crate.

I usually have plastic when they are smaller and they graduate to the metal crates. Dog seem to like them fine, more of a view and more air for them, easier to clean the removable tray if there is a mess. So easy to collapse flat and travel with if necessary in almost any vehicle (my dog's don't travel in crates, we use seatbelt harnesses.)


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## annap24 (Jul 22, 2014)

Those of you who use plastic crates, where's the best place to get a good quality one for an adult dog for a decent price? I'm thinking about seeing if Reagan would like the plastic better than the wire crates.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Tractor Supply company has decent ones. Though personally I like the vari-kennel brand best. Many local mom and pop pet supply stores may be able to order you one without you having to pay shipping. I try to support the smaller local business whenever possible.


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

MaggieRoseLee said:


> It's all about how well you've crate trained and your dogs ability to destroy. All my dogs were properly trained (crate beside my bed) from puppyhood (harder I know if you get an adult dog) and by the time they are 2 years old can be trusted in a fabric crate.
> 
> But I'd never put a puppy in a fabric crate.
> 
> I usually have plastic when they are smaller and they graduate to the metal crates. Dog seem to like them fine, more of a view and more air for them, easier to clean the removable tray if there is a mess. So easy to collapse flat and travel with if necessary in almost any vehicle (my dog's don't travel in crates, we use seatbelt harnesses.)



My dogs are perfectly crate trained, and the issues with toes getting caught has never been due to attempted destruction. When we're in the car and they slide around as I turn or something, the toes slide between the spaces and they can get stuck. It's happened to multiple dogs that I've owned and more than a few times.


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

It's hard to find a 48 inch plastic crate. For the price of one, I can buy a 10x10' kennel for outdoors! I've always used a plastic crate but when Varik outgrew his 40 inch, I switched to a 48" metal crate, the first I've ever owned. We put it up and secured it with black tie-wraps to increase its stability. He only escaped once and the only reason he even tried (he had never done so before or since) was because he was sick and had diarrhea and refused to go in his crate. He lunged against it until he finally got out and then was sick all in his bedroom .. yay. Once he got better, he's never tried to get out again.

In the car, he's squashed into a 36 inch plastic crate (biggest that will fit). Looks like a clown car scene, but he doesn't seem uncomfortable.


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

Tyson uses a wire crate and Shiggs uses a plastic crate, I like both of them, the plastic crate contains things more though.


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## G-burg (Nov 10, 2002)

Petco has some pretty good prices... (hopefully the link works)

Petmate Ultra Vari Dog Kennel - Vari Kennel and Plastic Dog Crate from petco.com


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## annap24 (Jul 22, 2014)

G-burg said:


> Petco has some pretty good prices... (hopefully the link works)
> 
> Petmate Ultra Vari Dog Kennel - Vari Kennel and Plastic Dog Crate from petco.com



Thanks for sharing! They also have a 20% off coupon, so I can get the 40 inch for 70-90 pound dogs for $75. Seems like a great deal!


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## Mrs.P (Nov 19, 2012)

Plastic in the car and wire at home. Believe it is a dog-dependent choice though.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

GatorDog said:


> My dogs are perfectly crate trained, and the issues with toes getting caught has never been due to attempted destruction. When we're in the car and they slide around as I turn or something, the toes slide between the spaces and they can get stuck. It's happened to multiple dogs that I've owned and more than a few times.


Karlo was jumping into the crate after obedience and got his foot caught on the way in. He was stuck and kept trying to move forward instead of backing out. Hates having his feet touched so it got a bit dicey. Luckily he didn't break anything while he struggled to free himself. I used some vetwrap to block the space between the pan and the door so it wouldn't happen again.


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## Persinette (Jan 31, 2015)

I used the metal wire crates for the husky foster and will use one for my GSD pup when I get him. I like that they can collapse for storage and I just reinforce the bonds with ties as was mentioned to prevent the chance of it collapsing on the dog. I also liked being able to easily see the dog inside. For dogs that need that sense of being in an enclosed space I think there are special covers you can get that are stiff, instead of a blanket or towel, to cover it and make it more den like. As was said as well, some are designed to attach to an xpen or even better an indoor kennel which, for a teething puppy that is potty trained but not house safe, can be an invaluable a great feature. Annd I prefer the look of them aesthetically.

I was always worried about the pup chewing on the plastic of a plastic crate. I know you can do a similar expen set up with plastics though and they have some great benefits. Unless the dog has an issue with one or the other I think both are fine options.


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## Ruger Monster (Jan 29, 2015)

gsdlover91 said:


> I always worried that Berlin... And now tesla would chew the plastic. And destroy the plastic crates.


Ruger chews the plastic of one of the other dogs' crates when he's out. He was in a two different plastic crates when he was smaller, and broke a puppy tooth on the door of it, and found a way to chew the sides of it where the holes were 

He's got an XL wire crate, we had a divider in it for when we first got him, and he managed to get his mouth stuck open between two slats trying to escape the first night. So we went to a plastic crate the following night (he slept in our bed the first night). He hasn't been kept in one since he was about 10 weeks old.

He's got his wire crate set up with a bed and all now, but we also haven't been keeping him closed in it much. He has an X-pen attached to it, like his own little apartment. I did close the doors on his crate last night while we mopped and he seemed to do okay with it. I keep his collar off whenever we aren't home, and whenever we aren't within view of his pen to avoid getting stuck. I don't trust him with plastic since he chewed on the first one, and has chewed on the other dog's crate from the outside.


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

onyx'girl said:


> Karlo was jumping into the crate after obedience and got his foot caught on the way in. He was stuck and kept trying to move forward instead of backing out. Hates having his feet touched so it got a bit dicey. Luckily he didn't break anything while he struggled to free himself. I used some vetwrap to block the space between the pan and the door so it wouldn't happen again.



That's exactly what's happened to Carm multiple times. I tried vet wrap too, but she's a shredder unfortunately.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

annap24 said:


> Thanks for sharing! They also have a 20% off coupon, so I can get the 40 inch for 70-90 pound dogs for $75. Seems like a great deal!


where is the 20% off coupon?


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## annap24 (Jul 22, 2014)

onyx'girl said:


> where is the 20% off coupon?


If you sign up for their email newsletter they send it to you! I think it's for new customers only, but I'm not sure.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Thank you!


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Both have pros and cons. Plastic is much better for containing a mess, for dogs who prefer a more "den-like" atmosphere, often are more durable and the more expensive brands are probably safer when correctly bolted or strapped inside a vehicle. Wire is better for ventilation, much easier to collapse and move around (say you're taking 6 dogs to one event, you can move 6 flat crates on a dolly), usually easier to fit in vehicles or rows because the sides are all straight up and down not weird "diamond" shape or ridged like plastic kennels, it's easier/cheaper to get options with 2-3 doors.

I prefer wire but also have two plastic crates. My baby puppy crate is a 24" plastic crate. Legend just got a 40" airline style plastic crate for at home. All my other crates (13 of them) are wire. The crates in my van are wire because of better ventilation when traveling, training, and competing in warmer temps and they all fit flush against each other. That said, I've never had a dog that bends or destroys wire crates. My home crates are pretty cheap/flimsy wire gauge (van ones are heavier duty for safety).


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## canada.k9 (Jan 7, 2015)

I use the wire, personally, but it really depends on the dog.
If Phoenix, say, had S.A. (Separation Anxiety) I would probably use a plastic crate, OR (If I was rich, lol) an Impact crate (Impact Kennels - Working Dog Dry Goods) to avoid her trying to bite or 'dig' her way out.
Although, it really depends how well they are trained in one.
I had my girl by my bed in a plastic crate for her first 3-4 months with us, then graduated to a wire in the living room. 

Those impact crates are like, love at first sight for me, haha. I would get one in a second, if I could afford it.


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## Persinette (Jan 31, 2015)

canada.k9 said:


> I use the wire, personally, but it really depends on the dog.
> If Phoenix, say, had S.A. (Separation Anxiety) I would probably use a plastic crate, OR (If I was rich, lol) an Impact crate (Impact Kennels - Working Dog Dry Goods) to avoid her trying to bite or 'dig' her way out.
> Although, it really depends how well they are trained in one.
> I had my girl by my bed in a plastic crate for her first 3-4 months with us, then graduated to a wire in the living room.
> ...


That's certainly a heavy duty crate! I imagine it's great for escape artists and those prone to chewing on the crate itself. That price reflects it though you're right. Not cheap. I imagine it's pretty heavy too so would be difficult to move if you and to?


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

This is the one I was considering if I went with a wire crate, it seems to be one of the stronger ones available:
http://www.midwestpetproducts.com/m...e-door-folding-dog-crate-model-748up-49x30x35

Tesla wears a collar in the crate, but it's one that is made to stretch if it gets caught on something so he could get loose.



G-burg said:


> Petco has some pretty good prices... (hopefully the link works)
> 
> Petmate Ultra Vari Dog Kennel - Vari Kennel and Plastic Dog Crate from petco.com


That's a good price! Too bad they only go up to 40" though. The one he is growing out of is 40" or 42", so I need the next size up. He is already bigger than Bianca my GSD was and he's still growing...


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## G-burg (Nov 10, 2002)

I like the mid west wire crates.. The two that I have are sturdy... Mine are pretty old too..


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Galathiel said:


> It's hard to find a 48 inch plastic crate. For the price of one, I can buy a 10x10' kennel for outdoors! I've always used a plastic crate but when Varik outgrew his 40 inch, I switched to a 48" metal crate, the first I've ever owned. We put it up and secured it with black tie-wraps to increase its stability.


Yeah that is the main reason I was considering going to a metal crate, there are 48" plastic crates but they cost a lot more than a metal crate and are more unwieldy because they don't collapse like a metal crate. 
Have you found that the ties make the crate less noisy? 

One reason I wasn't sure about using a metal crate with him is I tried to switch over to an x-pen instead of his crate before and he hated it, he kept trying to escape/climb it.

We are still working on the training in the crate. He was around 7 months when I got him and although he was supposedly crate-trained, he hated the crate- he would bark when in it and never wanted to go inside. He is a lot better now but he still barks at night sometimes and will bang his paws against the door when he wants out in the morning. I usually leave the plastic crate mostly covered up when he's inside because it seems to help with the barking if he can't see out. 
I thought about getting a big kennel run type thing instead, because he is (hopefully) getting to the point where he doesn't need the more confined space for potty training reasons. The only problem with that is the only place in the house with enough room for a big thing like that is the basement. The few times I had to crate him down there he hated it, I think because he wants to be near where we are (even if we're not actually home!)
He does still need to be crated when I can't keep an eye on him also because he will get into mischief if he can, and because I'm still working on teaching him not to chase the cats.


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

His crate isn't noisy, but he's very calm in his crate anyways. I put a rug down in it for him to lie on and really there's not any noise at all. 

I will say that he's always been very quiet in his crate. He never bangs around or even gets excited when I go to let him out. He lies there or will sit up when I get ready to open the door.


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