Hi -
I'm getting a new puppy soon (15-30lbs) and he's being crate trained right now, but I'm not sure what is the best kind of crate to get for him when he arrives.
Thanks! Julia
My puppy is around 12 lbs now and the crate size we have is 18 in x 24 in x 19 in. I think it'll be a good size for him as he grows (he'll likely be around 20-25 lbs full grown), but it's possible we'll have to go up one more size. We have limited space in our home, so I wanted to go with something as small as we could for starters. If you go a little bigger to start, a lot of the crates out there come with a partition so you can make the crate a bit smaller at first and then remove it as he gets bigger.
You want a crate thats large enough for them to be comfortable, but small enough to prevent accidents. I made the mistake with my puppy by getting a really big crate, and he would leave the bed to potty, then go back onto his bed. To solve this problem, I put a fleece blanket down to make the whole space a bed.
You can always transition to a larger size, but the crates conveniently have weight/breed recommendations that accompany the size of crate. Use that as a guide to picking the right size.
I am with Olivia on this one- we got a crate that was large enough for the full grown size and had a divider so we could keep it small enough for her as she grew. That prevented accidents- she never peed in her crate even from 10weeks old!
Did you ask your trainer what kind of crate he is currently using?
You should get a kennel that is big enough for your dog to stand up, lay down, and turn around--but no larger or your dog could learn to use part of the kennel for a "potty" area. If you need to get a kennel that's too big for now, you can put a large box in the kennel to take up the extra room.
I agree with the other posts. Something they can grow into. Something you can make very homey for them. Just remember, that's their safe place. You can't punish the puppy to the crate, they'll associate crate to punishment. That's their sanctuary.