About Crates

  You did the homework and found a puppy that comes from the breeder and the breeding that you like. You put your deposit down and then it hits you. I don’t have anything for this dog that is arriving here in a few weeks.

  You wonder what else you need besides the normal leash and bowls and food. One thing is to puppy proof your house just as you would for a baby in the house. Another thing that you will need is a crate of some kind.

  Why do I need a crate you ask? A couple of reasons right away are they assist greatly in house breaking the puppy. They give you a break by giving the puppy his own space where he can rest, and you don’t have to pay constant attention to him. The crate also gives you a secure way of transporting the dog in your vehicle.

  Now you have decided that your puppy needs a crate, where do you begin? There are a number of choices, and we are going to cover a couple of them. 

  Before we do it needs to be stated that we are not supported in any way by any of these companies. So any opinions are formed by first hand use or being around the product enough to be informed.

  That being said the first one is the one everyone knows and that is the Pet Porter or the Vari Kennel or whatever name you know them as. These are the ones that you find at big box pet stores and any general pet supplier. 

These, for what they are, get the job done. They will secure the dog and give the dog his space so he can rest and will assist you in house breaking. 

  As far as security they usually do not lock. These are usually two pieces that are held together with screw and wing nuts and in a vehicle accident these are most likely to fail. And not provide the protection that we all want for our dogs.

  The next one in the lineup is the Ruff Land Kennel. This used to be known as the Ruff Tough line of kennels. These are available whether from the company or online retailers. They also have authorized retailers. The web site will aid you in finding them.

These kennels come with a composite door; other materials are available from the company as an after-market purchase.

  These are a lot more secure than the first kennels. This kennel is one piece rotomolded. As far as security, I haven’t seen one that locks. In a vehicle I would feel a lot better about my dog riding in one of these than the first option.

  To me one of the best things about this lineup is that they are available with multiple doors on some models. Which really comes in handy if you are in an SUV or a car. They also make models that fit behind the seats of an SUV. Allowing for maximum use of space.

  The next one that we are going to talk about briefly is the Dakota 283. Now in the interest of full disclosure this is the one that I use. These are one piece roto molded kennels. They come with a metal door that you are able to lock so when you step away from the truck the dog is secure.in the kennel. The door is metal and the latching system is easy to use. No squeezing you pull the lever and it opens and you slam the door and it closes. I like the simplicity.

One thing that is great about this lineup is the options that you get. There are two door versions similar to Ruff Land. There are low profile models that fit easier under the tonneau cover of your truck. They also have a series designed for K-9’s and dogs that are on the aggressive side.

   While we are talking about puppies and how these crates help there is an option that you can get for the kennel that is called the Forever Insert. It is an insert that you can change the size of the space in the kennel so that as the puppy grows you can continue to enlarge the space and only have to purchase the one kennel.

  You can feel that this one piece roto molded kennel is a little more heavy duty than the Ruff Land but it is not too heavy to lift and move around. I feel quite confident in the security and safety of these kennels.

  The last one that we are going to cover is the Gunner kennel. This is a double roto molded kennel. It feels like a tank. It comes with a composite door and a locking system similar to the Dakota 283.

  Being doble rotomolded this thing is heavy. It has straps on top to help in lifting, but it is a bit of work to move it around. 

This crate is solid, and you can rest assured that your dog will be safe. One of the nicest things about this kennel is that it is guaranteed for life. So you should not have to replace it as the years go on.

  All of these kennels, except the Vari Kennel, have a number of accessories that are available and in the interest of keeping your attention I will say go to the different websites and see what is available.

  I hope this helps you in your search for a crate for your bundle of fur and puts you on a good path to begin the journey of becoming a team in the uplands.