Travel Crate recommendations

[MightyThor]

When we crate trained Thor, we used the standard wire crate with a divider (to expand the space as he grew). We don't use it at home anymore, but we still keep it handy for travel since he goes everywhere with us. It's convenient to have for hotel rooms/cabins when we can't give him the freedom we can trust him with in our own home. He still loves the crate and goes into it with no problems.

The crate we have folds flat, but is a bit heavy and awkward to move. It just occurred to me today that there are crates made for travel - crates that collapse, pack down better, and are lighter than the one we have now. Can anyone recommend one for my 70 lb boy? Price isn't a concern. Durability is - it will be thrown in the bed of our truck with lots of gear/outdoor toys/driven down dirt roads.

Also, advice for switching him to a different crate? I know we'd set it up at home and use it for a while to get him used to it. I'm not in too big of a hurry - we'll be spending the holidays in a cottage up in Oregon and that should be the next time I need a crate.

[Tanya]

I have a noz2noz material crate. i've had it many years though do not use it often anymore. the one side is hard to "click in" now. it's a 36" which is on the small size for Rocky but he rarely spends many hours in there. Rock is very tall and around 80-85 pounds (over the years). The one thing is I am not sure if it's as "breahtable" as a metal one and if a dog wans to get out they can. Pen was doing some digging in there the other day (but we were at the dock).

For pen I am likely going to stick with a metal crate but she is smaller so I am looking at a 36" one. She is normally "good" in teh crate but not sure I trust it if I need to leave her in a fabric one for long while I leave.

I never had issues switchign crates. Both my two love crates, any crate and go in on their own usually. You can probably set it up somewhere familiar and feed them in there, throw treats in there (before you head off).

[smartrock]

We have a couple of types. Chase particularly adores the collapsible crates over wire ones and if we have one set up and can't find Chase, he's sure to be inside the crate.

The lightest and easiest to use are by LLBean. They fold up like a folding outdoor chair, take up very little room, and so far, they're doing fine, we've had them about a year. Since we need 2 crates if we have to stay with friends or in a hotel with the dogs, these have just been a joy to have. They come in carrying bags. I did not get the foam pad to put in the bottom of them.

Stowaway Dog Kennel | Free Shipping at L.L.Bean

The first collapsible/travel crate we got was from Drs Foster & Smith. We had to replace it after 8 years of use because someone whose name I won't mention (LARK!) managed to damage one of the zippers and once that happens, that's the end of a collapsible crate. What I liked about that crate, without realizing it, is that it has a removable, waterproof vinyl liner in the bottom of it. Chase likes to dig at the bottom of crates, dig at beds, he's just a digger. Not often, but often enough. He has dug at the bottoms of the LLBean crates and scratched some of the waterproofing off the bottom but it hasn't gone through the fabric. Because the DRs F&S crate zipper was broken, I ordered a Noz2Noz crate from Amazon. The Noz2Noz crate does not have the vinyl liner in the bottom. Fortunately I had not thrown out the first crate and have moved the liner to the new crate. When Chase got into the new crate, he immediately started scratching at the floor of the crate. Because of that liner alone, I would choose the Drs Foster & Smith collapsible crate over the N2N crate were I to order that type crate again. Otherwise the 2 crates seem very similar. Or I'd make sure the collapsible crate I was getting had the removable liner, there may be other brands.

Dog Crate: Deluxe Soft Dog Crate at DrsFosterSmith.com

Amazon.com : Noz2Noz 667 N2 Sof-Krate Indoor/Outdoor Pet Home, 36 inches for Pets up to 70lbs : Pet Kennels : Pet Supplies

Importantly, your dog has to have outgrown the need to chew things. My daughter's 5 month old puppy chewed through a travel crate the very first time they used it. It was funny to see her head sticking out of the crate, but not so funny for newlyweds on a limited budget. Chase and Lark have each chewed a crate zipper, on 2 different crates, that required them to be replaced.

[JenC]

I would do a Noz to Noz soft crate. That's what I use for going to dog shows and staying in hotels.

[Scoutpout]

Scout has the old version of the Noz2Noz crate, he's a big boy but its only a 36" crate. it was all that would fit in my small car even folded up, at the time. ideally i'd get him a 42" if i were getting a new one. He has "broken" out of it once while left crated in a training hall with other crated dogs, he apparently wondered why he wasn't invited to the bbq with the humans! he pushed and clawed the material away from the zipper across the top. I've been able to sew it closed, so crate still works. I definitley wouldn't depend on this kind of a crate to secure a dog that you were leaving alone for any length of time. It works great for shows though.

[Labradorks]

Noz2Noz crate. I use 36" for mine and they fit OK. It's a little tight. I also have a 42" but I find it awkward for my height to carry around. I have to lean so it doesn't drag the ground and getting it in and out of the car is just as awkward. My dogs have never damaged them.

[Annette47]

We have two original Cabana Crates (fabric) that I love, but they don’t make them anymore. We also own (it was a hand-me-down from Chloe’s breeder) a Canine Camper soft crate that is probably pretty old as well. That one is ok, but is heavier than the Cabana Crates so I don’t use it much.

I see tons of people using the Noz2Noz crates at shows, and if I needed a new crate, that’s probably what I would go with. I’ve never had a dog destroy a fabric crate, but my dogs haven’t been destructive in general, either.

We only have 36in crates which have been plenty of room for all the girls. It may have been a bit small for Mulder if he had to be crated overnight or something, but we mostly only used it for a few hours here and there at shows.

[Tanya]

Noz2Noz crate. I use 36" for mine and they fit OK. It's a little tight. I also have a 42" but I find it awkward for my height to carry around. I have to lean so it doesn't drag the ground and getting it in and out of the car is just as awkward. My dogs have never damaged them.

this is why i didn't go with the 42". i am too short to carry it around :P The big crates (42 and 48) are for at home where movement is limited (and I set up multiple crates to avoid having to move them).

[MightyThor]

Great feedback, everyone! I like the look of the Noz2Noz crates.

Thor has moved past the chewing stage, but every once in a while something catches his attention and I need to redirect. One of those things is the zippers on the side of my boots. So I think I'll have to work on that in conjunction with acclimating him to a new travel crate.

[LabraGal]

Noz2Noz crate. I use 36" for mine and they fit OK. It's a little tight. I also have a 42" but I find it awkward for my height to carry around. I have to lean so it doesn't drag the ground and getting it in and out of the car is just as awkward. My dogs have never damaged them.

I have the 42" Noz2Noz and have the same problem bumping the ground while carrying it, so I clipped an old purse shoulder trap to the handle and made it short, then I hoist it on my shoulder so it stays off the ground. OP: Do make sure your dog isn't going to chew his way out before leaving a dog alone in a soft crate. My dog is used to it from agility trials, but I'd never trust a puppy in it.