Crate Size/Replacement

[Milopup]

I was wondering if y'all bought new crates for your cairns as they got older? Bosco has been using the same crate since we brought him home - it is a 24" x 18" (medium/small I guess). When he was a baby/pup we had an empty 3-gallon water bottle in there (creating a "loft" for him - he loved it!) and now he is in there without the water bottle of course. Bosco is about 19 months old and is 13 pounds - he still sleeps in his crate at night, and is there (or in his travel crate 21"x24") when we are not at home. A few questions:

1) How do I know if the crate is too small?

2) How do we know when to replace the crates - what type of wear/tear should we look for?

3) After what period of time do people generally replace their crates?

Thank you.

[savannahsmom35]

We had to replace Savannah's crate because she got too big for hers. She had a medium sized travel crate and she got so tall that she couldn't stand all the way up without hitting her head. We changed her over to a wire crate for a dog up to 25 lbs. that came with a divider so that you could make the crate larger or smaller as needed. She is only 8 pounds and we have been putting her in the crate without the divider and she doesn't have any accidents in it! I know the crate is actually too big but it makes me feel better about crating her because she has enough room to stretch out and play and since she is in it all day while we are at work, I don't want her to be cramped. As long as she continues with no accidents in her new "home" I plan to let her stay in the crate without the divider.

I know this is off topic (Sorry!) but if any of you have pups around Savannah's age, about how much does the average female weigh at 4 months old? She is already 8 pounds and I have heard that they won't stop growing until they are 12 months old. She still has 8 months to go and I am scard that she is going to be HUGE! She is not overweight so I am wondering, does their growing slow down at a certain age?

[Cairns2]

We purchased a larger crate once our female was fully trained. She likes to stretch out so we bought one two sizes larger - I could fit in it! She's only in the crate when we are not home. I had noticed she was trying to stretch out in the smaller crate and her legs were sticking out. I was afraid she'd get hurt trying to get up so we went to a larger size. If you see your dog having trouble turning around, stretching out, or hitting his head on the crate top, I'd say it's time for a larger one.

[Eliz222]

Scout doesn't stay in the crate anymore and Finch is in it rarely, but we still have it set up downstairs.

It's big enough for her to move around and she is not cramped. This cage came from my SIL and DH spray painted the bottom tray since it had rusted. We keep fresh towels down (there's a fresh towel on top now) for her and we don't keep any toys or chewies in it.

PS. That's a ping pong table to the left so you can see how tall it is.

[kayharley]

My three all have the same size crate...18"X24" and they seem to love it. Winnie, my 11 year old, slightly plump Cairn spends alot of time in hers (with Elliott on the loose, I would love to get in a crate too )

They have enough room to turn, stretch, stand and I think it's a cozy environment for them.

[toomanypaws]

All 3 of mine used the same baby crate for pups up to 10 lbs. Kiara now has a crate 24 X 16 that she only uses during thunderstorms. Guess it's security for her. Abbey and Hannah use a crate only when no one is home. Abbey's crate is 22 X 15, enough for her to stretch out in. She prefers to sleep on her side. Hannah moved from the baby crate to a new crate which is 21 X 13. She curls up in a ball and only takes up 1/2 of it.

[Milopup]

Thanks - glad to know that we all chose similar crate sizes. :-D Have you ever replaced the crates, or are they fairly durable. Mine is about 1 1/2 years old and stays covered most of the time (Bosco likes to sleep in a cozy environment where the back and the sides of the crate are covered.), and I am wondering if they need to be replaced after a while.

Thanks again (apologies, still haven't figured out the photos thing - apparently mine take up too much memory?)

[toomanypaws]

Crates are pretty durable. I only replaced everyones so that they could all match. I just keep the extras in the attic, you never know . . . . .

[kayharley]

I think mine will last forever...only replacements seem to be for the bedding.

Extras in the attic, toomanypaws? 3/4 of my den consists of crates, toys, beds, grooming stuff and Cairn books. The other 1/4 is my computer which has 75% Cairn stuff stored in it. I swear it's a addiction.

Ooop...I got off topic.