Monday, June 9, 2008
Colossal Dane-size dog crate
I’ve been trying to wrap my mind around the idea of a dog crate big enough for a new Great Dane puppy that we hope to get.
There’s one “Colossal” crate that’s big enough for a full-grown Dane. It’s 45 inches tall -- that’s almost 4 feet! The length is 54 inches -- almost five feet. It’s three feet wide.
I kept walking around our bedroom with a yardstick, trying to imagine this massive crate in our space. It blew my mind. I just could not imagine it.
Our previous Dane had curled up happily under a table by the bed, no problem. But he came to us when he was a year old -- housebroken and well past the chewing stage when a puppy can be a danger to himself.
They call it a crate, but it’s actually a CAGE made of wires. Dillon and I didn’t like the idea of a cage, even though it’s for the safely of the pup. When people said “crate,” I had visualized a plastic box with a wire door like our cat carrier. But the biggest of these plastic crates is only (!) three feet high. I read that a Dane can be 33 inches at the shoulder at just six months old.
The plastic crates look more comfortable for the dog. Who wants to lie against wires? And doggie “accidents” can spray right through the wires of the Colossal crate, while the plastic crate contains it.
We figured that we don’t need a crate big enough to hold our Dane when he’s full grown. We can keep him in the hallway if necessary, and we’d like him to have the run of the house.
Finally we called our favorite Great Dane breeder with our concerns. She said the 3-foot plastic crate is big enough if we just want to keep our puppy in a crate until he is housebroken and done teething. She estimated that to be age 4 to 6 months.
What a relief! These 3-foot-high crates are cheaper, easier to find, and will fit into the bedroom without rearranging ALL the furniture.
P.S. on Oct. 16, 2008
OK, OK, I was wrong and all of you whose comments told me to buy the colossal crate were right. We DID end up buying this exact same crate recently and it’s working well for our Dane puppy. He outgrew the three-foot-high crate about a month ago. He was almost 5 months old -- still in the midst of teething and not safe to have the run of the bedroom. Now at almost 6 months old, he likes this colossal crate better than the old plastic one -- not only because it’s bigger, but because it allows greater air circulation and he can see what what’s happening in the room around him.
It definitely was more work to set up than the plastic type of crate. I had to hire a handyman to help. He laughed when he read the instructions, which never call it a cage or even a crate, but instead refer to it as a “pet home.”
All jokes aside, my Great Dane puppy does seem to consider it a peaceful, relaxing home of his own.
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5 comments:
I recommend the wire collapsable crate like the one shown in your picture. I used to be a fan of the plastic crates too until I bought one of the wire ones for traveling. It is nice to have a crate big enough for your dog. You might want to crate your great dane when she is 8 months old and almost full grown but still very much a puppy. My friend owns a great dane and used one of these wire kennels for over a year and it is a lifesaver. They fold up and fit easily under a bed or in a car trunk when you're not using it.
Thanks for the advice, Lindsay. I still have doubts because our breeder said that the wire crate weighs 70 pounds. That seems awfully heavy for travel!
Maybe there's a way to harness the Great Dane to pull his own crate around on a cart?!
This crate is looking good to me now that the Great Dane puppy has arrived and has grown to 60 pounds at age 4 months! He's almost outgrown the extra-large plastic-sided crate we bought at the breeder's suggestion, and he's still in the early part of the teething stage. He would chew everything if he wasn't in the crate at night!
I highly recommend the colassal crate. Even once they're grown, dogs like to have a "den" that's their own private space. My great dane still sleeps and hangs out in his crate and seems much calmer when in his "den" than left out to roam. Also, while it is definitely a 2-person job, the wire crate is transportable, which is great for taking your dog on vacation or to visit family with you. Just strap to the top of your car with bungees and go!
OK, OK, I was wrong and all of you who told me to buy the colossal crate were right. We DID end up buying this exact same crate recently and it’s working well for our Dane puppy.
He outgrew the three-foot-high crate about a month ago. He was almost 5 months old -- still in the midst of teething and not safe to have the run of the bedroom. Now at almost 6 months old, he likes this colossal crate better than the old plastic one -- not only because it’s bigger, but because it allows greater air circulation and he can see what what’s happening in the room around him.
It definitely was more work to set up than the plastic type of crate. I had to hire a handyman to help. He laughed when he read the instructions, which never call it a cage or even a crate, but instead refer to it as a “pet home.”
All jokes aside, my Great Dane puppy does seem to consider it a peaceful, relaxing home of his own.
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