I'm looking for a dog crate for my Doberman puppy. How big does it need to be?
I’ve been reading that crating would be a good place to keep my pup while I’m at work. I’m not really sure how big it needs to be, though. He’s just a pup now (only 2 months old) but will grow up to be an average sized Doberman (the breed itself is pretty big, though). I’m looking for a crate to keep him in during the day while I work. I heard that dogs use the Crate as their den (Apparently, they are animals who are looking for "dens" to inhabit). Since this crate sounds like it will be the dog’s "clubhouse" and I will have blankets and toys in there for him, should he have room for him to run around as a puppy and just enough room to sleep as an adult dog? How big would that need to be?
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What would make sense economically would be to buy a crate that comes with a divider. That way you get a crate that’s big enough for him when he’s an adult. For right now, you put the divider in because you want it small. Dogs don’t like to lay in their own waste, so the crate needs to be small so he won’t be likely to mess in it.
It needs to be big enough for him to turn around in and be able to stand up. Don’t buy a huge one for a full grown dog or the puppy would not feel comfortable in it. Also place an old towel in the bottom of the crate to give in some padding.
You don’t want the crate to be so large that he will use it to deficate. If you don’t want to have to buy a larger one when he’s full grown, buy the bigger one now and quardon off a small area for him to use, just large enough to stand up comfortably and sleep. Most dogs will not go to the bathroom where they sleep, which is a great way to potty train. Good luck.
If you buy a crate big enough for him as an adult, you need to make sure to block off some of it when he’s a puppy. If the dog/puppy has too much room in the crate, he will go to the bathroom in it. You want just enough room so he can move a little and lie down comfortably (this way, they won’t want to pee where they sleep and eat).
Crates are usually sized by the weight of the dog, so estimate how much he will weigh as an adult, and buy a crate accordingly.
Actually… usually when they’re puppies you want a kennel that is small enough to sleep in, if its any bigger, they tend to pittle and poop in it.
My Doberman puppy has a 42"X30"X28" crate.
How long are you going to be at work? Please note that a crate is indeed supposed to be a dog’s den. Thus, you can’t keep an 8-week-old puppy crated for an extensive amount of time. If you’re going to be at work for more than 3-4 hours, ask a friend to go to your house and let the puppy out for a potty break. Otherwise, the puppy will be forced to eliminate in his crate, and you’ll have defeated the purpose of a crate, which is to aid in housebreaking the puppy. Additionally, the crate should only be large enough so that it can stand up, turn around, and sleep comfortably. I use a divider with mine, and, at 6 months, she only has half the crate to sleep in. Yours should only have about a 1/4 of the crate to sleep in. Hope that helps you.
You should get a crate that will be big enough for him to stand up and turn around in when he is full grown. Get one with a divider to expand as he grows. I have a page all about crate training on my website as well as different cages. It might help.
http://www.standardpoodlesusa.com/crate-training.html