Home Best Dog Crates for Small Dog Breeds

Best Dog Crates for Small Dog Breeds

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Small size dog crate next to 3 silhouetted small dogs on white bg
Icons © Depositphotos.com / Ryhor, crate courtesy of midwesthomes4pets.com

You’ve come here looking for advice on the most suitable crate for your small sized dog, right? Well if you want our advice, you should be buying a metal wire dog crate.

They are used the world over by professionals of many types throughout the dog world, and for very good reasons that we’re going to discuss in the article below, before making a few suggestions of the best crates sold on Amazon that are suitable for your small breed of dog.

At a Glance: Our Choices of Best Crates for Small Dogs

Note: The links above take you to more information, current prices and customer reviews on Amazon.

What Makes a Wire Dog Crate So Great?

They Can Last a Lifetime

I don’t think anybody needs reminding just how tough and strong metal is, far stronger than any wood, fabric and most plastics.

A good metal wire dog crate can literally last you a lifetime, withstanding years of abuse with ease and being so strong they dramatically cut down any chances of escape from any budding Houdinis.

Gives The Most Visibility and Ventilation

For airflow and visibility, nothing beats a wire dog crate.

There’s no solid walls boxing your dog in making wire crates the best choice for hot countries, warm weather or for dogs that simply love being able to see around them when crated.

They Fold for Storage and Travel

All of the wire crates we feature on this page fold easily without the use of any tools for storage or travel.

They collapse into a smaller size than any plastic crate, but of course they aren’t as portable as fabric crates. However, fabric crates aren’t nearly as strong.

A wire crate can in just a few seconds be collapsed flat or assembled, so moving them around or taking them travelling is a breeze.

Wire Crates Are Great Value

Cost is an obvious consideration when it comes to buying anything, and metal wire dog crates are some of the best value on the market today.

The mix of great price, safety, security, durability and more cannot be matched by any other type of crate.

They are Very Easy to Clean

Metal doesn’t absorb stains and odors, nor do the metals chosen for crates rust or deteriorate over time.

As well as this, they have a removable tray for cleaning and are so easy to wipe down with a damp cloth in case of any accidents.

Compared to crates made of wood, fabric or plastic that stain and can hold smells, wire crates are the easiest to keep clean and this is a clear benefit of this variety.

A Crate for Life

With a wire dog crate you can buy the right size for an adult dog of your breed and then resize the crate for your puppy with the divider panel that comes included.

This means there’s no expensive need to buy different crates for different life stages of your growing pooch, just one crate is a crate for life.

Tips for Buying The Best Crate To Suit Your Needs

With such a huge number of crates of available on the market, cutting through all the marketing speak to get at what matters and should really influence your buying decision isn’t the easiest of tasks.

To help with this, we’ve listed below the most important features and characteristics you should be looking for when buying a metal wire crate:

  • Check for Tool-Free assembly and folding: Not so important if the crate is for a fixed location and never moved or transported, but if you think you’ll frequently move the crate, you’ll want the feature of tool free assembly and folding.
  • Make sure the metal stainless: You want the crate to last a long time, and with many on the market promising to last almost a lifetime, you’d be foolish not to look for the feature of stainless steel or epoxy coated so it does have durability.
  • Opt for an easy to remove tray: To make cleaning simple, check for a slide out tray in the base. Most have it so there’s no excuse not to make your life a little easier.
  • Ensure it’s the right size: Too small is inhumane, too large and it loses a little of the feeling of safety and security a dog is after in their den. So follow our sizing guidelines to make sure you have the right size.
  • Avoid any sharp edges: I’ve seen some owners leave feedback that their crate had sharp edges! Obviously this can cause harm to your unsuspecting pet. The crates on this page I have checked and they are safe, but if you go elsewhere, make sure your crate is safe!

Best Dog Crates for Small Dogs

Note: The crates on this page are handpicked to be perfectly sized for the following breeds:

Affenpinscher, Australian Terrier, Border Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Fox Terrier, Havanese, Jack Russel, Miniature Dachshund, Miniature Poodle, Norfolk Terrier, Pekingese, Scottish Terrier, Skye Terrier, Toy Poodle, West Highland White Terrier.

Midwest dog crates are the single most popular crates for sale in America – and it’s easy to see why.

The company has been trading and producing dog crates now for over 90 years and in that time have truly perfected the art of creating high quality, feature rich yet affordable crates for all.

I’m sure nobody would argue that Midwest Homes for Pets are the most highly respected industry leaders in the space. Therefore we feature and recommend their two most popular models.

Following this are two great alternatives, from Proselect and precision pet. Very similar feature sets to the Midwest crates and certainly up there matching in quality.

Midwest Life Stages Folding Metal Dog Crate

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The Midwest life stages crate is the most popular crate from the most popular brand of crate manufacturer in America. There’s no other crate received such huge numbers of high praise and good reviews all over the web as this model.

Notable features:

  • Double door crate, for easy access from the front and side.
  • Tough, protective black electro-coat finish ensures good looks, durability and long life.
  • Easily removable and easy to clean, tough ABS plastic tray in the base.
  • 2 slide catches for closing the crate, rounded corners and no sharp edges – Safety and security is foremost with this crate.
  • Complete with divider panel for re-sizing a larger crate to suit a puppy.
  • Extremely easy to set-up and break down, with no tools required.
  • Folds down into a suitcase size, complete with two handles, for ease of portability.

Click to learn more / check pricing.

Midwest iCrate Pet Crates

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The 2nd most popular crate from the same company, Midwest Homes 4 Pets, the iCrate series has a very similar feature set to the life stages series above, but there are some notable differences:

  • The wire bars and grid on the life stage crates are a little thicker and closer together. This makes the life stages crates a little heavier, but more durable. In a Side by side comparison, the life stages crate just looks ‘tougher’.
  • The iCrate model is also slightly narrower with a lower ceiling than the life stages for crates that are otherwise the same length.
  • Due to slightly fewer materials being used, the price is lower in the iCrate series than the life stages.

Don’t let what seems like negatives above put you off! The iCrate is still a high quality crate that receives high praise from all. It’s just more suited to less boisterous (and less destructive) dogs who like maximum visibility from the inside of their crate.

Notable features:

  • Double door for flexibility in positioning in your home, and two methods for access from the front or the side.
  • Stylish looking, durable, protective black electro-coating.
  • Easily to clean and tough ABS plastic tray.
  • Secure slide bolt catches, no sharp edges, built with safety and security in mind.
  • Divider panel with the larger crates – a crate that grows with your puppy.
  • Simple, tool free set-up and fold down in seconds.

Click to learn more / check pricing.

Proselect ‘Easy’ Wire Dog Crates

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The ‘Easy’ line of dog crates from Proselect are a great value, great priced series of crates combining all the necessary features to make them a highly secure and safe crate to use with your dog or puppy.

Great feedback with over 200 4 and 5 star reviews on Amazon from previous owners, this crate earns high praise indeed from the people who matter – people using the crates day to day with their pets.

Notable features:

  • Slide out floor tray for easy and convenient cleaning. The wire crate itself has a black coating that’s simple to wipe clean with a cloth.
  • Divider panel included as standard to resize the crate as for a puppy and increase space as they grow.
  • Dual sliding bolts for securing the door – extra protection if your dog is a wannabe Houdini.
  • Easy assembly with no tools needed, and folds extremely easily for storage or transportation.

Click to learn more / check pricing.

Precision Pet Two-Door Great Crate

[amazon fields=”B000633YN6″ value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_link=”none” image_class=”ais350″]

Another great value, high quality wire crate providing maximum ventilation and visibility from within.

Extremely good feedback and reviews from previous owners, testifying to the crates quality, durability and great value.

Notable features:

  • Double door crate providing flexibility for placement against different walls and easy access to your dog inside.
  • Removable, easy clean plastic tray for a base.
  • Divider panel included for re-sizing the crate to suit your puppy until they grow.
  • No tools needed for assembly
  • Effortlessly folds and includes a carry handle for easy storage and portability.
  • Rounded corners and no sharp edges to ensure the safety of both you and your pet.
  • Stylish looking, black epoxy resin coating that is easily wiped clean and durable.

Click to learn more / check pricing.

Product image credits: © Amazon.com

Top Picks For Our Dogs

  1. BEST PUPPY TOY
    We Like: Calmeroos Puppy Toy w/ Heartbeat and Heat Packs - Perfect for new puppies. Helps ease anxiety in their new home.
  2. BEST DOG CHEW
    We Like: Bones & Chews Bully Sticks - All of our puppies love to bite, nip, and chew. We love using Bully Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors.
  3. BEST DOG TREATS
    We Like: Crazy Dog Train Me Treats - One of our favorite treats for training our service dog puppies.
  4. BEST FRESH DOG FOOD
    We Like: The Farmer's Dog - A couple months ago we started feeding Raven fresh dog food and she loves it! Get 50% off your first order of The Farmer's Dog.

For a list of all the supplies we get for our new service dog puppies check out our New Puppy Checklist on the PuppyInTraining.com blog.

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