How Much Room Should a Dog Have in a Crate?

The Correct Length of The Dog Carrier

Measure your four-legged friend from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail. Then measure the dog’s leg length.

You can now calculate the optimal length of the dog transport box using the following formula:

The optimal length of the dog crate = half leg length + total length of the dog from the tip of the nose to the tail

The Ideal Height of The Dog Crate

Measure your standing dog to the tips of the ears and add 3 cm to 5 cm. This height of the dog transport box or crate should give your four-legged friend enough space upwards.

The optimal height of the dog crate = height of the dog from the paw to the tip of the ear + 5 centimeters

The Ideal Width of The Dog Crate

The dog crate should be at least twice as wide as your dog.

In general, the dog should be able to turn around and lie down comfortably in the box without great effort.

Too small crate increased stress for your dog, and you should generally avoid stress on an animal.

But also make sure that the dog crate is not too big. In a too-large box, the dog could be thrown too much around in the dog transport box during dynamic driving maneuvers.

Optimal width of the dog crate = dog width at the thickest point (usually the middle of the belly) x 2

Example Dog Crate Size for Small Dogs

• Puppy Box: This box is suitable for most puppies between 6 and 10 weeks of age. The suitable size for a puppy box is 47 inches long, 30 inches wide, and 37 inches high. 
• Small box: Maltese, Chihuahua, Pug, Shih Tzu, Dachshund, Pomeranian, Papillons, and Yorkshire Terriers fit in a small box. The box should be up to 63 inches long, 43 inches wide, and 49 inches high.
• Medium Box: For medium-sized dog breeds such as Beagle, Pekingese, West Highland White Terriers, King Charles Spaniels, French Bulldogs, Welsh Springer Spaniels, and Mini Schnauzers, it is best to opt for a box that is 76 centimeters long, 48 centimeters wide, and 53 centimeters high decide.

Example Dog Crate Size for Big Dogs

• Big Dog Crate: A big dog needs a big box. Do you have a larger dog, such as a bulldog, cocker spaniel, English setter, Shar Pei, pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire, or English springer spaniel? A 90 centimeters long box, 55 centimeters wide and 62 centimeters high, is best for this.
• Extra-large dog crate: These dog crates are huge! A box measuring 107 centimeters in length, 71 centimeters in width, and 77 centimeters in height is perfect for your Irish Setter, Bearded Collie, Belgian Shepherd Dog, Border Collie, Boxer, Malinois Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, or Dalmatian.
• Huge box: Since every pot has its matching lid, there are huge dog boxes for giant dogs. These are 121 centimeters long, 78 centimeters wide, and 84 centimeters high. This type of dog crate is necessary if you have a Leonberger, Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound, Bernese Mountain Dog, or Saint Bernard.

Other Helpful Tips About Dog Crate Size

Two dogs in one box – better not!

If two or more dogs are to be taken in the car, make sure that you do not put both dogs in one crate. Especially if you have two dogs of different sizes, it is essential to find the right crate for your dog.

It is also not advisable to put several small dogs in one large box, as the dogs are not optimally protected.

Are you thinking about building or increase your dog’s crate size?

Only build a dog crate yourself if you can demonstrate enough experience. There will always be safety deficiencies due to poor workmanship.

Therefore, we advise you about buying a ready-made dog crate for the car, as the DFY products have been tested for safety. With a self-made transport box, it is difficult to assess how it would behave in the event of a crash and more.

Is putting your dog inside create a good idea?

A dog crate is good for your dog because it helps with cleanliness training. The dog can be safely transported in it.

The few stimuli ensure a restful portion of sleep. The dog can perceive its crate as a safe place of retreat. He won’t want to leave that anymore sometimes!

The most important thing is that your dog perceives their crate as a positive and safe environment. After he gets used to it, he will consider it his own place!

Here, he can withdraw to relax, be protected from all environmental stimuli, and sleep peacefully. This also helps with toilet training because your dog doesn’t want to pollute his own space.

He will make an effort not to do his business there. But don’t forget the learning curve. It takes puppies about six months to fully develop control of their bladder.

Ultimately, after some training, your puppy will no longer urinate in the crate!

Not Every Dog ​​Crate is Suitable for Every Purpose

For example, you can’t get on a plane with a foldable dog crate. This type is too unstable for such transport. There are also special conditions for air traffic when it comes to transporting dogs. The box must have specific minimum dimensions related to the dog. IATA has summarized these regulations.

During my research, I came across many questions about the transport box. Most of the questions related to the topic of whether the dog crate fits in the car. Whether the dog fits into the box is somewhat irrelevant. The dog box for your four-legged partner is for safety, especially in the car. The box must undoubtedly fit in the car. But shouldn’t the box be the optimal size for your dog in the first place?

It is not difficult to calculate the optimal size of the dog crate.

Final Thoughts

If you don’t know yet whether your dog is small, medium, or large, you can keep the following in mind:

The decisive factor here is the height at the withers. Small dogs (e.g., Jack Russell Terrier or Beagle) reach up to 40 cm, medium-sized dogs (Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd Dog) are between 41 cm to 60 cm, and large dogs (Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound) have a height at the withers of over 60 cm.