Break Down Dog Crate

A few months ago I returned our metal folding dog crate to the original owner. It was our dog's preferred place to go at bedtime and when she was home alone. Some experts say that the dogs' natural instinct is to find a safe denning place of her own (similar to what the crate provides) so taking her crate away might have been a bigger deal than we thought, so we decided it was time to get her a new crate of her own. There were a few qualities I was looking for in her new dog crate: I wanted something that was lightweight, sturdy and easy to break down and transporting my car.

After reviewing new dog crate options, a friend at Lion Country Supply recommended I take a closer look at the plastic break-down dog crate. I admit the idea of a plastic dog crate didn't appeal to me at first, but when I inspected the demo model in the LCSupply storefront my first impression of the break-down crate was very positive, prompting me to purchase the large Breakdown Dog Crate. It's constructed with a durable plastic that is much stronger than expected, and the strong wire mesh door added to its quality and durability. According to the product description these kennels are made from high-impact plastic and strong wire mesh, yet they are very lightweight just like I wanted.

These crates are described as break-down crates, but I don't recommend this crate for repeated, daily take-down / set-up use, because proper assembly took some time and effort on my part. I recommend you assemble it and leave it assembled. But when you do need to travel or store the crate for a period of time, the breakdown design makes it a space-saver. The crate is also airline approved for air travelers.

Colored in taupe and detailed with blue compartment doors, this break-down crate is attractive compared to the black wire crates, so if you are shopping for an interior crate for your home, this crate is a better appearance in the home than the wire crates.

Other features of this crate are the air circulation vents and topside storage compartments for food, snacks and other essentials (this would come in handy when travelling). This unit also includes a water/food dish and a personalized name plate.

My dog went a while without her crate, and when I introduced this new crate she was reluctant to use it for the first few days, but now she stays in the crate throughout the night and most of the day while we are at work. She is a 60 lb Stafford-shire Terrier and the crate provides her enough room to move around and lay in any position.

This break-down dog crate meets all of my crate requirements except for the easy assembly/take-down part. If you need set-up and take-down capability on a frequent basis, and you are not concerned with crate weight or appearance, I recommend the Folding Metal Crates at Lion Country Supply. Read the MidWest Folding Metal Crates Review.