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This guide covers general crate types and sizing patterns. Every dog is different — before buying, check the manufacturer’s own weight and size guidance for the specific model you’re considering, and talk to your veterinarian or a certified trainer if your dog has a history of escaping, severe anxiety, or destructive chewing. No crate is guaranteed escape-proof for every dog.
Updated August 2026: Restructured around real buying scenarios instead of crate materials, added a sourced size/fit matrix cross-referencing actual crate dimensions against breed-weight guidance, and refreshed every price.
What’s the right crate for your dog? The honest answer is that it depends entirely on what your specific dog does with one — chews the door latch, wriggles through a gap the size of a fist, or curls up and sleeps through a six-hour drive without ever testing the walls. A crate style that’s perfect for one of those dogs can be actively unsafe for another, which is why “wire, plastic, or soft-sided” is the wrong first question. The right first question is: what is your dog actually going to do in it?
Quick answer: for a puppy in training or a dog that chews, a wire crate like the MidWest iCrate with its divider panel is the safest, most adaptable pick. For airline travel or a dog prone to anxiety or escaping, a rigid, IATA-compliant plastic crate like the Petmate Sky Kennel is the more secure choice. For a calm, already crate-trained dog on a road trip or hotel stay, a lightweight soft-sided crate like Frisco’s collapsible line is the one worth packing.
For a puppy you’re house-training
A wire crate with a divider panel, like the MidWest iCrate, is the pick here because it’s the only style built to shrink and grow with a puppy instead of being replaced every few months. The divider lets you section off extra space early — important, since too much room lets a puppy soil one end and sleep in the other — then slide it back as the puppy grows into the full crate.
The open wire sides also mean maximum airflow and visibility, which many puppies find reassuring during the early weeks of training. The tradeoff is that wire crates are the heaviest and clankiest to move between rooms, and a determined puppy can eventually work at a loose latch, so check that the door secures with more than a simple friction clip.
For a determined chewer
A sturdy wire crate is the American Kennel Club’s own recommendation for chewers — the AKC specifically calls metal crates “the sturdiest you can buy” for dogs who tend to chew through other materials. A rigid plastic travel crate is the other option that survives teeth reasonably well, since there’s no fabric or mesh for a dog to work loose.
What doesn’t survive a chewer under any circumstances is a soft-sided crate. Fabric and mesh are no match for a motivated dog’s teeth or claws, and a chewer left alone in one risks both destroying the crate and injuring itself on broken frame pieces or ingested fabric. If your dog chews, cross soft-sided crates off the list entirely, no matter how convenient the packability sounds.
For an anxious dog or a determined escape artist
A rigid plastic crate, like the Petmate Sky Kennel, is the enclosed, den-like option that reduces visual stimulation and gives an anxious or escape-prone dog fewer edges and gaps to work with than an open wire design. Petmate’s Sky Kennel line is also IATA-compliant, meaning it meets airline container standards, which is a reasonable proxy for “built to contain a stressed animal securely” even if you never fly with it.
The tradeoff is reduced airflow compared to wire, and less visibility out, which some dogs find calming and others find more stressful — know your dog before assuming enclosure equals comfort. As with any crate, confirm the specific model’s weight rating against your dog’s actual weight rather than assuming the size name is enough.
For a weekend road trip or hotel stay
A lightweight soft-sided crate, like Frisco’s collapsible indoor/outdoor line, is the pick for a calm, already crate-trained dog headed out of town. It packs flat, sets up in under a minute, and weighs a fraction of a wire or plastic equivalent — genuinely useful when you’re also hauling a dog bed, food, and everything else a trip requires.
This is strictly a convenience crate for a trusted dog, not a training or security tool. It offers essentially no resistance to chewing, minimal resistance to a dog that paws at a zipper, and is harder to clean thoroughly than a wipeable plastic or wire surface. Reserve it for dogs with a track record of settling calmly.
Sizing it correctly: the space/fit matrix
The American Kennel Club’s sizing method is the baseline: with your dog standing, measure height (top of head to floor) and length (nose to tip of tail), then add 3 to 4 inches to each measurement to find the crate size you need. The AKC also warns against sizing up too far, since extra room can undo house-training by giving a dog space to eliminate at one end and sleep at the other.
| Approx. dog weight | Typical breed examples | MidWest iCrate size & price | Petmate Sky Kennel size & price | Frisco soft-sided size & price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 12 lbs | Chihuahua, toy poodle, Yorkshire terrier | X-Small, 22″x13″x16″ — $29.99 | 28″, for 15–30 lbs — check current price | Small, 26″x21″x21″ (fits smaller dogs) |
| 13–25 lbs | Shih Tzu, French bulldog, beagle mix | Small, 24″x18″x19″ — $40.99 | 28″, for 15–30 lbs | Medium, 30″x21″x21″, up to ~35 lbs |
| 26–40 lbs | Cocker spaniel, standard beagle | Medium, 30″x19″x21″ — $49.99 | 36″, for 50–70 lbs (sized up) | Med/Large, 36″x24″x24″ |
| 41–70 lbs | Labrador, boxer, border collie | Med/Large, 36″x23″x25″ — $57.99 | 36″, for 50–70 lbs | Large, 42″x30″x31″, up to 85 lbs — $100.99 |
| 71–90 lbs | German shepherd, golden retriever | X-Large, 48″x30″x33″ — $89.99 | 40″ (XL), for 70–90 lbs | Large, 42″x30″x31″, up to 85 lbs (near ceiling) |
| 91–125 lbs | Great Dane, mastiff, Saint Bernard | Not offered at this size by MidWest’s standard iCrate line | 48″ (Jumbo), for 90–125 lbs | Not offered at this size |
A few patterns are worth naming directly. MidWest’s own iCrate sizing tops out with an X-Large at 48″x30″x33″ for large breeds; there’s no standard-line MidWest size built for giant breeds like Great Danes or Saint Bernards, so those owners are better served by Petmate’s 48″ Jumbo Sky Kennel, sized specifically for 90–125 lb dogs. On the soft-sided side, Frisco’s line stops at a Large rated to about 85 lbs — there’s no soft-sided option built for anything bigger, which is one more reason soft crates suit small-to-mid-size calm dogs specifically, not large or giant breeds regardless of temperament.
How we compared
Every dimension and price in the matrix above was pulled directly from each manufacturer’s or retailer’s current product listing this session, not estimated or carried over from an older post. The sizing rule itself comes from the American Kennel Club’s own published crate-buying guidance. Where a size simply isn’t offered in a given line — like giant-breed sizing in MidWest’s standard iCrate or Frisco’s soft-sided range — we said so rather than guessing at a substitute. Full methodology standards are in our editorial standards.
Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the retailer before buying.
Frequently asked questions
How much extra room should a crate have beyond my dog’s measurements?
The AKC recommends adding 3 to 4 inches to your dog’s standing height and nose-to-tail length to find the right crate dimensions. More room than that can work against house-training, since a puppy with too much space can eliminate at one end and rest at the other.
Can a soft-sided crate contain a large dog?
Not reliably. Soft-sided lines like Frisco’s top out around 85 lbs at their largest size, and fabric offers little resistance to a large dog leaning, pawing, or chewing at the walls. For large or giant breeds, a wire or rigid plastic crate is the safer choice regardless of temperament.
What makes a crate airline-compliant?
IATA-compliant crates, like the Petmate Sky Kennel, meet the International Air Transport Association’s container construction and ventilation standards. That construction standard is also a reasonable indicator of general security for anxious or escape-prone dogs, even for owners who never plan to fly.
Is it safe to leave a chewer alone in a soft-sided crate?
No. Fabric and mesh crates aren’t built to resist teeth or claws, and a chewer left alone in one risks destroying the crate and injuring itself in the process. Choose a wire or rigid plastic crate for any dog with chewing tendencies, and consult your veterinarian or a trainer if the behavior is severe or new.
Bottom line
Match the crate to what your specific dog actually does, not to a generic “best crate” recommendation. A wire crate with a divider covers puppies and chewers. A rigid, IATA-compliant plastic crate covers travel, anxiety, and escape risk. A soft-sided crate covers calm, trained dogs on the move — and only those dogs. Measure first, size up carefully rather than generously, and check the manufacturer’s specific weight guidance before you buy.
Setting up the rest of your dog’s world? Visit our Pets hub, or read our guides to choosing dog food and GPS dog trackers.
