Dog Crate Size Calculator: what size crate does my dog need?
Measure your dog standing: nose to the tip of the tail, and the top of the head to the floor. Add 3 to 4 inches to each, the AKC’s method, and that is the inside size of crate to buy. Still growing? You will get the divider setting too.
Enter your dog’s length and height above for the crate size. (The live result needs JavaScript; with it off, add 3 to 4 inches to each measurement.)
How to measure your dog for a crate
- Stand your dog up. Both measurements are taken with your dog standing square, a treat in front of the nose helps.
- Length: from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail.
- Height: from the top of the head to the floor.
- Add 3 to 4 inches to each. That is the smallest inside length and height to look for; crates are usually sold by their length, so check the inside measurements on the label.
This is the method the American Kennel Club gives. Other sites suggest measuring to the base of the tail or adding less room, but I could not find those rules from a veterinary or kennel-club source, so the calculator sticks to the AKC.
The fit test once it’s set up
Your dog should be able to stand up, turn around and lie down comfortably (AKC), stand without ducking its head (Cornell’s Riney Canine Health Center), and stretch out when lying down (VCA). If your dog has to hunch or curl tightly, go up a size.
Sizing a crate for a puppy
Buy the crate for your puppy’s adult size and use a divider to make the space smaller for now; the AKC, Cornell and Humane World for Animals all suggest this. Too much room lets a puppy sleep at one end and use the other end as a toilet. Set the divider with the calculator’s “still growing” option and move it back as your puppy grows. VCA mentions the other route, starting with a smaller crate and moving up.
How long a dog can stay in the crate
A crate is a den, not a place to spend most of the day. Humane World for Animals advises no more than three or four hours at a time for puppies under six months, and no more than four or five hours during the day for adult dogs. VCA puts a two-month-old puppy’s bladder control at up to about three hours, a three-month-old’s at four and a four-month-old’s at five. The free puppy potty schedule by age lays those limits out with a day plan.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I measure my dog for a crate?
- With your dog standing, measure the length from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, and the height from the top of the head to the floor. The AKC advises adding 3 to 4 inches to each measurement, and the result is the inside size of crate to look for.
- How big should a dog crate be?
- Just big enough for your dog to stand up, turn around and lie down comfortably, as the AKC puts it. Cornell’s Riney Canine Health Center adds that your dog should be able to stand without ducking its head.
- Should I buy a puppy-size crate or an adult-size one?
- The AKC, Cornell and Humane World for Animals all suggest buying for your puppy’s adult size and using a divider to make the space smaller for now. Move the divider back as your puppy grows. VCA notes that some owners start with a smaller crate and move up instead.
- Can a crate be too big?
- Yes, for a puppy who is still house-training. With too much room, a puppy can sleep at one end and use the other as a toilet, which is exactly the habit you are trying to avoid. That is what the divider is for.
- How long can a dog stay in a crate?
- Not for most of the day. Humane World for Animals advises no more than three or four hours at a time for puppies under six months, and no more than four or five hours during the day for adult dogs. VCA notes that a two-month-old puppy has up to about three hours of bladder control, a three-month-old four and a four-month-old five, and that a puppy should never be crated longer than it can hold it.