Jill Dennis
This is a mid-end crate for a dog of average temperament. I have owned, raised, and shown dogs for many years. The negative reviews point out dog behavior an experienced dog person learns to pre-disaster. I add snap clips on the doors and openings, to lessen the dog's ability to try to squeeze out (so sorry to hear of the GSD pup who asphyxiated!). Dogs do learn to pop locks and open doors. Properly crate training the dog so they see the crate as a tool and safe haven lessens a lot of the panicked and determined escape attempts. Also, know your breed. Our 102# American Bulldog blew right through one of these crates, just popped it, when he charged a dog attacking him. He is a gentle, lovable farm dog, but he is STRONG. This crate is not strong enough for a dog like this. They make really heavy duty crates. If the sharp edges bother you- cover with duct tape, file. True that a dog should not be left in a crate or ANYWHERE except on lead with you attached to the other end in a training collar (chain). A nylon or leather collar can also get caught, twist, and he a death trap. Sometimes the "safety releases " do not release. It is best to remove the collar when crating the dog. If the dog tends to bolt out in strange places, have a slip lead ready. A crate IS a safe place for a dog when unattended if you follow these tips. I bought this for a dog that will mature at 25-30 pounds and expect it to contain her safely for naps, when we leave, etc.
Gypsy
I never used a crate before for my 10 years old dog. Please don't use a crate to punish or to lock your dog all day or even few hours. Use it because they love to hide, feel secure, sleep & Relax. NEVER LOCK A DOG IN A CRATE WHEN NOT AT HOME. If your house is going on fire they won't even be able to escape or hide and that's cruel. If the crate if big enough it doesn't mean your dog is happy to be locked inside. A dog needs space, needs to run. Let him destroy your shoes or poop and pee around. If this bothers you, please don't own a dog. My dog destroyed everything until 7 and thats OK.. I bought this crate because I found out that my dog needed a place to hide. She owns a bed, sleep with us at night but I wanted to buy one so that she can use it sometimes.
PRODUCT REVIEW: I had difficulties assembling this product because of the poor packaging! The package was damaged so the metal parts were stuck! The gate was stuck and I had to use a hammer to separate the parts to be able to open it. I hurt my finger doing this. The divider they gave is broken.
After I opened the gate, the rest was easy to assemble. My dog loves to sleep there sometimes with the door OPEN.
KC
UPDATE 01/26/2021:
I called customer service about the cracked tray and they were super helpful and sent a replacement tray. I was told I could use the cardboard from the box to cushion the tray so I used it to cushion both kennels. I have a couple of chewers so they don’t have beds in the kennels. The cardboard helped reduce some of the noise made when they get excited.
I can’t give this 5 stars because there are some very sharp edges at cut ends of the metal pieces I’ll take a file to them so no one gets cut, including the dogs.
UPDATE 01/10/2021:
I’m adding an update to my previous review. I still own 3 of these kennels but finally brought the third one out over Christmas. This one isn’t good quality. All of the rollers have come off of it and the tray is cracked in several places. This one didn’t hold up for even 2 weeks. I’m still using the two I bought 2 years ago. These are entirely too expensive at nearly $80 for the extra large to have them fall apart or break in two weeks. I’ll be calling the company to see if I can get a new tray.
Great kennels. I own three of them and they work great. The only issue I’ve found is that the rollers tend to come off and I can’t get them back on. The kennel drops into the grout between tiles and can’t be rolled so I have to rock or tip it to get it to move.
Debby
We really like the dog crate. It is really easy to assemble. We’re getting a new puppy, so it’s nice that we can divide the crate. We will be able to make it bigger, as she grows. One thing that is definitely not good about the crate is that when you put your hands into it they can (and did) get scraped pretty badly by the top wires. The wires definitely need to be filed down to prevent this from happening. We will have to do this to prevent further scraping of the back of our hands and to prevent our puppy from getting hurt. That’s why we could not give a five star rating.
Ivonne
Ok I’ve read all the one-star reviews and was scared to get this but after looking at other foldable crates, I ordered two of the 18” single door anyway. I thought I will give them a try since all the other foldable wire crates are constructed pretty much the same way and for the price. Our puppy is turning one in a couple of weeks and I’m so glad we got one for him when he was 8 weeks old and also for our 11 years old dog who has never used a crate before. Crate training worked really well for our puppy and they both love being in their crates! We have taken them with us on multiple road trips, they are great if you have a tiny Mini like us. Now I’ve owned this crate for almost a year... coming back to order another one for our brand new puppy, I read the reviews again and now seeing photos of the larger size crate, I can see why they are dangerous for bigger dogs. Our dogs are small, they are all under 6 lbs. I would recommend using this crate for smaller dogs only. This would’ve been a five-star product if it wasn’t for the sharp wire edges as many reviewers have mentioned, you have to file them down and pay extra attention when you are opening/folding them down to not get your hands caught on the sharp edges. Hopefully they can improve their products and maybe redesign the larger crates so they aren’t dangerous. I feel so bad for the family that lost their puppy and everyone who had their pet injured. If you decide to get this, PLEASE BE EXTRA CAUTIOUS and make sure your pet is calm and comfortable in it before leaving them unsupervised. I didn’t shut the door until they were extremely comfortable in it which took a few days and I’ve also placed a Yi camera in front of the crates so I can monitor them when I’m not at home. Overall this crate been extremely useful and easy to store, that’s why I’m getting another one for our newest pup.
nuclaffeine
I've had this kennel for over a year and it has been in use almost every day since then. This kennel is easy to put up and take down, which is what I needed since I take it with me whenever I go somewhere for the weekend and take the dog (which is fairly often). It's a kennel that could fit a small horse so it's fairly bulking and heavy- but thats to be expected. The divider is nice if you have a puppy as you can adjust the size of the kennel as the puppy grows. I bought it for a full grown dog but the divider has still been used when I've temporarily (for an hour or two randomly) needed to fit two dogs in the kennel. Kennel seems to be sturdy but as my dog just sleeps in it when crated I don't know how it would hold up against a dog trying it's darnedest to get out. The dual doors is a nice feature as I have been able to put it in multiple locations and at least one door is always easily accessible. The plastic bottom is a nice feature also as it has about an inch high lip, so the few times the pup has gotten sick while I was gone is contained the mess fairly well and was easy to take out and clean (also important if you're getting a puppy). I would not suggest this kennel if you plan on having it outdoors much, since it's metal. It spent a few nights outdoors and has rusted slightly.
Just a tip if you're like me and buying a kennel for the first time: Go to the store just to look at what each size actually looks like before buying one online, because I only pulled out a tape measure to decide what size I needed and my jaw dropped when this thing came in the mail.
Harry
I was SUPER DUPER hesitant to buy this crate, because of the reviews saying the bottom latch was broken or something or the crate was unsafe and their dog was injured or even worse. I got this, tested it out, got my puppy, and now she's potty trained. Well, technically, the breeder already potty trained her, but this crate is great for teaching a puppy how to be alone.
I believe that crates are very necessary for dogs and especially puppies, because it keeps your dog in a safe place (but others may not agree; I am sorry that your crate was not the best :(( ). Crates also keep your pup confined to a safe place when you can't supervise them.
I really liked the divider on this crate! My Goldendoodle puppy grew very quickly, so we made the crate bigger by moving the divider. I do point out that it is pretty difficult to move the divider in the 4th point down below.
Some things that I would like to point out are:
1) Our crate's latches were a bit difficult to unlock and lock. We would have to lift up the door slightly, so it would be aligned.
2) If the crate was a little bit wider, it would be perfect! Our puppy doesn't have a lot of room to lie down and take a nap. She takes up a lot of space in the crate for her naps.
3) If there was another door on the opposite side of the front door, it would be very convenient, because we have a pet camera on the other side of the divider where our puppy can't reach. BUT, when it gets knocked over if we accidentally move the plug, it can be hard to put it back up. So, if there was a door there, that would be helpful. We got the single door crate, but the double door crate has a door on the longer side. The double door crate wouldn't help with our problem though.
4) The divider is pretty difficult to move, because it's tiring to put it in place. Most of the time, the hooks do not easily connect to the side of the crate, and it requires a lot of muscle. I don't know if other people experience this, but just so you know.
I would recommend this crate. It hasn't been dangerous to our pup or us in any way. It is safe and convenient, so I think that this crate is essential for a puppy/dog! We haven't found any sharp edges on the crate and everything is working pretty well!
I would really like to say that this crate isn’t dangerous AT ALL, but I think that maybe SOME of the crates shipped from Amazon have a few problems. Our crate was great, but keep in mind that if you order this crate, it may be potentially dangerous, so check the entire crate for any hazards before letting your pup sleep and play in there.
I hope you found this review helpful! If you found my review helpful, please click the 'Helpful' button below, so I know I'm not wasting my time writing long reviews for other (potential) dog owners.
Thank you for reading this and I hope you consider getting this for your pup! Be careful while handling it!
:)
Joe
I like the quality for the money I paid. It was relatively easy to open from a collapsed position. I was a little ticked when I saw that both the gates are on the same side of the cage. Now I need to dismantle the side walls and swap them to have the gates on opposite side so when I put up the divider I can have access to both partitions of the cage. Other than that I love the product. I heard a lot of complaints about sharp edges and it does have some but you really have to run your fingers to find them. if it was power coated instead of just paint those sharp edges would never be found. Overall happy with the purchase. Would recommend to anyone with large dog or two medium dogs.
Wilson
Lots of bad reviews on this being dangerous. Let’s be honest, blame is 50/50 here.
1. Pet owners, you cannot leave your dog unattended in a crate like this if he is not already crate trained. If your pet dies trying to escape the crate it is your fault.
2. The latches could possibly work loose with an upset dog trying to get out. There is a solution and it is cheap. After you add this to your cart, click the search bar and type “ranger bands”. Then buy them. You will use these to keep the crate latched. (See the photos in my review)
3. This crate isn’t made to house the 3 year old staffie mix you just found on the side road. It is made to keep a crate trained large strong dog or to crate train a puppy.
But if your dog is big, strong, and hasn’t been crate trained properly you will destroy the crate and injure himself in the process. It’s not the crates fault. It is your fault if this happens.
Now for the part about the one I received (this is my 3rd). Two have been perfect. The last one was damaged in shipping. That made assembly a terrible pain. But after straightening the bends it was fine. I am sure I could have contacted the seller or Amazon and had a new one shipped but it just wasn’t that important to me.
MissMaria82
I have this single-door variety in two sizes, 24" for my huge, ~13 lb Yorkie, & 22" for my smaller-than-average Bichon, who's ~5 lbs at 7 months now but will likely be less than 10 lb. Overall, I really like these crates.
First, I prefer the "24 & might size up for my Bichon when she's full sized. There are two handles with the "24, & it feels much sturdier than the "22. If your dog is on the cusp in size, & you have the space, I recommend going for the larger one between the two.
The dogs are in during the day, for bed, long car trips, & extended beach trips & camping. They were crate-trained using these, as well. They are a snap to clean & are large enough to provide welcoming space for the dogs. I've had the larger one for over a year & it's worth its weight in gold. It's well-traveled & well-used, & it holds up. The smaller one looks like it should hold up as well.
One weirdness is that my Yorkie can seemingly get out somehow, & my Bichon has learned how to open the door from the outside to boot. The former seems really unlikely, but it's happened about 4 times in the last month, so I think it's unlikely that we've not shut it properly that many times. Luckily, it's only occurred when we're home & things were really exciting. Otherwise, both dogs get in them to relax, work on a favorite treat or toy, & of course, sleep.
I wish there was some way to "lock" them a bit more, however, aside from just sliding the lever, as I am a bit worried about what could happen camping or outside of home. We'll definitely figure out a solution prior to our next excursion, but if anyone has experienced the same issue & has tips, please comment below!
Taylor B.
I was skeptical after seeing the reviews. I got the 48" and my dog is a 7 month old german shepherd and he's 80lbs. He's got more growing to do. This is perfect size for him and any smaller and he would've been cramped. The idiot on here that has the picture of his 100lbs german shepherd cramped up in the 42 inch saying it's perfect really pissed me off. That dog needs a 48" and it's obvious from looking at the picture. This isn't a doggy Alcatraz. If you lock your dog in and walk away I'm sure he'll hurt himself trying to escape or tear up the cage. I bought this for my dog as a sanctuary where he can feel safe and if need be, discipline him. I don't plan on ever locking him in for any period of time. This is a brutally honest review and I hope you take good care of your pets.
Flchristi
After comparing lots of reviews from several sellers I chose to purchace the 36" crate for my 44 pound Lab/Boxer foster pup. To me it was the one that made the most financial and safety sense for what I wanted to spend. This dog was a stray with very little house manners so I had to crate him more often than my own dog. I read a lot of reviews saying the crate was flimsy with sharp edges and all around poor quality. I did NOT find that to be the case. I think this crate rated right up there with my own dog's crate which cost much more. It did not come in a labeled box but that didn't matter to me. It came in an undamaged plain brown shipping box. I recommend not destroying the box until you make sure it fits what you're looking for. I ended up using half of the box to place on top so the sheet to cover him didn't fall inside the crate and prevented him from pulling the sheet inside. It is very easy to assemble because it's already put together. All that needs to be done is unfold it and place the devider in if you are going to use that piece. It comes with an easy to attach handle to make carrying the folded crate easier. I was a little worried before I got this crate that it would be flimsy and my teething foster pup would wreck it. It was not flimsy and he did atempt to chew it but after one correction he stopped and there was no evidence that he had tried chewing. The latches on the side and front doors are all straight which kept him secure. He was able to stand without hitting his head and could move around just fine. I was very suprised to see small wheels on both ends which made moving the crate on my time floors very easy without scratching them. Although this pup has now been moved to a rescue while waiting for his forever home I'm still very pleased with the choice I made. It is now folded up waiting for my next foster to use it with peace of mind
Laura Collodel
Perfect highly..... recommend. Our Rottweiler loves his crate. I threw a couple of treats and his bed and he went for it and laid down and now I keep the door open so he could come in and out freely. This is his safe space and no way do I ever use it as punishment. Soon as he saw the crate he was immediately housebroken because he knew he would have to sleep in there overnight with the gate closed, but we never got to that point. This is a very sturdy crate and is ideal for 150 pound Rottweiler. He is currently 65 pounds at 6 months so he still growing.
Suzanne Natafji
When we got our 2 American Eskimo Dogs from Eskie Rescue recently, our Rescue owner let us borrow her #2 24” Aspen crates, which were fine for our new dogs to get them home. They were comfortable, and both dogs could lie down in them for their 2.5 hour journey home.
Several days later, when I ran a search for the Aspens, they were expensive, even around the holidays, during which many items on sale. The reviews for the Midwest ICrate, however, caught my eye: the price for a 30” crate was much cheaper than the 24” Aspens AND they were on sale. ICrate is also an American company based in Muncie, IN, and it has been in business for over 90 years. Buying anything American is a boost for US workers and businesses. Even though these ICrates are manufactured in China, they are made with exacting US standards/ assurances and Quality Control 6-Sigma Lists, to ensure the best quality products.
When I read the reviews of the ICrate, the price was great and so was the product. We bought 2 of them.
Here are the specifications for the ICrate Model 1530: 30” (L) X 19: (W) X 21” (H); Weight: 18 lbs. This crate is made for breeds that weight 26-40 lbs. (Our Eskies weigh 23 and 25 lbs.) Even though a standard Eskie is listed for the next larger crate size, our Eskies fit in their 30” crates comfortably even with their food dishes in them plus a small water dish. We also cover the bottom plastic tray with either a bulky blanket or a King-size sheet, scrunched up for adequate snuggling. The 30” also fits onto our car back seat for transport. Even though there is only one door on this crate, it is adequate for our needs.
5 other things on the ICrate are noteworthy: 1. There is a divider panel, which can be used for a pup to gradually become an adult (and owners don’t have to buy interim crates along the way); 2. There is a handle; 3. There are 2 rollers (1 front and 1 back), to allow the entire crate to easily and smoothly be rolled on the floor without gouging or scraping the floor; 4. The crate comes in a satin-black electro-coat finish (the door seems to have a plastic-coated latch); and 5. The crates are easy to clean: we haul them out on our deck, spray them with a Tide-vinegar-water mix, and then hose them down. They dry fast after they are tipped against a railing post.
Setting up the ICrate took very little time; we just watched the video, followed the instructions, and the crate was erected in no time.
Our 25 lb. 4 year-old male Eskie now uses his ICrate as his main abode because the kennels that we have used for our other dogs, internationally, have 1 door whose latch is broken after years of use. He’s entirely comfortable in his ICrate, and because it is positioned to see the entire kitchen and dining rooms areas, he can ‘monitor’ to see when we are coming into the kitchen to see him! (We often catch our 5 year-old 23-lb. female going in his ICrate to check it out [even though she has her shipping kennel to go in.])
When our boy wants some voluntary ‘time-out’, he self-exiles, and we often find that he just gets in his ICrate and goes to sleep, especially after walks, play-time, and meals.
When we want to shut out some noise and light, we place a blanket or King-size flat sheet on top of the crate and let it drape down over both sides and the front.
One last comment: What is the determining factor for buying the ICrate? The most important point is whether our dogs like being in the ICrate or not: Our boy loves his ICrate (and our girl also loves HIS ICrate). From this, we think that other dogs will want one, too!
Tilapia Waters
This crate is absolutely perfect for my 70 lb. English Bulldog. He has plenty of room to move around and get comfy. It's easy to setup and plenty durable.
tracie taylor
I was hesitant about these crates because of the reviews, but I'm so glad I bought them. I got two of the 48" and they're perfect for my Great Danes. They have plenty of room to stand and stretch. Sometimes they both lay in the same kennel and still seem comfortable. I've had no problems with the wire scratching them, and the kennels are very sturdy. I've included a picture of my 20 year old daughter and my 170 pound Great Dane sharing the kennel and there's still a little room left!!
LC9919Top
I purchased the 42 inch crate as a recovery area for my elderly cat. She loves it and continues to use it as her private apartment even though she is currently well. She won't use the shared food or litter boxes anymore and she will ask to go back in her crate (by rattling the door) when she wants either. She spends the night there and I've never had to coax her in, only out! If I had known she would love it this much I would have gotten the 48 inch size.
I used the divider to create a shelf for her. Initially I used zip ties to secure it, but I wanted to be able to access both doors so I switched to strong twine.
We also have the 30 inch for our small dog. She Is very comfy in it and it's in her rotation of favorite napping spots, thanks to a very cushy bed.
They were both very easy to set up. Very pleased with this product.
Dot Matrix
It can be difficult to accurately judge how much room your dog will have in a crate. It's roomier than you might think. We bought the 42" size for our 100 lb adult German Shepherd. She can stand fully upright inside it with comfort and she can turn around. She can lie down and stretch her front legs straight out. She does not have room to exercise, but exercise is not the point of a crate. She is safe, secure and comfortable inside it. It is well made, easy to set up and fold, with a roomy door for clean-up and care. It's about half the cost of a similar crate at a major bricks and mortar retailer. Look for the photo to get a reference. I don't think you'll find a better deal.
Catherine King
I bought this crate for my rescue when I learned his foster parents crated him and that's where he liked to sleep. He's a big dog - over 80 pounds when I adopted him - and this is the perfect size for him to both lay down and sit up in. It was easy to put a bed in the bottom and he slept in the crate for weeks until he became comfortable sleeping in his dog bed in the bedroom. He loves his crate though so he's easy to please in that regard.
The crate is very sturdy. Recently I put him in the crate when maintenance people had to come in the house. He was startled by a worker walking by and lunged in fright. The crate moved a few inches with the force of it but the door held fine, no damage .
I did run into difficulty assembling the crate. One of the latches you have to undo to put the "wall" up was truly nearly impossible to unlatch. It was grueling but after about 15 minutes worth of painful attempts I managed it. Hopefully this was just a flaw in mine and no one else will have that problem.. or they'll figure out how to undo the latch with a tool.
JL1231
This crate is durable, and easy to collapse/set-up. Installation was a breeze, and we can easily travel around with it. My puppy likes to gnaw on the metal bars(obviously I discourage it, but it's bound to happen), and not a mark so far. Not to mention that the removable plastic tray is extremely useful for cleaning up any little puppy puddles!
The divider is what really makes these crates a great buy. We wanted to get a crate that our dog could move around in, so we actually got one that was two sizes too large - the "Intermediate" or 36-inch one. Our dog is a cockapoo that will be classified as "small" when he is fully grown, but obviously he is very tiny at only 8 weeks! This is where the divider comes in... We were able to make the usable portion MUCH smaller which is perfect for our puppy to snuggle up in. As he grows and gets house-trained, we will be able to move the divider further and further and eventually remove it completely... No need to keep purchasing larger crates because this one grows with our little guy!
We actually got two of them! One of them (the larger one I previously mentioned) we actually have attached to an exercise pen to create a decent-sized area for our puppy to play and live in. He can go into the crate for naps, and then freely move around the exercise area -- ideal for any time he has to be alone! The second crate we got so that he can sleep in our bedrooms at night. It is only a 22" one so it's easy to move around and put in the backseat of the car.
Highly, highly recommended for fur babies!
