What size crate does my dog need?

The test every crate has to pass

UK animal charities don't publish a crate size chart. They describe what the crate must let your dog do, and that is the test that decides the size.

The RSPCA says: "Your dog's crate should be big enough for them to stand, turn around, lie down and stretch in."¹

The PDSA says: "The crate should be tall enough for your dog to stand and sit without touching the top. It should be wide and long enough for your dog to turn around, lie down, wag their tail and stretch out fully."²

Put those together and you have a five-part check: your dog can stand, sit up without touching the roof, turn around, lie down and stretch out fully, and wag its tail. If a crate passes all five for your dog, it's big enough. Everything else in this guide is about finding that crate before you buy it.

How to measure your dog for a crate

The two numbers that matter are your dog's length and its sitting height. Weight doesn't tell you either of them directly.

1. Stand your dog on a level floor. Measure its length from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail, where the tail joins the body.
2. Ask your dog to sit. Measure its sitting height from the floor to the top of its head, or to the tips of its ears if they stand up. The PDSA test covers sitting as well as standing without touching the top², so measure your dog sitting.
3. Add room. We suggest adding about 10 cm to each measurement, and treating 5 cm as the snug minimum. This is our own rule of thumb, not an official figure.
4. Compare your two numbers with the crate's inside length and height. The crate has to clear both.
5. Check the width too. Your dog needs to be able to turn around¹, so a long, narrow crate can still be too small.

Crate sizes: inches, cm and what the number means

In the UK, dog crates are usually sold by their length in inches: a "36-inch crate" is roughly 36 inches (about 91 cm) long. The number is a name for the size, not an exact measurement. Brands round differently, and the width and height vary between brands of the same "size".

So always read the full dimensions on the product listing, and check whether they are inside or outside measurements. A wire crate loses very little space inside its frame. A plastic crate, a fabric crate on a frame, or a wooden furniture-style crate can be noticeably smaller inside than out.

Can I choose a crate by weight?

Only as a starting point. There is no official UK crate size by weight. Some retailers publish weight bands: Pet Crates Direct, for example, suggests a 22 or 24 inch crate for dogs up to 25 lbs (11 kg), rising to a 54 inch crate for dogs over 110 lbs (50 kg)³.

Weight is a rough stand-in for size. Two dogs of the same weight can be very different shapes: one long and low, one tall and leggy. The crate has to fit the shape, which is why the RSPCA and PDSA test on your own dog is what decides^1,2.

See every band, in kg and lbs, in dog crate size by weight.

Crate size by breed

Breed guidance narrows things down further than weight, because dogs of one breed are a similar shape. Our breed crate guides give the size UK crate guides suggest for each breed, the matching sizes in each brand we cover in inches and cm, and anything about that breed's build that affects the crate.

Breed guidance still describes a typical adult. A large male or a small female can need a size either side, and crossbreeds vary a lot. Measure your own dog and check the five-part test.

Body shape changes the crate

Two dogs that weigh the same can need different crates, because the crate has to fit length and height separately. A few shapes to watch for:

• Long and low (for example the Dachshund): length decides the crate. A crate chosen by weight may be tall enough but too short.
• Tall and leggy (for example the Whippet): sitting height and stretching out decide it. Check the roof height and that your dog can lie flat on its side.
• Upright ears (for example the German Shepherd): measure sitting height to the ear tips, not the top of the head, so the ears clear the roof².
• Big, fluffy coats: press the tape through the coat to the body for length, but remember the coat still needs room.

Don't forget the bedding

A thick bed raises your dog off the crate floor, so it takes away some of the height. If your dog only just clears the roof sitting on the bare tray, it may not clear it on a deep cushion. We suggest measuring sitting height with your dog on the bed it will use, or leaving extra height.

Choose a bed or mat that lies flat inside the crate floor, so your dog isn't stretching out on a lumpy edge. Measure the inside of the crate, not the outside, when you buy one.

Too big or too small?

A crate that fails the stand, sit, turn, lie down and stretch test is too small². That is the more serious mistake. For puppies, the PDSA's tip is: "too big is better than too small."²

A crate can also be bigger than your dog needs, which matters most in the car: the RSPCA says a puppy is better protected in a smaller space when travelling¹. Read is my dog's crate too big or too small? for the signs and what to do.

Puppies: buy for now or for later?

Both UK charities point towards buying with the adult size in mind. The RSPCA says: "For a puppy, get a crate that's big enough for your pup to grow into."¹ The PDSA says: "For puppies - choose a crate based on their adult size or increase crate size as they grow."²

Many owners buy the adult size and use a divider panel to make the space smaller while the puppy is little, moving it back as the puppy grows. Our guide to how crate dividers work for a growing puppy explains how to set one up.

The RSPCA also says: "don't travel with your puppy in their adult-sized crate - they'll be better protected in a smaller space."¹

Wire, fabric or plastic?

The PDSA describes wire crates as "durable, sturdy, and well-ventilated" and "Ideal for most dogs"². It describes fabric crates as "Usually used for travelling. Not suitable for puppies or dogs who like to chew things. Can be trickier to clean."²

Plastic crates are enclosed, and their walls take up room, so check the inside dimensions carefully. Whatever the type, the size test is the same.

For a fuller comparison, and which suits the car, read wire or fabric crate, and which for the car?

Crates in the car

Rule 57 of the Highway Code says: "When in a vehicle make sure dogs or other animals are suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you, or themselves, if you stop quickly. A seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or dog guard are ways of restraining animals in cars."⁴

The Royal Kennel Club says: "A dog should travel either behind a dog guard, secured with a car-seat harness or, ideally, in a crate or fixed car cage."⁵

A crate for the car also has to fit your boot, so measure the boot floor and the height of the opening as well as your dog. In many hatchbacks and estates the tailgate slopes in, so the usable height at the back can be lower than at the front.

If you use a car-seat harness instead, it needs to fit as well as a walking harness. Our guide to how a dog harness should fit covers that.

Using the crate well

The right size is only part of it. The RSPCA is clear that "Crates must never be used as a punishment"¹. A crate should be somewhere your dog chooses to rest.

For how to introduce a crate and how long a dog can stay in one, follow the step-by-step guidance from the RSPCA and the PDSA^1,2. If you have worries about your dog's health or behaviour in a crate, talk to your vet.

Crate size checklist

1. Measure your dog's length (nose to base of tail) and sitting height (floor to top of head or ear tips).
2. Add room: we suggest about 10 cm to each.
3. Use weight bands or your breed's crate guide to shortlist one or two sizes.
4. Check each crate's actual inside length, width and height against your numbers.
5. For a puppy, think about the adult size and whether you'll use a divider^1,2.
6. For the car, check the crate fits your boot, and think about a smaller crate for a puppy¹.
7. When it arrives, watch your dog: it should be able to stand, sit, turn around, lie down, wag its tail and stretch out fully².

Common mistakes

• Choosing by weight alone, without measuring length and sitting height.
• Measuring height standing. Measure sitting, to the top of the head or ear tips.
• Including the tail in the length.
• Trusting the inch number instead of reading the actual dimensions.
• Comparing your dog with the outside size of a plastic or furniture-style crate.
• Buying a crate that only just fits. If in doubt, the PDSA's tip is that too big is better than too small².
• Using the crate as a punishment. The RSPCA says crates must never be used that way¹.

Breed crate guides

Every breed needs a slightly different crate. These guides cover UK size guidance for the breed, sizes in each brand in inches and cm, and how to measure.

• Labrador Retriever crate sizeSizes by brand, measuring and fit
• Cockapoo crate sizeSizes by brand, measuring and fit
• French Bulldog crate sizeSizes by brand, measuring and fit
• German Shepherd Dog crate sizeSizes by brand, measuring and fit
• Standard Dachshund crate sizeSizes by brand, measuring and fit
• Cavapoo crate sizeSizes by brand, measuring and fit

Find your dog's crate size All breeds

Questions

Read next

• Dog crate size by weight (kg and lbs)There is no official UK crate size by weight, but one US retailer, Pet Crates Direct, suggests bands from a 22 or 24 inch crate for dogs up to 25 lbs (11 kg) to a 54 inch crate for dogs over 110 lbs (50 kg).
• Is my dog's crate too big or too small?Your dog's crate is too small if your dog can't stand and sit without touching the top, or can't turn around, lie down, wag its tail and stretch out fully.
• How crate dividers work for a growing puppyA crate divider is a removable panel that closes off part of a crate, so you can buy a crate your puppy can grow into and make the space smaller for now, as the RSPCA and PDSA suggest.
• Wire or fabric crate, and which for the car?The PDSA describes wire crates as "durable, sturdy, and well-ventilated" and "Ideal for most dogs", and fabric crates as "Usually used for travelling" but "Not suitable for puppies or dogs who like to chew things".

Related guides

• Crate training, step by stepCrate training step by step, how long a dog can stay in a crate, nights, first nights and covering the crate.
• Sizing your puppy through the first yearSizing a puppy's collar, harness and crate through the first year, and how often to check.