Finding the right size dog kennel can be a daunting task. Is one brand’s medium the same as another? Is your dog on the larger side for that breed? Can the kennel fit in the places it needs to? These are the questions that you will come across, sometimes the hard way. Here is a guide to break down these questions and find a properly sized crate for your dog.

What is the Right Size Kennel for the Dog?

A dog needs to be able to stand up and turn around in a kennel. That’s the most basic definition of the right size kennel for a dog. Now if you find yourself saying, “Let me just buy the largest kennel possible,” hold on before you hit purchase. A dog also needs the kennel to be as close to that perfect dimension as possible. This is for several reasons. First, for a dog to feel safe in its kennel, it needs that “den” feeling which means security all around, a.k.a. closer kennel walls. The second is particularly of importance to house training a dog: if there is too much room, a dog could use it as a bathroom as well. A dog inherently does not want to be lying in their business, but enough room in a too-large kennel turns it into a one bath studio. Finally, when used for transport in your vehicle, a correctly-sized kennel is much safer in the unfortunate event of an accident. You don’t want your dog to have so much room that they can bounce around inside of the kennel and injure themselves during the accident.

Now that we have established how large the kennel must be in relation to your dog, what measurements do you need to know? Primarily we are concerned with two measurements, how long your dog is, and how tall your dog is.

This first set of measurements are “internal” kennel measurements. If the manufacturer is not showing both interior and exterior dimensions, buyer beware. Once you’ve measured your dog, compare the results to the internal measurements listed for the kennel.

For the length of the dog, measure nose to tail. Add 2 inches for smaller breeds, 4 inches for average breeds, and 6 inches for very large breeds.

For the height, some may tell you to measure a sitting dog. We advise that you measure a dog standing, from the floor to the top of their ears. The clearance above the dog’s measurement needs only be about an inch. In fact, many people will choose shorter kennels to encourage a dog to lay and rest for those dogs who travel a lot.

The width of the kennel is usually proportionate to these two original sizes in standard kennel builds, making the length the most important measurement. But remember that you do want your dog to be able to turn around in the kennel.