Best Dog Crate for Escape Artists

No dog owners likes doing it, but sometimes you need to put your hound in a crate. This is for when you leave for an extended period of time, such as work or even just going out for a couple of hours. This is not only to make sure they don’t make a mess while you’re away, but also for their safety. 

Nothing is more frustrating, however, when things go wrong. Imagine returning home from a night out, only to discover your dog has escaped (and probably destroyed your house). 

There are a number of tactics you can utilize (as well as specialized dog crates for escape artists.) Here are some tips.

First, it’s important that you find a proper crate for your dog. It should be tall enough for them to stand and sit, but also long enough so that they can lie down with paws stretched out. Otherwise, it will be inhumane. Dogs are active animals and need to be able to move around. 

In general, the longer the time period, the large the crate you should buy. It’s definitely worth it if you’re going to be gone 8+ hours at a time for work. 

There are dozens of dog crate brands, and that’s even before choosing the right style, model and size. How do you choose one?

First, the material is very important. Escape artists will need something made of steel, hard plastic or reinforced wire to contain them. The hardware will need to be very sturdy. 

It’s important to know how your dog escapes. Usually it’s by chewing the connectors of the crate. With most crates, small metal connectors keep the sides together and the doors mounted in proper place. These are weak points and its important to choose a crate that has strong ones.

Some dogs are smart enough (and some crates so poorly designed) that the hounds can  simply fiddle with the latch.

Lastly, they can use just pure brute force. Remember, dogs are persistent animals and will not give up quickly. When you’re away and they’re in the crate, they have all the time, energy and drive to try to get out. 

So what can the caring dog owner do? You can observe them. Sometimes you’ll need to leave first before they starting doing their escape artistry. So hide in another room or use a web cam. 

Once you discover how they are trying to escape, you can reinforce the weak spot of the crate. Be sure not to use something like duct tape (which they’ll chew on, everything should be dog proof.) You can use a high quality carabiner to reinforce a crate. 

Lastly, there are some other tactics you can use. Try giving your dog a toy next time you put them in a crate. That way, they get distracted. Just be sure it’s safe enough that you can leave it unattended with your hound.

Before putting your dog in a crate, try exercising him or her. A brisk walk or run will make them expend all their pent up energy. That way, they get tired out and won’t have as much energy to try to escape. 

Lastly, a change of location might be better. Try next to a window so your dog gets natural sun light. A view of squirrels, cars or pedestrians might get them wound up, so try to prevent them from being stimulated like this.

Best Dog Crates

SMONTER Heavy Duty Dog Crate Strong Metal Pet Kennel Playpen

This heavy duty dog crate is almost industry indestructible and looks it too. The metal frame is coated with multiple layers of protective coating that defend it against rust, corrosion, scratches and scruffs. It is approved for indoor and outdoor use. You won’t have to worry when your pet chews and licks it. 

With a big strong dog, you definitely want to make sure your dog cage is rugged. With reinforced steel and all parts being welded, your dog will fail to escape. There is plenty of visibility and ventilation (important for most breeds). There are not one but TWO locks with safety buckles to prevent your dog from opening and escaping. 

If you’re going to use your dog crate frequently, you’ll definitely want something that is easily cleaned. The SMONTER crate has a removable plastic tray that is used to catch discarded dog food and excretement, making cleanup very easy.

This crate definitely has ease of installation going for it. It is estimated that it can be completed within ten minutes by most people. This is because its is shipped partially assembled. So no more spending hours on assembling something with very cryptic instructions. 

The 360 degrees rotating caster can be removed to add stability. 

PANEY Large Heavy Duty Rolling Dog Cage Crate

The first thing you’ll notice with the PANEY dog crate is the heavy build. It’s steel frame is strong and durable. The walls will not bend when your dog crashes into it. The tubes are constructed from heavy gauge and high quality steel. Each bar is firmly welded.

The design has 2 doors. The double entrances make taking care of your dog easy, making this crate quiet user friendly. You’ll be grateful easy access to your pet when you do activities like feeding or changing water. The door on top works well when you want to take your hound for a walk. The front door has double latches and the top door has one. Both are quite strong. 

Dogs are dirty animals. To make cleanup easier, the floor is designed to allow dirties to drop to the bottom tray. Both the steel tray and grate floor can slide easily, making cleaning not a difficult thing to do. 

ITORI Heavy Duty Metal Dog Cage Kennel Crate 

You can tell this crate from Itori has premium construction. This is important because if the build is flimsy, an escape artist is able to do his or her routine and escape. This crate is made out of quality reinforced steel. The high quality metal frame also gives ventilation and visibility so that your dog has a comfortable environment while you are away.

This crate implements an innovative double door design. This makes it easy for your dog to enter and leave but also makes interacting with your dog more convenient. The latches are heavy duty and create a secure and safe system for your dog.

Some crates can only be used inside a house. This particular one can be used for both inside and outside the home. So if you want to go outside and want to let your pet get some fresh air, all you have to do is roll out the crate. The coating resists things like rust and scratches and is nontoxic. You don’t have to worry if your dog licks or bites the crate.

Some dogs are just strong and will need a well built crate to hold them. A cheap wire cage won’t be able to hold them.

What are some other features? 

The quality of the build is extremely important for this type of product. This crate has 20 gauge steel and reinforced half inch diameter metal tubes.

This crate has a 30 day money back guarantee. This means you can order worry free. There’s also after purchase customer service available.