Hello! I’m new to the group. We’re picking up our chocolate Lab pup in a little over a week. I’ve been going crazy trying to pick a crate for a few days. I went on Amazon and searched for the highest rated and highest reviewed crates. The 1 star reviews on just about all crate either talk about their puppy dying or getting hurt or the dog chewing through or bending the crate and escaping. I’ve gone thru multiple sights as well. I was thinking of getting a 42 inch crate and using a divider to start but all the reviews are overwhelming me. If anyone could help I would really appreciate it. I would love to have it in the house by early next week just to plan around and make sure it fits properly. We need to crate train because we work during the day. We can scatter our times a bit and I can work from home from time to time and have some help so he won’t be alone for so long. Thanks in advance for any advice!
Hi there and welcome to the forum. We have used the Amazon's recommended crates before, and I think some from a UK brand called Rosewood. Using a large size with a divider when they are small is a great idea if you have space for the big crate straight away as it saves a bit of money in the long run. You can check out our guide to choosing a crate here and find some nice options here. If you did decide to get a separate puppy crate you can find a selection reviewed here too. Hope that helps!
If you work during the day then I don't think a crate is appropriate. A dog safe room or a pen is less cruel if you are going to be out for more than a few hours. I can't bear thinking about all these poor dogs that are in crates all night and most of the day. No wonder they act crazy when they get a bit of freedom.
