DogTally

How to Pick the Right Crate Size for Your Dog

Measure your dog from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail, then add a few inches for the crate to fit right. That single measurement, plus a height check, is the basis every major crate maker uses to size a crate. The exact number of inches to add differs by source, and the size charts differ by brand, so this guide walks through both with the real numbers attached.

The measure-and-add rule, with the exact numbers

Every source in this guide describes the same two measurements.

Length. Measure from the tip of your dog's nose to the base of their tail (where the tail meets the body, not the tip of the tail itself).

Height. Petmate and MidWest both measure from the top of your dog's head to the floor while they're standing normally. Chewy uses a different method: with your dog sitting, measure from the top of the head down to the base of one front paw.

Once you have those two numbers, add inches to each for clearance. Here's what gets added, according to each source that publishes an exact figure:

Petmate and Chewy agree closely: both land in the 3-to-4-inch range for adding to length and height. That's a reasonable range to use when you're rounding a raw measurement up to a stocked crate size. Petco and PetSmart also publish sizing guides, but their pages couldn't be verified for this piece.

Manufacturer size charts

Once you know your dog's length and height plus the extra inches, the next step is checking that number against real crate dimensions, because "medium" and "large" mean different things depending on the brand. Two manufacturers publish detailed weight-to-size tables: MidWest Homes for Pets and Petmate. Their numbers don't line up perfectly with each other, so they're kept separate below rather than blended into one chart.

MidWest iCrate line

MidWest's iCrate lineup runs in seven sizes, each tied to a published weight range.

| Crate size | Fits weight | |---|---| | 18" | Up to 10 lb (tiny breeds) | | 22" | Up to 15 lb (extra-small breeds) | | 24" | 12-20 lb (small breeds) | | 30" | 21-40 lb (medium breeds) | | 36" | 41-70 lb (medium-large breeds) | | 42" | 71-90 lb (large breeds) | | 48" | 90-110 lb (extra-large breeds) |

Petmate Vari Kennel

| Crate size | Fits weight | |---|---| | 19" | Up to 10 lb | | 24" | 10-20 lb | | 28" | 25-30 lb | | 32" | 30-50 lb | | 36" | 50-70 lb | | 40" | 70-90 lb |

Petmate Sky Kennel

| Crate size | Fits weight | |---|---| | 21" | Up to 15 lb | | 28" | 25-30 lb | | 32" | 30-50 lb | | 36" | 50-70 lb | | 40" | 70-90 lb | | 48" | 90-125 lb |

A few things stand out when you put these side by side. At the small end, Petmate's smallest Vari Kennel (19") is rated for dogs up to 10 lb, while its smallest Sky Kennel (21") goes up to 15 lb, so the same brand sizes its two product lines differently. At the large end, Petmate's Vari Kennel tops out at a 40" crate for dogs up to 90 lb, while the Sky Kennel line adds a 48" size rated up to 125 lb. MidWest's chart tops out at 48" for 90 to 110 lb dogs, close to but not identical to Petmate's 48" figure. None of these charts should be treated as interchangeable. Check the specific product's own listed weight range before buying rather than relying on the inch measurement alone, since an 18-inch crate from one brand and a 19-inch crate from another aren't guaranteed to fit the same dog the same way.

You can run your dog's own weight and length through the dog crate size chart tool to match against these manufacturer ranges directly.

Puppy strategy: a divider or a bigger crate later

A growing puppy makes crate sizing a moving target. There are two common approaches.

Buy for adult size, use a divider. The MidWest iCrate product listings sourced for the weight table above are titled as folding crates with a divider panel included, across all seven sizes. A divider lets you block off part of a larger crate so a puppy has just enough room to stand, turn around, and lie down, without the whole adult-sized crate open to them. As the puppy grows, you move the divider back and open up more space, rather than buying a new crate at every stage.

Buy up in sizes as your puppy grows. The alternative is simply sizing the crate to your puppy's current measurements and replacing it with a bigger one every few months as they outgrow it. This avoids managing a divider panel, but it means buying multiple crates over a puppy's first year instead of one.

Which approach makes more sense usually comes down to budget and how fast your particular puppy is growing. A large or giant breed puppy that's going to gain a lot of weight in its first year is a strong candidate for the divider approach, since replacing crates that often gets expensive fast. If you're not sure how big your puppy will end up, the puppy weight calculator can give you a general sense of their likely adult size, which helps you decide whether to buy the adult-size crate now or wait.

A note on fit, not training

This guide covers fit: matching a crate's dimensions to your dog's body so they can stand, turn around, and lie down comfortably. It doesn't cover crate training methods or behavior. If you have questions about how your dog is adjusting to a crate, including any signs of distress or difficulty settling in, that's a matter for your vet or a qualified trainer to weigh in on directly.

FAQ

How many inches should I add to my dog's measurements for a crate?

Sources differ slightly but land close together. Petmate says 3 to 4 inches for both length and height. Chewy says 4 inches for both. MidWest says "a few inches" without giving an exact number. Using 3 to 4 inches as your working range covers what both of the sources with exact figures recommend.

Do I measure my dog standing or sitting?

For length, all three sources measure nose to the base of the tail while your dog is standing normally. Height methods differ: Petmate and MidWest both measure from the top of the head to the floor with your dog standing, but Chewy has you measure a sitting height, from the top of the head down to the base of one front paw. Use whichever method matches the source whose add-inches figure you're following.

What if my dog's weight falls between two crate sizes on the chart?

Check the specific product listing for your dog's exact weight, since brands don't always break at the same weight points and the ranges above come from published product tables, not a single universal chart. When your dog is between two sizes, the length and height measurement (with the added inches) is often the better tiebreaker than weight alone, since weight doesn't capture body length the same way for a long, low breed versus a compact one at the same weight.

Can I use the same crate size chart for a car crate or a travel crate?

This guide is built from home crate sizing pages, not from any airline or travel-specific crate standard, so it doesn't cover that question. Check the specific requirements of your airline or transport method separately before buying a crate for travel.

DogTally guides and tools are for information only and are not veterinary advice. Talk to your vet about your dog's health.