What size crate should I buy for a puppy that will grow into a large breed?

Buy the crate sized for the dog's projected adult size and use a divider panel to shrink the usable space while the puppy is small. Buying a crate sized for the puppy now means buying a second, larger crate in a few months, which costs more overall than one adult-size crate with a divider.

How does a divider panel work in a puppy crate?

The panel slides into tracks inside the crate and blocks off the unused portion, so a puppy in a 36-inch crate destined to be 65 pounds might only have 18 inches of usable space at 10 weeks old. As the puppy grows, the panel moves back every few weeks until the full crate is in use.

Why does a puppy need a smaller space inside a bigger crate?

Dogs instinctively avoid soiling their sleeping area, and that instinct is the core mechanism behind crate training for housebreaking. If a puppy has enough room to sleep in one corner and eliminate in another, the crate stops reinforcing that instinct, which slows down housebreaking.

How long can a puppy stay in a crate at a time?

A common guideline is the puppy's age in months plus one, in hours, up to a maximum of about 4 hours during the day. A 3-month-old puppy tops out around 4 hours; overnight stretches are typically longer since the puppy is asleep for most of it, but should still include an overnight bathroom break for very young puppies.

Best Dog Crates for Crate Training Puppies: Grow-With-Your-Dog Picks

The best dog crates for crate training puppies ranked by divider panel quality, price, and ease of cleaning, covering the standard puppy-to-adult crates that let you buy once instead of upgrading every few months.

A puppy crate bought for a puppy's current size gets outgrown in a few months, and buying a second crate is money that doesn't need to be spent.

The best dog crates for crate training puppies come with a divider panel that shrinks the usable space while the puppy is small, so one crate covers the dog from 10 weeks old through full adult size.

The MidWest iCrate 36-inch is the standard recommendation for medium to large breed puppies, including the divider panel at no extra cost and a leak-proof tray that makes early accidents easy to clean.

For puppies projected to grow into large or giant breeds, the Carlson Pet Products 42-inch crate gives more headroom at full size and sturdier latches that hold up to a teething puppy testing the hardware.

Either crate works on the same principle: shrink the space now, expand it gradually as the puppy grows, and let the dog's instinct to keep its sleeping area clean do the housebreaking work.

The Best Dog Crates for Crate Training Puppies at a Glance

Best overall: MidWest iCrate 36-inch, included divider, lowest price, covers medium to large breeds through adulthood.

Best for large and giant breeds: Carlson Pet Products 42-inch, more headroom at full size and sturdier latches for teething puppies.

Sizing for the Adult Dog, Not the Puppy

Look up your puppy's breed standard adult weight range, then size the crate to that weight, not the puppy's current size. A 10-week-old Labrador puppy might weigh 12 pounds but needs a crate rated for 65 to 80 pounds as an adult.

Using the Divider Correctly

Move the divider back every 2 to 3 weeks as the puppy grows, checking that there's just enough room to stand, turn around, and lie down comfortably, no more. Too much extra space at any stage undercuts the housebreaking benefit of the crate.

Cleaning Up Accidents

Early accidents are normal and not a training failure. A crate with a removable plastic tray, like both picks here, lets you pull the tray, hose it off, and have the crate back in service in minutes rather than scrubbing wire.

Check price on Amazon, MidWest iCrate

Check price on Amazon, Carlson Pet Products

Best Dog Crates for Crate Training Puppies: Grow-With-Your-Dog Picks

Our Top Picks

MidWest iCrate 36-Inch Double Door Dog Crate

Pros

Cons

Carlson Pet Products Double Door Metal Dog Crate, Large 42-Inch