Measure from the base of the tail to the end of the nose and add 6-8 inches. Then measure the shoulder height and add 4-6 inches. Picking the correct size crate for your dog is very important. You don't want anything too big. At the same time, you don't want anything too small. He should be able to stand up, turn around, and lie back down again comfortably. To pick the correct size soft sided or wire cage for a full grown dog, measure him from the floor to his shoulder and then add two inches. This will give you the height of the crate you want. Use a divider if you are using a wire crate to training a puppy that will grow to a large dog. A crate with too much room may allow them to use one end as a bathroom.

Experts recommend crate training your dog, even if you don’t intend for the dog to stay or sleep in it. There very well may be an occasion where your dog will need to be crated and it is best if you've made it a happy and rewarding experience. Mostly, crates are not always designed to be used permanently, but more as a training tool until your dog is house trained and has adjusted to your home environment. Some dogs might always need crating when left alone. Although most are easily house trained. Every dog is unique and requires a different approach. As long they are not crated any longer than 6 hours at a time, there is no harm done. With puppies, you can base the time they can be crated on how many months old they are (3 months, 3 hours, etc.) DO NOT use the crate as punishment. By the time you get them into the dog crate, they will have no idea what they did wrong, Being placed in a dog crate should ALWAYS be a rewarding and pleasant experience for the dog. The crate is a valuable tool for house train your dog. After you’ve had your dog a few weeks, work in 5 or 10-minute increments, leaving your dog alone to see how they behave when you leave the house. Do this gradually when you have time to work with the dog. DON’T make a “big deal” out of leaving and IGNORE the dog for about 5 minutes after returning, no matter how much attention they seen to want. After a while, your dog will be able to leave your dog alone in the house. As with any teaching, it takes PATIENCE, CONSISTENCY and TIME. In cases where your dog may need to be crated when you’re away, make sure the dog gets PLENTY of exercise BEFORE and AFTER being crated. If you must leave your dog crated while you are at work, make arrangements to come home during lunch to let the dogs out for a break and to run around. If you’re not able to, maybe have a neighbor or hire a pet sitter to come by once a day. YOUR DOG will love you for it!