Are you looking to replace a crate for your pet? When should you do it? How can you tell that your pets have overgrown their crates?
Pet carriers and crates are extremely useful, especially if you are traveling a lot with your pets. However, you will need to make some effort to teach your pet to enter the crate or a carrier. They need to feel comfortable spending time in the crate. Otherwise they will just make a mess, bark or scratch all over it until you let them out.
Stick with us and learn when you should get a new bigger crate for your pet.
1. Make sure Pets Have Enough Space But Not Too Much
If you notice that your pet is struggling to stand up, turn around or sit comfortably in your crate, it is time to get a bigger one. Your pet needs to have enough space to do all the things we’ve mentioned above. If they cannot perform such actions, you need to get a bigger carrier.
However, they must not be too large. Pet carriers and crates should not allow dogs, for example, to pee in one corner and lay comfortably in another corner. Keep in mind that this isn’t their living space and you will use a crate to take your pet to your vet or when you travel with them.
2. Your Pet’s Anxious inside the crate
One of the signs is that your pet is anxious when it gets inside the crate. You can tell that if they start barking the moment they step inside and they might be telling you that they don’t feel comfortable when they are inside.
As we’ve already mentioned, you must not buy a carrier which is too large. This shouldn’t represent their playground, but more of a den, when they can perform basic actions and be comfortable to do so.
3. Your Pet Refuses to Get Inside a Carrier
Another way of saying that your crate is too small is when your pet doesn’t want to get inside in the first place. They don’t feel comfortable inside the crate and they don’t want to enter. Perhaps buying a bigger crate will save you this trouble every time you want your pet to get inside.
With the crate that is just the right size, the dogs should have no problem entering. In fact, they should love spending time inside the crate and you can keep it open and available for them to enter it in your home. They must be familiar with the space inside, which is more of a den, as mentioned before. There are crates that are made of different materials, but whichever you pick you will not be wrong. Just make sure it isn’t a see-through carrier.
Bottom Line
You need to get a bigger crate once your dog cannot stand up and turn around. As long as they can perform these actions you are good with the crate you have.
