Small Dog Crates, Kennels, and Cages

Written by Dave Miller

Are you a small dog owner? You certainly aren’t alone. Did you know that small and medium dogs together account for the majority of all dogs currently registered by pet owners in the United States? Small dogs weigh in at a whopping 48 percent. This means that more people than ever own a small dog as part of their family. And this also means that your small dog needs place to call their very own in your home.

So how can you provide a nice place of rest for your small dog? The answer is to get a dog cage that accommodates them perfectly. But, of course, your small dog is a valuable family member whose safety and comfort must be provided for. It’s no good to simply choose a “one size fits all” dog crate. No such specimen actually exists! But you can use the world wide web as your one stop shopping center to find the perfect crate.

I wrote this article to give you a better idea of the various small dog crate models that are available for you to choose from. Each model has been tested and compared in order to arrive at what I believe is the all around perfect contender for best small dog crate. Read on to discover which models I chose and why I think it’s the best. 

My #1 Recommended Small Dog Crate

The MidWest iCrate is my number one choice for a small dog crate. This is a decision that I came to based on several very important factors. These include safety, comfort, convenience, weight, portability, cleanliness, and affordability. It also helps that the MidWest iCrate looks and feels like a product created by consummate professionals. 

For all of these reasons and more, which I’ll be happy to get into below, I have to rate the MidWest iCrate as my number one favorite. But there are also plenty of other very worthy models that may catch your attention. I’ll also be listing these runner ups in this article so that you can weigh the pros and cons and come up with your own ideal candidate. With that in mind, let’s get started! 

MidWest iCrate

With all of the above listed features, the MidWest iCrate is a true standout model. Weighing in at a total of 8 pounds, this crate is extremely light and portable, even with your small dog inside. The total dimensions of the crate are listed at an official total of 24″ Length x 18″ Width x 19″ Height. This gives your small dog plenty of roam to stretch out and also to grow into if they are still a puppy. 

The model is backed with a full warranty of guaranteed quality by the maker. It has consistently rated high on the lists of industry experts and pet owners alike. For these reasons, and after some careful testing of my own, I am happy to list the MidWest iCrate at the top of my list of favorite small dog crate models. I believe that this model that provides the most value for your hard earned money. 

Runner Ups

Of course, the mere fact that I came to recommend a single model as my favorite won’t negate the possibility of you, as the reader, wanting to know more about other models on the market. With this in mind, wIe grant that there are other choices that you can come to. There may be other criteria that can be used to judge the worthiness of a dog crate that I myself did not come upon during the time I was doing my tests.

So let’s have a quick look at these other contenders. These are the runner ups that also placed highly on my own personal list of favorites. In the interest of fairness, I’ll present them to you here. You may have your own reasons for preferring one of them to the MidWest iCrate. If this is the case, I can rest easy in the knowledge that I was able to give you an excellent idea of how to judge these models. 

New World Folding Metal Dog Crate

One of the first candidates on my list of highly placed runner ups is the New World Folding Metal Dog Crate. It is true that when I chose the MidWest iCrate as my top model, this is the one that offered the most competition. It’s largely because of its folding feature. I have to admit, this is a highly attractive feature. The ability to fold up your dog crate and stow it away in a closet or corner is a sweet plus. 

Of course, this isn’t the only attractive feature that the New World Folding Metal Dog Crate comes equipped with. It’s also equipped with many of the most important elements that make for a top class dog crate. These include steel construction, a securely latched lock for the opening, and a removable sliding plastic pan to make cleaning an easy experience. For all of these features, this is rated as a very worthy runner up. 

AmazonBasics Single Door & Double Door Folding Metal Dog Crate

The new AmazonBasics Single Door & Double Door Folding Metal Dog Crate really takes a great idea and runs with it. It’s a quick folding crate that allows you to store it pretty much anywhere you need to when not in use. Of course, it’s also lightweight and sturdy enough to allow your pet to use it as a convenient source of privacy. If they aren’t sleeping with you, it will even give them a comfy area to bed in at night. 

The most noteworthy feature is the ingenious new exit system that is included. To be accurate, they’ve actually doubled it by adding an extra door to enhance the security of your four legged friend. This handy new model includes not only a securely latched front door but also a top door. This is great for interacting with your pup without letting them out of the crate.  

Ruff ‘n Ruffus Portable Foldable Pet Playpen

Are you not interested in going the traditional metal dog crate route? This is a very interesting and affordable alternative. It’s made of 600D Nylon and is completely collapsible when not in use. It does require some pumping up on your part but this is very easy to attend to. Once inflated, it performs the part of a classic dog crate, just without all of the usual heavy metal clunky-ness and lack of portability. 

It’s almost like a bean bag hotel for your pet. However, don’t let its simple construction fool you. This is a very sturdy, roomy, and safe storage area for your pet to make use of during long trips. It comes with a zipper door that lets your pet in and out in a jiffy and also saves you the trouble of fumbling with big heavy steel bolt latches. All in all, this is a very interesting alternative to the usual style. 

AmazonBasics Two-Door Top-Load Pet Kennel

Last on my present list of worthy dog crate runner ups is another model from AmazonBasics. This is more of a traditional plastic carrying crate design, although it’s been considerably updated. The new Two-Door Top-Load Pet Kennel comes with a wide variety of convenient features. These include a two door, top loading feature that lets you load in your dog or let them escape from multiple safety exit points. 

The model also comes complete with a steel wire cover for the front exit. This will allow your dog to breathe and also let you keep tabs on them during the long trip. You can also add a set of include screws to the latches in order to make them more secure if need be. While this model is much more traditional and limited than the others on this list, it’s a sturdy, dependable, and affordable addition to my runner ups.