Dog Crate Size Calculator
Find the right crate size from your dog's length and height, with standard crate sizes matched.
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What this tool does
Find the right crate size from your dog's length and height, with standard crate sizes matched. Published sizing guidance from crate manufacturers and humane societies: the dog must be able to stand without crouching, turn around and lie fully stretched. For housetraining a puppy, use a divider in the adult-size crate rather than a crate the puppy will outgrow.
How to use the Dog Crate Size Calculator
- Enter or select dog length, nose to base of tail in in.
- Enter or select dog height, floor to top of head/ears in in.
- Read the calculated result; change any measurement to compare alternatives.
Formula
minimum crate length = dog length + 2 in, recommended = dog length + 4 in (enough to stand, turn and stretch); minimum crate height = dog height + 2 in, recommended = dog height + 4 in; then round up to the next standard crate size
- length
- Dog length, nose to base of tail (in, before metric conversion)
- height
- Dog height, floor to top of head/ears (in, before metric conversion)
Published sizing guidance from crate manufacturers and humane societies: the dog must be able to stand without crouching, turn around and lie fully stretched. For housetraining a puppy, use a divider in the adult-size crate rather than a crate the puppy will outgrow.
Worked example
For dog crate size calculator, the following measurements illustrate the exact method: Dog length, nose to base of tail: 28; Dog height, floor to top of head/ears: 24.
Inputs
- Dog length, nose to base of tail28 in
- Dog height, floor to top of head/ears24 in
Result
- Recommended crate length (in)32
- Minimum crate length (in)30
- Recommended crate height (in)28
- Minimum crate height (in)26
- Standard crate size to buy36 in
Results explained
- Recommended crate length (in)
- Recommended crate length (in) from the formula above. Published sizing guidance from crate manufacturers and humane societies: the dog must be able to stand without crouching, turn around and lie fully stretched. For housetraining a puppy, use a divider in the adult-size crate rather than a crate the puppy will outgrow.
- Minimum crate length (in)
- Minimum crate length (in) from the formula above. Published sizing guidance from crate manufacturers and humane societies: the dog must be able to stand without crouching, turn around and lie fully stretched. For housetraining a puppy, use a divider in the adult-size crate rather than a crate the puppy will outgrow.
- Recommended crate height (in)
- Recommended crate height (in) from the formula above. Published sizing guidance from crate manufacturers and humane societies: the dog must be able to stand without crouching, turn around and lie fully stretched. For housetraining a puppy, use a divider in the adult-size crate rather than a crate the puppy will outgrow.
- Minimum crate height (in)
- Minimum crate height (in) from the formula above. Published sizing guidance from crate manufacturers and humane societies: the dog must be able to stand without crouching, turn around and lie fully stretched. For housetraining a puppy, use a divider in the adult-size crate rather than a crate the puppy will outgrow.
- Standard crate size to buy
- Standard crate size to buy from the formula above. Published sizing guidance from crate manufacturers and humane societies: the dog must be able to stand without crouching, turn around and lie fully stretched. For housetraining a puppy, use a divider in the adult-size crate rather than a crate the puppy will outgrow.
Frequently asked questions
For housetraining, oversize backfires: a puppy will sleep at one end and toilet at the other. For an already-trained adult, extra room is harmless comfort — use a divider to shrink the space only while housetraining.
Length is nose tip to the base (not tip) of the tail; height is floor to the top of the head or ears, whichever is higher, with the dog standing naturally. Measure twice — dogs rarely cooperate the first time.
Most adult Labs measure about 32–36 in long, giving a recommended crate length around 36–40 in — so the standard 42 in crate is the usual buy, with a divider while puppy-sized.
It is the common published guidance (2 in minimum clearance, 4 in comfortable). Deep-chested or long-backed breeds may need the next size up; when between sizes for an adult dog, choose the larger.
Generally no — each dog should have its own crate sized to itself. Shared crates remove each dog's safe retreat and can create conflict, especially around food or chews.