Give your dog a secure space at home and on the move with our crates and carriers. Choose from foldable metal crates, soft carriers and travel friendly designs sized for different breeds. Ideal for training, travel and creating a safe resting spot.
🦴 Crates + carriers
A crate is a den, not a punishment. Used right, it speeds up toilet training, gives a nervous dog a safe space, and gets your dog comfortable with car travel and vet stays. Used wrong, it's cruelty. Here's how to pick the right type and size, and the sizing rule that prevents 90% of returns.
The most popular type. Cover with a blanket for den feel. Look for a divider panel so you can size-down for puppies and grow with them. Avoid the cheapest brands — bars bend and latches fail.
Required for airline travel — make sure it's IATA-stamped (CR-82 or similar). Also great for nervous dogs that prefer enclosed dens. Heavier and harder to clean than wire.
For dogs that already crate-trained and don't scratch/chew at the door. Brilliant for car/holiday travel. A teething puppy will destroy one in a week.
For dogs with separation anxiety that destroy regular crates. Brands like Impact + ProSelect. €300–€800. If you need this, also work with a behaviourist — the crate is a band-aid, not the cure.
In Ireland, dogs in cars must be restrained (Road Traffic Act). A crash-tested car crate (TÜV / Centre for Pet Safety verified) is safest. A booted dog can become a 30 kg projectile in a 50 km/h crash. Boot guards are second-best.
Length: tip of nose to base of tail + 10 cm. Height: top of head when sitting + 5 cm (with ears up). Width: enough to turn around comfortably. Too big = dog uses one corner as a toilet. Too small = stress + cramped joints.
Don't buy a small crate to "upgrade later". Buy adult-size, then use the included divider to give a puppy just enough space to lie down + turn around. Reduces toileting accidents AND saves €100.
1 hour per month of age, capped at 4 hours. Adult dogs: 4 hours during the day, overnight is fine. Puppies under 8 hours per night need a midnight wake-up. NEVER all day every day — that's warehousing, not crate training.
Feed meals in the crate. Toss treats inside randomly. Never use the crate when shouting at the dog. Frozen Kongs work miracles for crate-anxious puppies. If your dog refuses to enter, you've broken the association — take a step back.
Not in direct sun. Not next to a radiator. Not in a hallway. Ideal: corner of the lounge during the day, beside your bed at night for puppies. Cover three sides with a blanket for den feel.
Our dog crates & carriers range goes live as we vet suppliers — we won't list anything we wouldn't use ourselves. In the meantime, our calculators, breed guides and AI vet tools below are free and don't need stock.
A crate used as a den (positive associations, appropriate time limits, big enough) is not cruel — most dogs choose to nap there even when the door is open. A crate used as long-term confinement (10+ hours/day, no exercise, used as punishment) is cruel. The tool is fine; the use can be wrong.
Wire is more ventilated and easier to clean — best for home use in Ireland's mild climate. Plastic is required for airline travel and preferred by nervous dogs that want a darker den. Many owners use a wire crate at home + a plastic carrier for vet/travel.
Never too late. Slower process — start with the door open, meals inside, no door-closing for 2 weeks. Build to short closures with rewards. Often takes 4–6 weeks vs 1–2 weeks for puppies. Worth it for car travel + vet stays + emergencies.
Yes — the Road Traffic Act 1961 (general care + control duty) requires drivers to control passengers and pets. Garda can fine for an unrestrained pet. Crash-tested car crates, harness restraints (Sleepypod, ZuGoPet) and boot guards are all accepted methods.
