My dog

Schedules, units and retailers all change with this.

Crate size calculator

Enter two measurements or pick a breed to get the crate size your dog needs as an adult.

Sizes the crate for the published adult weight, which is what a growing puppy needs.
Measurement unit
Adds how long a puppy that age can reasonably be crated.

Buy for the adult dog. A crate that fits an eight week old puppy is outgrown in a month. Use a divider while they are small.

How to measure

MeasurementHow
Length With the dog standing on all fours, measure from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail. Do not include the tail itself. Add 2 to 4 inches. Source
Height With the dog in a sit, measure from the floor to the top of the head. For upright eared breeds measure to the ear tips instead. Add 2 to 4 inches. Source
Headroom check The regulatory minimum for a kennel is that interior height is at least 6 inches higher than the head of the tallest dog in the enclosure when they are standing normally. PetMD's owner facing version is at least 2 inches of clearance above the head when the dog is sitting. Use whichever is larger for your dog. Source
Floor space, regulatory minimum The US federal formula for licensed kennels: find the mathematical square of the sum of the length of the dog in inches, measured from the tip of their nose to the base of their tail, plus 6 inches, then divide the product by 144. That gives the minimum floor space in square feet. A dog measuring 24 inches needs (24 + 6) squared divided by 144, which is 6.25 square feet. Source
Width You do not need to measure your dog's width. Crate width follows from the length and height of the crate you choose. Source

The sizes actually sold

Crates are sold in a handful of standard lengths. This is a guide to what each one fits, not a product recommendation, and Puplr does not quote prices.

SizeInchesCentimetresSuitsTypical dogs
18 inch 18 x 12 x 14 in 46 x 30 x 36 cm 0 to 2.7 kg Toy breed puppies
22 inch 22 x 14 x 16 in 56 x 36 x 41 cm 2.7 to 5.4 kg Chihuahua, Maltese, Yorkshire Terrier, Pomeranian
24 inch 24 x 18 x 20 in 61 x 46 x 51 cm 5.9 to 11.3 kg Shih Tzu, Bichon Frise, Havanese
30 inch 30 x 20 x 23 in 76 x 51 x 58 cm 11.8 to 18.1 kg Beagle, French Bulldog, Boston Terrier, Corgi
36 inch 36 x 24 x 26 in 91 x 61 x 66 cm 18.6 to 31.8 kg English Bulldog, Bull Terrier, Australian Cattle Dog, Pit Bull Terrier
42 inch 42 x 28 x 30 in 107 x 71 x 76 cm 32.2 to 40.8 kg Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, Boxer
48 inch 48 x 30 x 32 in 122 x 76 x 81 cm 40.8 to 49.9 kg Bernese Mountain Dog, German Shepherd, Rottweiler

Size bands from PetMD dog crate sizing chart, by Rebecca Bermingham, CVT, reviewed by Jennifer Coates, DVM, updated 10 October 2023. Inches and pounds are as published, the centimetre and kilogram figures are Puplr's conversions. This is a general guide to the sizes commonly sold, not a product recommendation, and Puplr sells nothing. PetMD's own caveat applies: base the size of the crate on your dog's measurements, and not their weight or breed alone.. Source.

How long a puppy can be crated

These are ceilings for a crated puppy who is awake and alone, not targets. For adults, Humane World for Animals (formerly the Humane Society of the United States) says in the FAQ on its crate training page that, as a general guideline, adult dogs should not be left in a crate for more than 4 to 5 hours during the day. The same page says a dog crated all day and night does not get enough exercise or human interaction and can become depressed or anxious. Its FAQ also gives the popular rule that a puppy should not be crated for longer than their age in months plus one hour; Puplr uses the shorter figure wherever the two rules differ, as the table shows.

AgeAt a stretchSource
2 months 2 hours VCA Animal Hospitals, how to potty train your puppy. Take your puppy outside every 2 hours at 6 to 8 weeks of age, with overnight breaks as well Source
3 months 3 hours VCA Animal Hospitals. For every month of age you can add an additional hour, so a 3 month old should be able to wait 3 hours Source
4 months 4 hours VCA Animal Hospitals, one hour per month of age Source
5 months 4 hours Humane World for Animals, formerly the Humane Society of the United States. The per month rule would give 5 hours here, but HSUS caps puppies under 6 months at three or four hours at a time, so Puplr holds at 4 Source
6 months 4 hours Humane World for Animals. Puppies under 6 months of age shouldn't stay in a crate for more than three or four hours at a time. They can't control their bladders or bowels for that long, even during potty training Source

Getting it right

Common questions

What size crate does my dog need?

Measure rather than guess. Nose to base of tail plus 2 to 4 inches gives the length. Floor to the top of the head while sitting plus 2 to 4 inches gives the height. Then pick the smallest standard crate that clears both numbers. PetMD is clear that weight and breed recommendations give only an estimate, because each dog is an individual.

Is a bigger crate kinder?

Not while you are toilet training. VCA explains the mechanism: with too much extra space a puppy may turn half of the crate into their bathroom, whereas in an appropriately sized crate they become reluctant to eliminate in their own bedding. Buy for the adult size and shrink the usable space with a divider.

How do dividers work?

You buy one crate sized for the adult dog and move a panel back as the puppy grows, so the living space stays just big enough at every stage. Most wire crates include one. If yours does not, Preventive Vet suggests blocking the back section with a large box.

How long can a puppy stay in a crate?

Roughly an hour per month of age for bladder control, per VCA: outside every 2 hours at 6 to 8 weeks, and for every month of age you can add an additional hour, so a 3 month old should manage 3 hours. HSUS puts a hard ceiling over the top of that: puppies under 6 months should not be crated for more than three or four hours at a time, because they cannot control their bladders or bowels for that long.

Is the one hour per month rule real?

Yes, and it is traceable. VCA Animal Hospitals publishes it in that form on its puppy potty training page. Humane World for Animals publishes a looser version, age in months plus one hour, in the FAQ on its crate training page. Both are guides to bladder capacity rather than a licence to crate a 6 month old for six or seven hours, and the same Humane World page caps under six month puppies at three or four hours regardless.

How long can an adult dog stay in a crate?

Humane World for Animals says that, as a general guideline, adult dogs should not be left in a crate for more than 4 to 5 hours during the day, and that a dog crated all day and night can become depressed or anxious. It is the only welfare body reached in this pass that publishes an adult figure.

Is there a legal minimum crate size?

There is in the United States, for licensed kennels and dealers rather than for pet owners. 9 CFR 3.6 requires floor space equal to the square of the dog's nose to tail base length in inches plus 6 inches, divided by 144, in square feet, and an interior height at least 6 inches higher than the head of the tallest dog when standing normally. It is a useful sanity check on a crate you are about to buy.

Where should the crate go?

Somewhere calm but not isolated. HSUS suggests an area where the family spends a lot of time for the introduction, then a calm part of the home where the dog can relax without constant stimulation or noise, with a comfortable bed inside and the door left open when you are home.

Buying guides for this

Next

How we worked this out

The sizing rule

A crate has to let the dog stand up without ducking, turn around, and lie down fully stretched out on their side. The US federal animal welfare regulations put the same idea in legal language for kennels: an enclosure must provide sufficient space to allow each dog to turn about freely, to stand, sit, and lie in a comfortable, normal position, and to walk in a normal manner. For transport the wording is enough space to turn about normally while standing, to stand and sit erect, and to lie in a natural position. PetMD adds the practical version for owners: the dog should stand up with ease, fit through the door effortlessly, comfortably turn around, have at least 2 inches of clearance above the head when sitting, and be able to fully extend their limbs when lying on their side.

From 9 CFR 3.6(a)(2)(xi) and 9 CFR 3.16(e)(1), USDA Animal Welfare Regulations, plus PetMD reviewed by Jennifer Coates, DVM. Source.

Claims we could not source

These come up constantly and none of them could be traced to a veterinary or welfare organisation, so they are not used anywhere on this page.

Where the sources disagree

Sources

Last reviewed 2026-09-25.