Soft Crates?

Can anyone recommend a good brand of soft crates? I need to get one in the next few months so that I can have one here at work that is easy to fold up and get out of the way for the couple days I'm not here, or so I can carry it home easily if need be.

My grandparents bought one earlier this year that is horrible. I have no idea what brand it is, but the thing rolls around as soon as the dog shifts, and it has these wire pipe things that fall out. It's dangerous to leave a dog in. They set it up at our house this summer, put their dog in and immediately saw it wasn't going to work and was going to be a disaster. So obviously, I don't want one like that.

And also, where do you buy one? I think I've only seen a handful at dog shows. I've never seen them in any of the pet stores I shop at I don't think. Or maybe I just didn't see them becaues I wasn't looking.

Anyway, I'm basically looking for a solid, sturdy soft crate that is easy to collapse and put away. Also, one that is breathable. I've seen some online that hardly have any venting at all. So, any recommendations? Or are most of of them pretty good and whatever my grandparents got is kind of a fluke?

Costco has a good one if you have someone with a membership, lots of folks use them for agility. You can order it from their website and have it delivered to a store close to you to save on shipping too. I'd link it but the website won't load for me right now.

ETA: Here: http://www.costco.ca/PetSTEP-Fabric-Travel-Kennel.product.10360449.html

I have a DogDigs, a Noz2Noz, and a Guardian Gear. All work fine. The N2N is my fav but they are crazy pricey now so I probably won't get another unless I find a sale or used.

Mine are from BigLots, Amazon, and PetEdge, respectively.

If you just need a little one, 30" or less, theycan be found just about anywhere...even Lowe's has them and they seem fairly sturdy. Any bigger, though, and I have to start looking online or at dog-specific places. The Dog Digs at Big Lots is an exception though.

My Noz2Noz has taken six or seven years of abuse - getting buried in the car, left in tents in the rain, having tons of stuff piled on top of it, having Meg lean on it non-stop. It is still in very good shape. They are expensive, but they are well worth it in my opinion.

I have an EliteField brand soft crate that I bought on Amazon. It's held up very well and when I get another soft crate I'll prob get the same brand.

I would tell you which crate the dogs preferred, but they seem to prefer whichever crate the other dog is in...here's both in the Noz2Noz


Kinda tight in that 30" Guardian Gear crate, doncha think? (And yes that is Mira's puppy paw next door )


The 36" Noz2Noz


Apparently I take even few pics with the 36" DogDigs...only found two
That crate's behind and to the left. 36" N2N is to the right.


Both Dog Digs crates


These are all old pics (newest one is from Feb 2010, the one with Mira's face) and taken with my Powershot...

That's good to know. I think I'll probably buy an EliteField for Bean. I got super lucky and bought Steve's Noz2Noz in a thrift shop for $5. It was a little mangled, but repairable, and I love it because it doesn't have the full mesh sides.

I loved our Noz2Noz ones... at least before Lincoln decided to eat through them.

I need two and I'm so torn about what to buy, I've been bugging everyone I know asking lately.

I really need a soft crate for agility (preferably 2). Just because 2 dogs going to the same class means 2 trips for crates and stuff. The only problem is the one time I bought a soft crate for Mia she 1. Rolled it around the old agility field. I set it up on the sideline for Summer's class and then looked behind me to see Mia doing a hamster ball out to come join us.... 2. Rolled it around my house. 3. Unzipped it. 4. Ate through the mesh door once I tied the zipper together.

I need something with a little more weight on it. And Mia proof. Any ideas?

I'd probably just use little plastic verikennels (or similar). That's what I use for puppies til they outgrow them. They double as car crates for me...even with the sedan I could bungee them into the backseat.

Since I'm apparently on a crate picture roll...here's Mira in hers as a pup lol. This crate is a touch smaller than a Varikennel 100

This is timely because I need a larger soft sided crate for traveling with Squash. I ordered a Noz2Noz off of Amazon, and if it sucks it's ALL SHAI'S FAULT.

Thanks guys! I will definitely take a look around at all of those and see which ones I can mostly easily get around here and which ones I like best.

And thanks for the pictures, Shai!

Izzie is bound to a medium vari kennel because she tears and or unzips soft kennels. Otherwise she's in a smaller wire for trials if we can't fit the vari.

I'm pretty sure the warning label on softcrates reads "Does not contain Canine Kryptonite. Is not guaranteed to hold Superdog."

Yeah I started using a vari-kennel as well as a wire crate. I was bringing my two wire crates but one is about lab-sized so that wasn't great. My smaller wire crate doesn't collapse anymore either.

Have you considered those new ezydog ones for your dogs? If I had a tiny dog I would.

I went and molested the natures miracle crates at PetSmart tonight and gave them a resounding "meh". The hunt continues.

Walmart.com http://www.walmart.com/ip/Petnation-Dog-Port-A-Crate-E-16-Dogs/3391779?findingMethod=rr

Same makers of N2N. Half the price. The biggest they make is a 36" though.

Laur, just get two of these and hang the girls up when not running a course.