# How to select a Crate? Frisco, Midwest Life Stages, Midwest iCrate, other?



## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Bumping up


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## Jmcarp83 (May 4, 2018)

I chose Amazon Basics when looking. Price was good and zero issues with quality. Also comes with divider. I bought a 36” for Rally trials but she HATES it. She can’t stretch out and standing she seems to be cramped. She loves her 42” crate that she sleeps in.


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## drew510 (Sep 12, 2017)

They all seemed very comparable when I researched them. Some of them might have thicker wires than others and sometimes the latch mechanism is different. Our crate is better quality than the X pens we have and one of the X pens is better than the other. I just looked up and our crate is Frisco and the better X pen is Midwest. The other X Pen is Pet Trex.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

To me, the biggest difference is whether to get airline-style plastic crates or wire crates. My first puppy, someone lent me their airline-style plastic crate and my pup loved it for the whole time she slpet in it. It was dark, it was big (it was an extra-large, probably a 36-inch), and it was a safe place. 

So when I got my current puppy, I got the exact same crate. My new puppy HATED it. Loathed it. Fought it, made sounds I have never heard a dog make in my life (kind of sounded like, "I'm DYYYYYYYING!"). Thankfully, someone lent me a puppy-sized wire crate to try and I noticed she was much happier because she could see out of it. I used that one, bought the next size up as she grew and then someone else lent me a big huge one (it was 42 or 46 inches - basically a small condo) that she would stay in when I was at work from about 5-6 months old to 14 months old (and that was HER choice - I tried to wean her out of it long before). That big huge one was a Midwest, and it was very sturdy, and so when I bought the wire kennel for my SUV, I went with a 36-inch Midwest, and I really like it. 

If you are going to use your 36-inch one in a vehicle, make sure you buy the 2-door kind - door at the front but also on the side, as you might put the kennel in horizontally like I do, and would need a side door.


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

I've used Midwest creates for forever at least since the late 80's (before highschool) just make sure it has a divider panel and buy what they will grow into and you only need to buy one create. For a golden you'll likely need a 42". 36" will be cramped space for all but a pretty small golden 50ish pounds or less. Any dog 55 pounds or more will need a 42" create.

Also it only needs to be big enough to stand, turn around and last back down comfortably, not stretch out. For a golden you'll need a 54" create (what use for a Dane) for them to be able to stretch out in.

I don't know about Frisco, though I think I've seen them before. The only other one I know much about are the Precision brand which the wire is much thicker then Midwest's for dogs that have bent the standard crates. They must be at least done the thickness.


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