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What size crate for my dog?

A crate, not a studio apartment.

Measure your dog from the nose to the base of the tail, and from the floor to the top of the head. We'll add the 4 inches of room crate makers recommend and give you one standard crate size.

Built from the size charts of AKC, MidWest Homes for Pets and Frisco (Chewy).

By the Sizemaven team. Rules checked against their sources October 2026.

A brown and white puppy lying calmly in a wire crate on a bed beside a brick wall and a plant
Photo: Ayla Verschueren on Unsplash

Find your size

in

Tip of the nose to the base of the tail (where the tail meets the body), dog standing.

in

Floor to the top of the head, or the ear tips if they stand up. Use the taller of sitting and standing.

lb

Leave empty for a grown dog. For a puppy, an estimate from the breed or the parents is enough.

$
How to measure a dog for a crate: nose to the base of the tail, and floor to the top of the head, then add 4 inches to each.base of tailnose to base of tailfloor to headcrate length: dog + 4 incrate height: dog + 4 in
Where to measure. Your answer is drawn here from your numbers.
  1. 1
    Dog's lengthWith your dog standing, run the tape from the tip of the nose along the back to the base of the tail, the spot where the tail meets the body. Leave the tail out; including it is the most common mistake.
  2. 2
    Dog's heightMeasure from the floor to the top of the head, or to the ear tips if the ears stand up. Most dogs are taller sitting than standing, so take the taller of the two.

Dog crate size chart

Standard wire crate sizes from the MidWest iCrate and Frisco charts. The largest dog is the crate size minus 4 inches; weight labels are the makers' rough guides.

CrateDog length up toDog height up toCrate L x W x HMaker weight label
18 in14 in10 in18 x 12 x 14 inup to 9 lb
22 in18 in12 in22 x 13 x 16 in10-12 lb
24 in20 in15 in24 x 18 x 19 in13-25 lb
30 in26 in17 in30 x 19 x 21 in26-40 lb
36 in32 in21 in36 x 23 x 25 in41-70 lb
42 in38 in26 in42 x 28 x 30 in71-90 lb
48 in44 in29 in48 x 30 x 33 in91-110 lb
54 in50 in41 in54 x 37 x 45 inover 110 lb

Questions about dog crates

How do I measure my dog for a crate?

Measure from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail while your dog stands. Then measure from the floor to the top of the head, or the ear tips if the ears stand up. Frisco and Amazon Basics both say to add 4 inches to each number.

Should I include the tail?

No. MidWest, Frisco, Amazon Basics and Diggs all measure to the base of the tail, where the tail meets the body. The AKC measures to the tail tip, which gives a longer crate, but it also warns that a crate that is too big makes house training harder.

The crate says 71-90 lb and my dog is 55 lb. Is it too big?

Not if your dog's measurements call for it. Weight labels are rough guides for a typical breed at that weight. A long, lean dog can need a bigger crate than its weight suggests, so length and height decide.

What size crate should I buy for a puppy?

Buy the crate your dog will need as an adult and use the divider panel to shrink the space while the puppy grows. Both the AKC and MidWest recommend this.

Is a bigger crate better?

Only up to a point. The crate should let your dog stand up, turn around and lie down. The AKC and several humane societies say a much bigger crate lets a dog sleep at one end and soil the other.

How we size dog crates

The rule comes from the charts below, checked October 2026. Brands differ, so check the size chart on the product page before you buy. Read our method

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