Dog Essentials on a Budget, #2 - The Crate

Here is the crate that we made for Maple. It is multipurpose and can be made to be smaller for short periods of confinement, and then nearly double the size for when we are out for longer periods of time and when Maple is older. The measurements of the smaller size is 70X90 cm (28X36 inches).

Large crates are very expensive here in Australia, well over $100.00. For a collapsible wire crate the same dimensions as the smaller size given above would be AU$159.00. Ours cost us just under AU$63.00.

Bunnings Warehouse (a large hardware / builders warehouse store) sells wire compost cages for $26.90 each. The consist of 4 wire panels. So we bought 2 of them. We used 6 panels for the 4 sides, a top and a bottom. Then we used the extra 2 panels attached to the door panel so that they could be accordianed together to the door for the smaller size crate, but also stretched out to double the length of the sides for the larger size crate. Then we bought a length of linoleum (also at Bunnings) for $10.00 that we used on top of the wire floor panel and to extend out of the crate to cover the floor of the extended size crate. We used cable ties rather than the metal coil fasteners to attach all the panels to each other, and it is very sturdy with no wobble.

Here is the crate in the small size configuration all ready for Maple and then in large size formation (with the door open).

* we did buy a plastic travel crate for use in the car and also to use in the bedroom at night whilst toilet training Maple. But even factoring in the cost of that crate, we still spent less total on the 2 crates than 1 metal collapsible crate would have cost us.