The sizing of your dog kennel is crucial to get right. Because of this under each of our kennels on Pets.ie we have a sizing guide to help make this super easy for you to do.
If a kennel is too big for a dog, you risk them getting cold. This could increase their risk of being sick. We recommend that your ensure that your kennel is overly big for your dog. If it is too big the dog will find it so cold that it will search for somewhere else that it can snuggle up at night.
If a kennel is too small for your dog, you risk them overheating. This will also increase the chances of your dog becoming sick. It will also mean that your dog won’t have enough room to happily lie in the kennel. They will refuse to sleep in it as they will find it very uncomfortable, and will again, try find somewhere else to sleep.
An important thing to remember is that a puppy may still be growing. A Golden Retriever or German Shepard puppy will appear adorably small at first and you may be tempted to get a small sized kennel. However, within a couple of weeks this kennel will be far too small. What we recommend here is that you have a proper-sized kennel in which you place loads of warm blankets and beds. This will ensure that they stay warm. Placing the kennel in a warm area will also help.
How Do You Measure Your Dog For A Kennel?
To measure your dog there are a few simple steps:
- Measure your dog from the feet to the top of the head
- Add between 2 inches and 6 inches to this
- Measure your dog from their nose to the end of their tail (if they have a long tail, you don’t need to measure the whole tail)
- Add between 2 and 6 inches to this