Too big for his crate!

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Smudge

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Oh no! :no: I put Smudge in his crate tonight only to find out that he has outgrown it! He's too tall! I put him in, and walked out of the room like I always do. He usually calms down after a few minutes. 20 minutes later and he was still barking! :eek2: So I went to go check, and his head was probably not even a half inch from the top of the crate! I'd be barking too if somebody crammed me in such a tight spot! I usually don't use the crate, but I do feel like for medicial reasons (and sometimes when my parent's are away) that I need something to keep Smudge safe.

How lovely. :rolleyes2: As if my room wasn't small enough already! I really liked that crate, too! It has two doors so you can pick the way you want the crate to face.

I thought he had stopped growing! He's seven months! I really need to measure him and see how tall he is. Geesh.
 
Do remember that even at full grown the crate does not have to be large, especially if you are only going to use it later on for medical time. As long as the pup can lay down, stand up and turn around and lay back down. Most shelties will fit in the #200 at full grown. Course, Smudge is getting tall, but you don't think he is going to "much" over 16 inches do you?
 
RonandJan said:
Course, Smudge is getting tall, but you don't think he is going to "much" over 16 inches do you?
Click to expand...

Actually, yes. :uhoh: He was already 15 inches a few months back. If I can ever find out where they've hidden the measuring tape I'll see how tall he is today. He started growing very late. I didn't notice him hit huge growth spurts until the middle of his mange episode. That's how come I haven't realized it until now. It's been months since Smudge has been in his crate.

Ok. Fess up. Who came to my house and sprinkled miracle gro on Smudge's head?! :eek2:

My other sheltie was a larger sheltie as well, but I do think Smudge may be a tad bit bigger. If Smudge lays down and then gets back up really fast he bumps his head. It's not like he stays in his crate every night, but you never get an advanced warning on when you will need a crate!
 
Well most of them fold down, so when he is not going to use it for a long time, you can slide it under your bed. We have a small bedroom too and I know the feeling of stubbing my toe on MMM's crate in the middle of the night. I feel bad for McKinley too tho, here he is sound asleep and this big horse of a human falls over his crate scaring the bejeebers:eek2: out of him.
 
That makes me feel good knowing that Smudge had a late growth spurt. Bailey is only 12 1/3 inches. Maybe 12 1/2...she's hard to measure. She's already 5 1/2 months. I'm really hoping she can make it to at least 13 inches. 14 would be even better.

Send some of that miracle growth powder to NY for me!
 
I wasn't exactly sure what to expect height wise from Smudge. His mom was a very, very tiny sheltie. His dad, on the other hand, was HUGE. :eek2:

So I'm not sure if a late growth spurt is a good thing or not. :uhoh: Other people who breed shelties might better answer that question. Smudge's background and health are questionable, so I'm really not sure.
 
Gee, I thought Ember was big, but I guess not! I just measured her and she doesn't quit make it to 13". Probably 12 3/4. She is about 5 mos. and 3 weeks old. I think she is about 11 lbs.. This is my first sheltie and I'm used to pee-wee 8 lb. dogs!
 
Seems like Bailey and Ember are on the same growth track. I'm not sure how much she weighs now. I don't think she's 11 pounds. Feels like 9ish. I'll find out tomorrow when I take her to the vet for her lyme disease and bordetella vaccines.
 
What are the measurements of the crate?

Remember, when they are in there, they are mostly sleeping so I wouldn't worry too much about the height.

Bacca's crate is about 19" high x 23 long x 16 wide.

And he is over 16 inches, and long in the leg and neck. He still loves his crate and sleep in there often. It works in a pinch and because I don't crate him when I'm away anymore (at 19 months), no need to get a bigger one. When he sleeps in it, he's mostly curled up in a ball anyway. I could probably make do with half the size!

Your decision to get a bigger crate should be based on how big your current crate is, and how long you plan/need to continue to crate him regularly.
 
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