I need to get my 1-year-old weim a new crate. We crate him at night and during the day when we go to work. He is pretty good in the crate at night, but during the day he is sometimes hit or miss and gets anxious. We do have a walker who takes him out twice a day. So I want to buy a really good, strong crate. The size I am looking at is 42 inch long, 26 deep and 33 inches high. Is this big enough for a male weim? It is tall enough for him right now to stand up as he is about 29-30 inches tall. But I don't know how much more he will grow. I keep reading stuff that says you don't want to go too big. The next size up is 48 inches long. Seems way too big. Thoughts?
For how long is he in the crate during the day - and does he have to be crated when you are at work? To be in a crate and just taken out twice during the day does not sound ideal for a one-year-old dog, however large the crate is.
He isn't in the crate the entire day. It is probably from about 9 to 3 with a walker coming twice a day. We also break up the week by taking him to a doggy daycare. So maybe three days in daycare and two days at home in crate from 9-3. Right now, we are all working from home. So he is hanging out with us all day. But in a few months, my wife and I may have to go back to the office. But he is crated at night. So at the very least, I need a large enough crate for that situation, as well as when we are out on weekends, etc.
A crate just for the night does not have to be enormous - just large enough so the dog can stand up, turn round, adjust his sleeping position, and stretch out full length when laying down. I just do not like the idea of a large dog being in a crate while you are out during the day. It is just too restricting. At night the dog sleeps but you cannot expect him to sleep all the time during the day just so you can crate him. Is there no way that he can be left safely and move around at will without being crated so much? My dog is crated at night but there is no way I would put her in her crate while I went out.
