A crate is the one piece of dog furniture most people try to hide, and the one their dog most needs to be in the room. A furniture-style crate solves that by passing for a cabinet or side table. Your dog gets a quiet den where the family is, and the room keeps its lines. Here is what to check before you buy one.
Size it from the inside
Your dog should be able to stand without ducking, turn around, and lie stretched out on their side. A common way to check: measure from nose to the base of the tail and from the floor to the top of the head while sitting, then add two to four inches to each. Compare those numbers with the crate's inside dimensions, not the outside. On a furniture crate the panels and frame take up a couple of inches in every direction, so the gap matters more than it does on a wire crate.
Weight ratings on a listing are a guide, not the answer. A long, low dog and a tall, lean dog of the same weight need different crates. If your dog falls between two sizes, choose the larger one.
Two doors earn their keep
A front door and a side door let one crate work in two places: along a wall with the side door facing the room, or tucked into a corner with the front door open. It also gives a hesitant dog a way in that feels less like a tunnel. When you are placing a crate in a finished room, that flexibility is often worth more than any finish.
Know what it is made of
Most furniture crates are engineered wood with a painted or veneered cabinetry finish, and steel bars or wire-mesh panels for airflow and a line of sight. That construction is stable and takes a good finish, and it looks right in a living room. It is also furniture: it is not built to take a determined chewer or a dog who is still panicking in a crate.
Our honest advice is to use a plain wire crate for the first weeks of crate training, and then move to a furniture crate once your dog settles calmly. A furniture crate suits a dog who already treats the crate as a bed.
The top is a surface. Use it like one
The flat top is half the appeal: a lamp, a plant, a few books, and the crate reads as a side table. Keep it to light things, and keep anything your dog could pull down, cords and trailing plants included, out of reach of the bars.
Plan for a soft floor
Most furniture crates come without a floor cushion. A fitted crate mat makes the den comfortable and keeps a dog from sliding on a hard base. Make sure the mat's thickness still leaves your dog headroom when standing.
What we carry
We stock two furniture crates from Bowsers, both with front and side doors and stainless hardware, in three sizes (medium for dogs up to about 60 lb, large up to about 80 lb, extra large up to about 100 lb):
- Fresco, Lunar White: a soft white cabinetry finish with decorative wire-mesh panels, for a lighter room.
- Moderno, Grey: a grey finish with brushed stainless steel bars, for a cooler, more modern room.
The Fresco has a matching raised double feeder, so the feeding corner can match the den. If you are unsure which size fits your dog, send us their measurements at support@eraandcohome.com and we will tell you honestly.