What Size Crate For A Pitbull As He Grows Up?

Pitbulls All Shapes And Sizes

There’s no single breed called simply the Pitbull. But breeds commonly referred to as Pitbulls, pitties or bully breeds include

• American Pitbull Terriers
• American Staffordshire Terriers
• Staffordshire Bull Terriers
• Bull Terriers
• and even Miniature Bull Terriers.

These are all sweet, loving and mischievous dogs, but with fierce reputations. Their bad name comes from an unfortunate history of being used in blood sports. More recently they have been badly bred and abused by people who want them as dangerous status symbols .

But responsibly bred Pitbulls, raised in loving homes and properly socialised, can be docile and devoted companions. Actors Kaley Cuoco, Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake are among the modern day Pitbull owners helping to turn their image around.

How Do I Know What Size Crate To Get For My Dog?

When we choose a crate for an adult dog, the minimum size is determined by the dog, and the maximum size is usually dictated by the amount of space in our homes.

But when we teach a puppy to love the crate as part of their potty training, we need to make sure that it’s big enough for comfort, but not so big they can use one corner as a bed and the opposite corner as a toilet!

Pitbull Crate Sizes

Bull Terriers are the biggest of the dog breeds in the Pitbull classification. They reach 21 to 22 inches tall at the shoulder.

American Pitbull Terriers grow to between 17 and 21 inches tall at the shoulder.

American Staffordshire Terriers (also known as Amstaffs) are a little smaller again – 17 to 19 inches tall at the shoulders.

Staffordshire Bull Terriers (fondly called Staffies) reach 14 to 16 inches tall.

And finally Miniature Bull Terriers reach just 10 to 14 inches tall.

Crate Sizes

For the most part, dog crates come in a range of standard sizes.

Of course, there are also manufacturers who do things a little differently, if you’re hoping to fit your crate in a specific spot!

The large Pitbull breeds like the Bull Terrier, American Pitbull Terrier, and Amstaff need a crate 36 inches long along its longest side.

Being a bit smaller, Staffies usually fit a crate which is 30 inches long.

And Miniature Bull Terriers might be happy in a 24 inch crate, but are often on the cusp of needing a 30 inch crate.

What Size Crate For A Pitbull Puppy?

Young puppies can usually be taught very quickly that the crate is a nice place to be. And since they instinctively avoid going to the toilet in the same place they sleep, a cosy crate is a great tool to use in your potty training schedule.

To make sure the space in their crate is too small for both bed and toilet, you can either:

• Buy a smaller crate to start with. This is the best solution if the space beside your bed is small, or if you’re likely to use it again for future puppies.

OR

• Buy a large crate with an internal divider. This enables you to shrink down the space available to your puppy, and gradually expand it again as they grow.

In Between-Sized Dogs

There are always some individuals which fall outside the typical size range for their breed. As well as average breed dimensions like the ones we’ve supplied here, the size of your puppies’ parents will give you a good idea of how big they’re going to get.

If you’re undecided between two crate sizes, always choose the larger one, unless you’re happy to buy twice if the need arises!

Examples Of Great Pitbull Crates

Now you’re ready to go out into the marketplace and choose a crate for your Pitbull! To give you just a little more help, we think these are five of the best Pitbull crates you can buy:

Petmate Plastic Pets Kennel

Enclosed plastic crates like these ones from Petmate(paid link)*(paid link) are more expensive than wire frame ones.

But they offer a den-like feeling of being enclosed which lots of dogs love, and they’re probably a little more comfortable to sleep propped against the inside wall of, if that’s your pup’s preferred position.

If you plan to take your Pitbull on air travel with you, this style also offers the advantage of being airline compliant (unlike metal and wire crates).

Petmate’s range comes in six sizes from 19 to 30 inches, but they don’t have internal space dividers, so you’ll have to buy a new one for each stage of your Pittie’s growth.

2Pet Foldable Dog Crate

If lightweight and foldable construction is a top priority for you, then your perfect crate might be a fabric-walled one, like this by 2Pet(paid link)*(paid link).

Fabric designs are more likely to have top access than plastic or wire designs. Look out for models like this which have fully washable covers.

Some dogs are liable to chew through fabric crates, so it’s worth waiting until after the puppy period to invest in one of these.

MidWest iCrate Starter Kit

This crate is essentially the same construction at the Amazon Basics one, but this time MidWest have included all the accessories(paid link)* (paid link)you could possibly need to kit it out later.

You get:

• the crate
• a fleece covered, bolstered mattress
• a crate cover, to turn your dog’s space into the perfect den-like retreat
• two clip on food or water bowls
• and four roller feet, for if you’re worried about the base of the crate scratching your floors.

This is an ideal way to receive everything you need in one box, if you’re starting from scratch and you don’t like making lots of individual decisions!

Casual Home Wooden Crate

Dog crates often take up a lot of space in our home, but they’re rarely pretty to look at. These stained, lacquered wooden crates from Casual Home*(paid link) aim to change all that.

Choose a color and design to fit in with the rest of your decor, and use the top of the crate as an end table.

Lovely!

Why Crate Your Pitbull?

Dog crates tend to elicit strong reactions.

Instinctively, we understand that keeping animals confined is bad for them. The image of a dog in a cage is usually of one that isn’t being well looked after.

And surely, if Pitbulls are as safe as their champions claim they are, they don’t need to be kept in a cage? Are they only safe if they’re kept locked up?

All these worries stem from two big misconceptions about dog crates and crate training.

Let’s explode those myths right now.

Myth 1: Crating Dogs Is Cruel

Just like their closest wild ancestor the wolf, dogs have a natural instinct to find somewhere small and enclosed to rest.

Crates, especially crates with a purpose made cover, or old blanket thrown over the top, offer dogs a den-like sense of security, which helps them to relax.

Of course, crates can be abused by keeping dogs in them for excessively long periods, or by closing a puppy in before they’re ready to be left.

But crates themselves are not an intrinsically cruel part of a balanced doggy routine.

Myth 2: Crates Are A Solution For Undesirable Behavior

This isn’t so much a myth, as a lazy dog training decision.

There’s no substitute for socialising a Pitbull puppy properly, and introducing them to lots of different people and places while they’re still young.

No doubt in the past, unsavory people have deliberately raised Pitbulls to react fearfully and aggressively to strangers and other dogs.

And these poor Pitties ended up kept barking away in a crate at home whenever visitors called.

But when you’re raising a Pitbull well, crate training isn’t a substitute for giving them the proper training, interaction and exercise they need.

What Size Crate For A Pitbull

You can use average size information about a dog breed, and specific details about the size of a puppy’s parents to estimate how big they will be in adulthood.

With a bit of luck you can use this to buy just one crate, which will grow with them and last a lifetime.

If you want a specialist crate (for example one accepted by airlines) you might have to accept buying more than one crate before your Pittie is full sized.

Before you go, why not take a look at the following articles?

• Read more about the different Pitbull breeds here.
• Find out which toys we love to share with them here.
• And make sure you’ve got everything else your new dog or puppy will need using this checklist.

Affiliate link disclosure: Links in this article marked with an * are affiliate links, and we may receive a small commission if you purchase these products. However, we selected them for inclusion independently, and all of the views expressed in this article are our own.