Dogs | Crates

Best Dog Crates in Australia: Four Picks for Home and Training

A crate isn't a cage if you get it right — it's the one spot in a busy house where a dog can switch off, and the tool that makes toilet training and settling a new puppy far less of a battle. The trouble is that "dog crate" covers everything from a flimsy fold-flat box to a steel kennel a determined dog can't dent, and the wrong one either rattles itself apart or the dog breaks out of it in an afternoon. The crate that works is the one matched to your dog's size, strength and where it'll live in the house. A travel crate is a different animal again — made for the car or a flight, and a poor fit for the lounge-room corner. We've compared four home crates on sale in Australia, from an everyday wire crate to an escape-proof build for the dog that treats a cage as a challenge.

Best Overall

4.7

MidWest iCrate 30-Inch Double Door Folding Metal Dog Crate

Two doors fit any layout
Divider grows with a puppy

Thin wire won't stop a chewer

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Best for Big Dogs

4.5

BoundLiving 48-Inch Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Dog Crate

Steel bars resist a big chewer
Wheels to move it when full

Heavy and dear to buy

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Best for Living Spaces

4.0

Hzuaneri Wooden Dog Crate Furniture with Barn Door

Doubles as a side table
Blends into a living room

Wood won't survive a chewer

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Best for Small Dogs

4.2

VaKa 24-Inch 3-Door Foldable Dog Crate with Divider

Three doors for easy access
Cheapest crate on this list

Small sizes only

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By Tom • Updated July 2026 • 🕒 17 min read

How we review →

Below we compare four crates sold in Australia: an everyday wire crate for most dogs, an escape-proof steel kennel for the strong and the anxious, a furniture-style crate for open-plan homes, and a small crate for puppies and little dogs. First, the handful of things that separate a crate worth buying from a box that only looks the part.

What to look for in a dog crate

Five things that decide whether a crate suits your dog and your home. Scroll across to read all five.

Size it properly

A crate should let your dog stand up, turn around and lie down flat, with only a little room to spare. Measure nose to the base of the tail and floor to the top of the head, add a few centimetres, and use a divider to shrink a big crate down while a puppy grows into it.

Match it to the dog

A calm medium dog is fine in coated wire, but a strong, anxious or escape-prone dog needs welded steel and secure latches. The right build is the one your particular dog can't bend, chew or rattle its way out of.

Doors and access

Two or three doors give you options for where the crate sits and how you reach in, which matters against a wall or in a tight hallway. A single-door crate costs less but pins you to one layout.

Cleaning and floors

A slide-out leak-proof tray turns an accident into a two-minute job, and plastic feet save your floorboards from scratches. Timber-based crates look smarter but usually mean wiping the base out by hand instead.

A den, not a cage

A crate works because dogs like a small enclosed space to retreat to, so it should feel like a den it retreats to, and it should never be used for long confinement or punishment. Add soft bedding, keep sessions positive, and build crate time up gradually.

At a glance

Our top four picks compared — specs, prices, and our one-line take on each.

Rank	Product	Best for	Key feature	Approx. price	Check price link
Best Overall	MidWest iCrate 30-Inch Double Door Folding Metal Dog Crate	Most dogs, everyday home use	Double doors, divider and leak-proof tray	~$52–$72 AUD	Check price
Best for Big Dogs	BoundLiving 48-Inch Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Dog Crate	Big, strong or anxious dogs	Welded steel build with lockable wheels	~$335–$375 AUD	Check price
Best for Living Spaces	Hzuaneri Wooden Dog Crate Furniture with Barn Door	Crates that live in the lounge	Wooden end-table design with a barn door	~$150–$170 AUD	Check price
Best for Small Dogs	VaKa 24-Inch 3-Door Foldable Dog Crate with Divider	Puppies and small breeds	Three doors, divider and leak-proof tray	~$45–$65 AUD	Check price

Our picks in detail

What we love, what to watch for, and the dog each pick really suits.

Best Overall: MidWest iCrate 30-Inch Double Door Folding Metal Dog Crate

Bottom line — the sensible default for most homes: two doors, a puppy divider and a leak-proof tray at a fair price.

This is the crate most people should start with. It's the benchmark folding wire crate — a double-door design so it fits whichever way your room is laid out, a divider panel that shrinks the space for a puppy and opens up as it grows, and a leak-proof plastic pan that slides out for the inevitable mess. The 30-inch size suits a medium dog like a beagle or a cocker.

Folded flat it's easy to move between rooms or tuck away when the visitors leave, and the whole thing sets up without tools in about a minute. It's bare wire, so a mat or a bit of bedding turns it into a spot a dog wants to be, and it's worth clipping both doors properly or a clever dog learns to rattle them open. The honest limit is strength — the gauge is fine for a calm or medium dog, but a big powerful escape artist will bend it, and that dog wants the steel option below. For most households, this covers the job.

What we love	Areas for improvement
Double doors suit any room layout Divider adjusts as a puppy grows Leak-proof pan slides out to clean	Light gauge won't hold a bruiser Bare wire needs bedding for comfort Can rattle open if not clipped shut

Best for Big Dogs: BoundLiving 48-Inch Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Dog Crate

Bottom line — the crate for a dog that beats every other cage: welded steel, escape-proof latches and wheels, if you'll pay for it.

When a dog bends wire, chews through plastic or Houdinis its way out of everything else, this is where you end up. It's built from welded steel bars in place of the thin wire of a standard crate, with escape-proof latches and a 48-inch footprint made for large breeds. Lockable castors let you roll it into a corner or out to hose the tray, which matters once a crate this size is loaded up.

The strength is the whole point. A powerful, anxious or determined dog that treats an ordinary crate as a puzzle to solve won't get far against steel bars and secure latches, and that peace of mind counts for a lot if you're crating a dog while you're out. The removable tray slides free for cleaning, and the frame is rated to take weight on top, so you can stack a second crate. The catches are obvious enough — it's heavy, it's the dearest option here by a wide margin, and it's far more crate than a placid small dog will ever need. For a genuine escape artist, though, nothing softer will do.

What we love	Areas for improvement
Welded steel stands up to escape artists Lockable wheels move it when loaded Removable tray pulls out for cleaning	Heavy to shift once assembled Priciest crate in this lineup Overkill for a calm small dog

Best for Living Spaces: Hzuaneri Wooden Dog Crate Furniture with Barn Door

Bottom line — the crate for people who hate the look of a cage: a wooden end table that hides a calm dog's den.

The usual objection to a crate is that it looks like a cage parked in the living room. This one answers that — it's a wooden cabinet with a sliding barn door that reads as an end table, with a flat top you can stand a lamp or a plant on. Its cabinet measures about 32 inches on the outside, but thick timber walls mean the enclosed den inside runs smaller than a wire crate of the same number — it's sized for a small-to-medium dog, so the crate stops dominating the room it lives in.

It suits a specific dog: calm, house-trained, and past the chewing stage. Timber panels and a mesh door look the part and give decent airflow, but they won't survive a determined chewer the way steel or coated wire will, and there's no slide-out tray, so cleaning means wiping the base out by hand, with no pan to hose off. Think of it as furniture that happens to crate a settled dog; a boisterous puppy wants a proper training crate instead. For an adult dog that already treats its crate as a quiet retreat, it's the one that won't make you wince every time you walk past it.

What we love	Areas for improvement
Passes as a piece of furniture Sliding barn door saves floor space Flat top works as a side table	Timber and mesh won't stop chewing Harder to wipe out than a tray Better for calm, house-trained dogs

Best for Small Dogs: VaKa 24-Inch 3-Door Foldable Dog Crate with Divider

Bottom line — the value pick for a small dog or pup: three doors, a divider and a low price, in small sizes only.

For a puppy or a small adult dog, a full-size crate is wasted space, and this one is sized and priced for the job. The 24-inch footprint fits a toy or small breed, three doors mean you can put it almost anywhere and still reach in, and a divider lets you start a pup in a snug section and open it out as it grows.

It's the cheapest crate here, and for a little dog that's the sensible call and no real compromise — a placid Cavoodle or a Jack Russell doesn't need welded steel. The leak-proof tray slides out to clean, and the frame folds flat to slide behind a couch or take to the grandparents' place. Keep it in perspective: the wire is a lighter gauge, so it's made for small, settled dogs, and a big or powerful one will soon test it; like any bare crate it wants a mat inside to feel like a den. Within those limits, it's a lot of crate for the money.

What we love	Areas for improvement
Three doors ease access in tight spots Divider suits a growing small-breed pup Folds flat and costs the least	Light gauge, small dogs only Not for a large or strong dog Bare tray needs bedding added

FAQ

What size crate does my dog need?

Measure the dog; the weight on the box is only a rough guide. Your dog should stand up without ducking, turn around and lie flat on its side, with no extra room to toilet in one corner and sleep in the other. Measure nose to base of tail and floor to the top of the head, then add a few centimetres. For a growing puppy, buy the adult size and use a divider to close off the extra space until it grows into it.

How do I get my dog to like the crate?

Slowly, and with food. Prop the door open and let the dog wander in and out on its own, dropping treats or a favourite chew inside so good things keep happening in there. Feed meals in the crate, then start closing the door for a minute at a time while you're in the room, building up gradually. Never shut a frightened dog in and walk off — that teaches it the crate is a trap. Done at the dog's pace, most dogs come to treat the crate as their own quiet retreat.

Where should I put the crate in the house?

Put it where the family spends its time — a corner of the living room or a quiet edge of the kitchen. Dogs are social and settle best near you, so a shut-off laundry or spare room defeats the point. Keep it out of direct sun and away from heaters and draughts, since a crate can heat up fast in an Australian summer. Once a dog is settled, plenty of owners add a second crate in the bedroom for nights.

Can I leave my dog in a crate while I'm at work?

Only for short stretches. A crate is meant for sleeping and brief rests, and eight hours while you're at work is too long — a dog left crated that long can't stretch, drink properly or toilet, and it isn't fair on them. If you're gone for a full day, a playpen or a dog-proofed room with water and a bed is kinder, or arrange a midday walk. Use the crate for nights and short absences, and give the dog real freedom the rest of the time.

Is it cruel to crate a dog?

Not when it's used properly — the harm comes from over-use, and a crate used well is a real positive. Used as a short-term den it gives a dog a safe space of its own, which is why it's a standard part of raising a puppy. The RSPCA describes a puppy crate as an ideal secure place where a dog can sleep safely and be left alone, starting with very short periods and building up gradually. It only becomes a welfare problem when a dog is shut in for long stretches or a crate is used for punishment. Keep the sessions short and positive and the crate does a dog far more good than harm.

Final thoughts

Here's where I've landed after years of fostering: the crate people regret is almost always the wrong size or the wrong strength, seldom the wrong brand. Too big and a puppy will toilet in one corner and sleep in the other; too flimsy for a powerful dog and it just becomes a puzzle the dog works at until it's loose. A settled dog treats a plain crate as a bed — my staffy Pepper is happy in the simplest one going — but a boisterous young dog will find every weak point you leave it.

So match the crate to the actual dog in front of you. Size it so it can stand, turn and lie down and no more, pick a build your dog can't defeat, and put it somewhere the family spends its time so it reads as a safe den the dog heads to on its own. Make going in a good thing with food and patience, keep the sessions short, and give the dog its freedom the rest of the day. Get that right and the crate quietly becomes the most useful bit of kit in the house.