Which Dog CRATE is Right For Me? (and WHY crate at all?) Ruffland, Impact Crate Review & More!

[@ricklees5953]

the popups at 0:49 😂💀

[@DoggyU]

Hahaha I debated putting that easter egg in there but decided it was too funny to pass up ;)

[@ricklees5953]

@@DoggyU there were so many good ones in this video!

[@DoggyU]

@@ricklees5953 Thank you! sometimes i crack myself up and then think ... nobody else is going to think this is funny🤣

[@ricklees5953]

@@DoggyU videos that were fun to make are always the most fun to watch! thanks for another great one!

[@robinrutherfordcost4748]

Crates are usually mandatory in a hotel room when you leave the room. You want the dog to be able to stay quiet and calm so you can go for dinner in peace and without worry or complaints. I still use a crate for my one Dobe who is extra grumpy when he sleeps. Keeps us and the other dogs safe. Hope that helps.

[@DoggyU]

Yes - great example of good management in the house too! Also, not everyone wants dogs in their beds when they sleep, so they can be useful in that case too! (says my husband! lol)

[@jacquelinemarie1721]

Do you strap down the impact crate in the cargo area? I have an x5 and it has no tie down hooks.

[@DoggyU]

I put the tie down through the handle on top of mine.

[@thornvfx]

One glaring omission is the Gunner crates--best on the market.

[@DoggyU]

so true! I've never owned one as they've never quite fit my vehicle situation. Would love to try one out though!

[@LauraElkins-v1w]

Love your KZbin channel, great content! Two more suggestions for safe crash tested crates, Gunner & Lucky Duck dog crates. I have a Ruff Tough crate, now Ruff Land, but don't love how the door can fly open in a crash. Google crash tests for dog crates. I'm thinking seriously about the Lucky Duck.

[@lucindamoody4582]

I love my Ruffland crate! My service dog is trained to ride in it but is also trained to ride on the floor of the back seat when we travel and use Lyft rides. I feel so much safer with him in the crate when we are on the road together. I have ratchet straps that tether the crate to the tie-downs in the back of my vehicle.

[@DoggyU]

Sounds like your pup is being kept very safe!! Yeah, it's important for an SD to be able to ride in a variety of locations, but if they're in my car (or my dog friend's car) they're getting crated. Nobody plans on getting into an accident unfortunately. Safe travels to you and your pup!

[@BigE1986]

I just bought a second impact crate for my cane corso we needed a collapsible version of his much larger crate at home for travel to shows. you are absolutely right about them looking like they transport raptors

[@RueFlower]

Oooooh man I don't think my Dane mix service dog would fit in most of those lol. She has a wire crate for home, it's so huge it looks like the velociraptor pen at Jurassic Park... and she sleeps inside on a full size crib mattress lol. But it's her sanctuary, her quiet place, we have visiting cousins a lot and no children are allowed to cross the threshold lol- so she hides her toys in there too. It's also her 'place' and where I can close her in if we all need a break from her galloping about😉 for the car I've always used a seatbelt/vehicle harness for my dogs. Almost all of them are absolute CRAP, but Ruffwear makes one that's actually crash tested for dog safety. And after I sewed a couple patches on it she wears it for quick stops before we get where we're going

[@shiori510]

Arè any good for long and tall dogs, ì ŵorked a mastiff and ɓull arabs aren't smaĺĺ dogs either.

[@DoggyU]

I would check out what Impact has available (I have a 40 inch from them that's pretty nice). TransK9 might also have singles that are pretty large. But you may have to end up with something custom. I think TNC does custom crates. Hope that helps!

[@reptilesfishandmore]

I literally cant stand when people let their dogs loose in the car. Especially jumping around the seats or sitting on their freaken lap...... Its unsafe Its distracted driving (you should get fined/ticketed 🚔 ) And it should be animal cruelty charge if you get caught doing it multpile times. It's literally not hard to crate or i guess use a seatbelt if u cant fit a crate in a smaller car (ive seen vidoes where many pet seatbelts fail the crash test and even come undone so, not all are made well)

[@CircusStellaShow]

That was fantastic, thanks so much for all the useful information. Will be scouring the used market, lol!!

[@DoggyU]

Glad it was helpful! Yeah definitely check! I also check when I'm traveling - I've found a couple while on the road for good prices!

[@RuthannMontano]

I just have the plain metal black one for my service dog Murphy she's in training right now I just started training her but she's already so sweet and good

[@Cruzan9]

Ruff Land and Impact are what I'm considering. I also like Diggs Revol.

[@haventli]

Thanks for this. Crates can be soooo expensive. I used mostly soft sided crates, partly to keep me honest with crate training and partly because of the price, but I really need to get crates for the car. How do you deal with ventilation in the back of the car when driving? With the seats up in the back of the Subaru Outback and two dogs, it gets stuffy back there.

[@DoggyU]

This is definitely a concern in the summer. I use those Ryobi fans (linked in the description) to push AC from the back to the front. I also keep my seats down when possible. If it's a problem in a van, sometimes people will use the Noggle to pump air to the back, though I didn't find I needed that in the subaru: amzn.to/3INfBQz

[@haventli]

@@DoggyU perfect, thank you. Can't keep the seats down, full family with the kids in the back. 😊 I do have the fans, but maybe a Noggle is in order!

[@DoggyU]

@@haventli might be the right fit! Or tell all those humans to stop breathing so much hot air 😂

[@KoiraStar]

My small dog rides in a Care2, which is lightweight, 2 doors, and designed to secure using the seatbelt in the car, which makes it super easy to take in and out. I also have two Gunner crates (small and medium) that are heavy and bulky, but by far the safest crates on the market. I've had Impact crates in the past, and would like to find a folding 24" (which has been discontinued) to use as a tournament crate, but likely wouldn't use it much in the car. I love the latches that latch securely when closed without me needing to latch them manually- the Care2, Gunner, and Impact all have this, as do the Dakota crates that a friend has. As someone with a history of thumb/wrist issues, crates with pressure latches just aren't a good option, especially if I need to be opening and closing the crate often throughout the day, like at an event.

[@DoggyU]

I totally understand the idea of wanting more user-friendly latching systems! I really do love the slam latches. What kind of dogs do you have that ride in such small crates? That seems super convenient (after she lugs her 40" crates in and out of the house 3 times LOL!)

[@KoiraStar]

@@DoggyU Parson! Small dog, big energy. I love the portability with the full get up and go that a terrier gives. The medium Gunner I use for friends' dogs when we go hiking etc, most of my friends have dogs in the 40-55 lb range and they fit fine in the medium Gunner.

[@DoggyU]

@@KoiraStar Yesss! I love Parson's!

[@emmcn30]

so is the ruffland bite patterns hard for dogs to bite and chew on? Mine ripped a tooth out of a metal wire crate second day we had her!

[@DoggyU]

It's definitely better than a wire crate. They also make a guard plate for the door. I HAVE seen dogs chew out of them but these are dogs with intense separation anxiety. In general, i'm pretty comfortable leaving most dogs in a ruffland kennel. But obviously make sure you're working on calm crating behavior simultaneously.

[@mandyreiss5259]

You talked about safety and car transit, why weren't Gunners mentioned? Gunners are THE Rolls Royce of really safe crates.

[@DoggyU]

Mostly, because I don't own one and I don't want to review something I don't have personal experience with. I also have chosen not to purchase one because airflow seems to be a bit lacking. But I agree - very safe!!

[@mandyreiss5259]

​@@DoggyUMy gunner is now on its 2nd dog and nobody has suffocated from poor air flow. I do use a ryobi fan though as mine lives in the vehicle and I'm down here in TX and the heat is no joke.

[@ChiefDancingToad]

such a useful video! My puppy jumped out of my car and the ER vet said she tore her CCL (thankfully they were wrong). We always crate in the car now!

[@DoggyU]

So glad it wasn't a CCL tear! But yeah, crating can be really helpful, in more ways than one!

[@fantouch]

the colapsible ones could be use in flights?

[@DoggyU]

I believe that the impact crates have additional guard rails that you can put on to make them compliant with airline regulations, but you'd have to check with the company directly.

[@katemoore8113]

It is totally not excessive, it's a collection. 🤣🤣🤣 I am still collecting and have 4 for 1 dog that needs a crate.

[@DoggyU]

SO addicting right? Especially in fun colors! I actually sold one of them after I made this video last week because I'm no longer in a van with room for giant GSD crates but yeah ... I want them all ... especially a teal ruffland if they ever come back around! lol

[@justme-ll8qs]

Question: If the Impact crate easily collapses, would it easily collapse in a car wreck? Thanks in advance because we are searching for something other than our Ruffland for van travels because we have no place to put Ruffland after we arrive at our destination.

[@DoggyU]

I would talk to the company directly in that regard. It is allowed as an airline crate and the side rails would likely prevent this, but I'd get more information from the company.

[@mydogburps6846]

Great video. Can you tell us what you know about the Zinger Winger Crate or the Rock Creek crates? Our medium sized dog escapes crates (storm anxiety) and gets scratched in the process. We have to find a safe solution. Less about travel, but budget is definitely an issue.

[@DoggyU]

Unfortunately, I don't have experience with either of those brands to be able to give you accurate information. Sorry!

[@ashleywright8713]

Gunner and variocage review!!!

[@DoggyU]

So, to be honest, I have never been interested in variocage because they tend to rattle and I've looked at gunners but they seem to not have great air flow and be really bulky. I know people love both of them though! I find the transk9 to be a better crate for me if you want something like fort knox and the ruffland to be better for me than gunner ... but maybe someone can convince me otherwise ... lol!!

[@mandyreiss5259]

​@@DoggyUdid you not see the crash test vids where the doors blew off the RL crate?

[@shandrag6329]

Does the impact crate make a lot of noise if the dog bangs on it? Thanks

[@DoggyU]

I'm not sure. My dogs are quiet craters. Because it's metal, I would assume more so than a plastic ruffland.

[@aliciavalentyn5889]

Awesome 💓🐕

[@MrBikeagraman]

Thanks for the awesome review. I will be looking into a couple of them.

[@DoggyU]

I'm so glad you found it helpful! Thank you so much for commenting! Hope you find the right one for your situation!

[@kristiharman2843]

I'm torn between ruffland and impact. I love that the impact crates collapse for storage and transport but they look heavier than the ruffland and for moving in and out of the car...decisions!

[@DoggyU]

FYI my large collapsable impact rattled in the car. It drove me nuts so I took it out and got the static one. Just wanted to pass that along to help with your decision making.

[@DoggyU]

My smaller sized 30 inch does not rattle.

[@henrymichael6974]

Are the roughland a good fit for a high anxiety dog in the home?

[@DoggyU]

Hi Henry! As I'm sure you know, no crate is a substitute for teaching your dog to be able to relax in the crate, and/or a veterinary behaviorist who can help you with a training plan to help your dog feel more comfortable being crated. That being said, the ruffland is much better than most wire crates or typical plastic two piece crates for sure! But, I did have a friend with a high anxiety shepherd that chewed through the ruffland eventually. If you're looking for something that absolutely will contain a dog that wants to chew out, the high anxiety crate from Impact Crate is specifically designed for that. I hope that helps!

[@JustinBrunner]

Hi there! You mentioned the collapsable Impact Crate in this video and your weekend camping video. Like you, I also have a Subaru Outback. Does the larger (40") fit easily in the Outback, despite the rattling? I'm more curious about the height (I think it's 29" when up). I think the 30" version would be too small for my chonky welsh corgi. :)

[@DoggyU]

Hey Justin! I don't have a subaru anymore - I am actually in a Grand Highlander now (I change cars a lot lol!) And the largest collapsable impact I have is 34". The 40" sounds huge for a corgi. I would put a 100 lb GSD in that one in the car. My 50 lb cattle dog will choose to ride in the 30 inch impact. Maybe you can check out various sizes at cabellas to see what length fits your dog best, but in the car they should really only have enough room to turn around and lie down. The smaller it is, the safer it is in the event of an accident.

[@JustinBrunner]

@@DoggyU Awesome. Thanks for the great info!

[@DoggyU]

@@JustinBrunner you're welcome :)

[@lindamanning5142]

We use a crate in the car and when we are entertaining

[@DoggyU]

Yes! When entertaining can make things much more low-stress for all involved in some cases!

[@emmaschwab1890]

Love love love using a crate

[@DoggyU]

Safety first!

[@intuitiveinspiredart4366]

What size impact crate do you use for you blue heeler?

[@DoggyU]

34" collapsable. It's roomy but the 30" is too small for any length of time. He's 50 lbs and a little over 21 inches at the withers.

[@intuitiveinspiredart4366]

@@DoggyU thank you. I shelter adopted what appears to be a blue heeler, that was found roaming the streets in New Mexico. Great dog but has to be crated when I’m gone, due to anxiety. She bent the bars and escaped her crate yesterday, when I was away from home. I opened the house door and she bounced out… so happy to see me. Fortunately no damage to the house, this time. But I now need a new crate for her. She’s only 35 lbs. but she is intense. Likes to run with much larger dogs.

[@jessicahutchings8937]

What size is your ruffland crate?

[@DoggyU]

The purple and grey are larges and the orange one in the Prius is an intermediate. Hope that helps! Most Cabelas have a few in stock that you can try your dog in if you have a cabelas near you and are concerned about sizing :)

[@jessicahutchings8937]

@@DoggyU Thanks for your help!

[@DoggyU]

@@jessicahutchings8937 you're welcome :)