Dog Crate Size Chart by Breed
Most crate sizing goes wrong in one of two directions: people buy for the breed name on the box and end up with something that doesn't fit the actual dog, or they buy huge on the theory that more room is kinder. Neither works. The rule that does is simple — your dog should be able to stand without ducking, turn around without contorting, and lie fully stretched out — and everything below is built on it. The chart covers sixty-plus breeds, but a chart can only ever be a starting point, because dogs within a breed vary enormously. If your dog is at either end of its breed's range, measure instead, or run the numbers through the crate size calculator.
What Do the Standard Crate Sizes Actually Mean?
Crates are sold by their length in inches, and that number is the outside measurement of the base. Width and height come along with it, and they're not always what you'd assume.
| Crate size | Dimensions (L × W × H) | Suits roughly |
|---|---|---|
| 18" (XS) | 18 × 12 × 14 | Up to 10 lb |
| 22" (XS/S) | 22 × 13 × 16 | Up to 12 lb |
| 24" (S) | 24 × 18 × 19 | 10–25 lb |
| 30" (M) | 30 × 19 × 21 | 25–40 lb |
| 36" (L) | 36 × 23 × 25 | 40–70 lb |
| 42" (XL) | 42 × 28 × 30 | 70–90 lb |
| 48" (XXL) | 48 × 30 × 33 | 90–110 lb |
| 54" (Giant) | 54 × 37 × 45 | 110 lb+ |
Dimensions vary a little between manufacturers, so check the listing rather than assuming a 36" from one brand matches a 36" from another. Height is where the differences bite — a tall, leggy dog like a Greyhound can need a bigger crate than its weight suggests purely to stand up comfortably.
How Do You Measure Your Dog?
Two numbers, and they beat any chart.
Length: from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail — not the tip. Measure with your dog standing. Then add 2–4 inches (2 for small dogs, 4 for large ones).
Height: from the floor to the top of the head with your dog sitting, since sitting is usually taller than standing. Then add 2–4 inches again.
Round up to the next available crate size. If your dog measures 34 inches with the allowance added, buy the 36 — not the 30. And if you land exactly between two sizes, take the larger one; a crate that's slightly generous is a much smaller problem than one that's slightly tight.
Crate Size Chart by Breed
Sizes are for adult dogs at typical breed weight.
| Breed | Adult weight | Crate size |
|---|---|---|
| Chihuahua | 4–6 lb | 18" |
| Yorkshire Terrier | 4–7 lb | 18" |
| Pomeranian | 4–7 lb | 18" |
| Maltese | 4–7 lb | 18" |
| Toy Poodle | 4–6 lb | 18" |
| Papillon | 5–10 lb | 18–22" |
| Shih Tzu | 9–16 lb | 24" |
| Miniature Dachshund | 8–11 lb | 24" |
| Pug | 14–18 lb | 24" |
| Boston Terrier | 12–25 lb | 24" |
| Jack Russell Terrier | 13–17 lb | 24" |
| Miniature Schnauzer | 11–20 lb | 24" |
| Cavalier King Charles | 13–18 lb | 24" |
| West Highland Terrier | 15–20 lb | 24" |
| Standard Dachshund | 16–32 lb | 30" |
| Miniature Poodle | 10–15 lb | 24" |
| Bichon Frise | 12–18 lb | 24" |
| French Bulldog | 20–28 lb | 30" |
| Beagle | 20–30 lb | 30" |
| Cocker Spaniel | 20–30 lb | 30" |
| Shetland Sheepdog | 15–25 lb | 30" |
| Corgi | 24–30 lb | 30" |
| Whippet | 25–40 lb | 30" |
| Border Terrier | 11–16 lb | 24" |
| Cockapoo | 12–24 lb | 24–30" |
| Staffordshire Bull Terrier | 24–38 lb | 30" |
| Border Collie | 30–45 lb | 36" |
| Australian Shepherd | 40–65 lb | 36" |
| Springer Spaniel | 40–50 lb | 36" |
| Standard Poodle | 40–70 lb | 36" |
| Bulldog | 40–50 lb | 36" |
| Basset Hound | 40–65 lb | 36" |
| Labrador Retriever | 55–80 lb | 36–42" |
| Golden Retriever | 55–75 lb | 36–42" |
| Boxer | 50–70 lb | 36–42" |
| Siberian Husky | 35–60 lb | 36–42" |
| Vizsla | 45–65 lb | 36" |
| Dalmatian | 45–70 lb | 36–42" |
| Chow Chow | 45–70 lb | 36–42" |
| Greyhound | 60–70 lb | 42–48" |
| German Shepherd | 50–90 lb | 42" |
| Doberman | 60–100 lb | 42" |
| Rottweiler | 80–130 lb | 42–48" |
| Weimaraner | 55–90 lb | 42" |
| Rhodesian Ridgeback | 70–85 lb | 42" |
| Bernese Mountain Dog | 70–115 lb | 42–48" |
| Old English Sheepdog | 60–100 lb | 42–48" |
| Akita | 70–130 lb | 48" |
| Alaskan Malamute | 75–100 lb | 48" |
| Bloodhound | 80–110 lb | 48" |
| Newfoundland | 100–150 lb | 48–54" |
| Great Dane | 110–175 lb | 54" |
| Mastiff | 120–230 lb | 54" |
| St Bernard | 120–180 lb | 54" |
| Irish Wolfhound | 105–120 lb | 54" |
| Leonberger | 90–170 lb | 54" |
| Great Pyrenees | 85–115 lb | 48–54" |
Where two sizes are listed, the breed has a wide range — a 55 lb Labrador fits a 36", an 80 lb one needs the 42". Mixed breeds don't appear, but that's fine: measure, or estimate from adult weight using the tap-tool above.
Why Is a Crate That's Too Big a Problem?
The counterintuitive one, and it catches out a lot of well-meaning owners.
Dogs won't usually soil where they sleep. That instinct is what makes a crate such an effective house-training aid — but it only holds when the crate is the size of a bed. Give a puppy enough room to establish a sleeping corner and a toilet corner and the instinct stops working, the puppy learns that toileting indoors is fine, and house training gets meaningfully harder.
Too big also means less secure. A crate works partly because it feels like a den, and a cavernous one doesn't. Some dogs are visibly more settled after being moved down a size.
The fix is a divider panel, which most wire crates include. Buy for adult size, then use the divider to shrink the usable space to what your puppy needs now, moving it back every few weeks. One crate, whole life. This is covered stage by stage in the crate training schedule by age.
What About a Growing Puppy?
Two workable approaches.
Buy adult size with a divider — cheaper overall, and what most owners do. One purchase, adjusted as your puppy grows. The only real drawback is that a giant-breed crate is an imposing thing to have in a living room from week eight.
Buy small, then upgrade — better fit at every stage, and easier to have around, but you're buying two or three crates. Worth it mainly for very large breeds, where the adult crate is genuinely enormous.
Either way, check the fit monthly during the first year. Puppies grow faster than most people expect, and a crate that fitted at four months can be tight by six.
| Adult size | Puppy at 8 wks | Crate to buy |
|---|---|---|
| Toy (under 10 lb) | 2–3 lb | 18–22" with divider |
| Small (10–25 lb) | 4–6 lb | 24" with divider |
| Medium (25–50 lb) | 8–12 lb | 30–36" with divider |
| Large (50–90 lb) | 12–20 lb | 42" with divider |
| Giant (90 lb+) | 20–30 lb | 48–54", or buy small then upgrade |
Does the Crate Type Change the Size You Need?
Somewhat. Wire crates are the most common, include dividers, fold flat and give good airflow — the default choice for most homes. Plastic airline crates feel more den-like and are required for flying, but run smaller inside for the same external number, so size up if you're between. Soft fabric crates are for travel and settled adult dogs only; a puppy will chew through one. Furniture-style crates look better in a living room but rarely come with dividers, so they suit an adult dog you've already measured.
If you're flying, check the airline's own requirements rather than this chart — most require your dog to stand fully upright with head clearance, which is often one size up from what they'd use at home. Whether to cover whichever type you choose is its own question, covered in should you cover a dog crate.
What Are the Most Common Sizing Mistakes?
A handful of errors account for most of the crates that get returned or replaced within a month.
Measuring to the tip of the tail. For a Labrador or a Husky that's an extra six or eight inches of dog, which can push you a whole size up and leave you with a crate that's far larger than you need. The tail base is the measuring point because tails compress — dogs curl them alongside their body when lying down.
Measuring standing height instead of sitting. Most dogs are taller sitting than standing, and a dog who has to duck its head to sit up is in a crate that's too short. If you only take one height measurement, take the sitting one.
Sizing a puppy to its current body. A 24" crate fits a twelve-week Labrador beautifully, and is unusable by six months. Buy for the adult and divide down — this is the single cheapest decision in the whole process.
Forgetting the bedding. A thick bed can take two or three inches off the internal height. If your dog is borderline on height and you plan to use a proper mattress rather than a flat mat, size up.
Ignoring the door swing and the room. A 42" crate needs roughly four feet of clear floor plus swing space for the door. Measure the spot in your house before ordering, not after — and remember that a crate wedged into a corner where the door can't fully open makes getting a large dog in and out awkward every single time.
Assuming brands match. Two crates both labeled 36" can differ by two inches in height. Always read the actual dimensions in the listing.
Buying a second crate for the car instead of measuring the boot. Car crates are usually wider and shorter than home crates, and the size that fits your dog at home may not fit your vehicle at all. Measure the boot first, then find a crate that fits both the space and the dog.
If you want the reasoning behind each of these worked through in more depth, what size crate for my dog covers the decision from scratch, and the training side — how to get your dog actually using the thing once it arrives — is in how to crate train a puppy. How long they should be in there once they're comfortable is a separate question, answered in how long can a dog stay in a crate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size crate does a Labrador need?
A 36" for a smaller Labrador around 55–65 lb, and a 42" for a larger one at 70–80 lb. Measure nose to tail base and add 4 inches — if the total exceeds 36, buy the 42". Many owners buy the 42" from the start and use a divider through puppyhood.
Is it better for a crate to be too big or too small?
Slightly too big, with a divider fitted. Too small is uncomfortable and unfair. Too big undermines house training, because a puppy can sleep at one end and toilet at the other — but a divider solves that, while nothing solves a crate your dog can't stand up in.
How do I measure my dog for a crate?
Length from nose tip to the base of the tail, not the tip, with your dog standing. Height from floor to the top of the head with your dog sitting. Add 2–4 inches to each, then round up to the next crate size.
Do I need a bigger crate for a tall, leggy dog?
Often yes. Greyhounds, Whippets and similar breeds are light for their height, so weight-based charts under-size them. Measure sitting height — if a dog has to duck to stand, the crate is too small regardless of what the weight column says.
Can two dogs share one crate?
Generally no. Even dogs who get along should have their own space, and a shared crate causes trouble at feeding time or if one wants to rest. Two crates side by side works well. The exception is littermate puppies in their first weeks, and even then only briefly.
What size crate for a puppy that isn't full grown?
Buy for the expected adult size and fit the divider, adjusting it every few weeks so your puppy has room to stand, turn and lie stretched out — but not enough spare space to use one end as a toilet.
Use the chart to get in the right range, then measure to confirm — breed averages hide a lot of variation, and the dog in front of you is the one that has to fit. Stand, turn, stretch out: if all three work, the size is right. Check your dog's measurements against the recommended sizes with the crate size calculator.
