How to Buy a Dog Kennel or Crate
There are many kinds of dog kennels - if you plan to use it for any length of time, get a good brand - the cheap ones are easy for dogs to break out of and they just don't hold up. We personally use the metal and airline crates and the brand Midwest holds up the best. . I would love a soft-sided crate, but their uses are just too limited for me.
I also love the ones that look like furniture.
For a Malamute get the largest crate you can find, especially if they will be in it a long day while you are at work. A minimum 500 size Vari Kennel for a girl, 600 for a boy.. Generally you want about 35" long x 27" high for a normal sized Malamute. If you have a giant or a very active Malamute, a Great Dane sized crate is best. We have one like that for Pod - she is just too busy to be contained by a smaller crate because she NEEDS to move around when in it. The other girls seem content with a 500 Vari-Kennel size.
There are of course, other kinds of crates - custom wooden ones that cost a couple of thousand dollars, and even something new - crates that double as furniture (end tables) in wicker, metal and wood. I'm getting one of those some day. Alumaden makes a very stylish metal, wood topped crate - still only made for little dogs, but I'm hoping the they will make bigger ones some day! (a dining room table crate!)
Last of all there are the things you need for in the crate - toys come to mind! Safe toys, a soft but not easily chewed dog bed, and perhaps a water bucket if the dog is to be crated for long periods. Always remove collars when the dog is in the crate for safety reasons (tags can get hung up and choke the dog). The crate is your dog's second home, make it safe and comfortable and he'll generally love hanging out in it!
Steel Crates
Metal crates are the most common kind of crate. They are easy to clean, hold up well to escape artists but really need something over them to feel cave-like. Some are a combination of metal and plastic. Ventilation is good for hot weather and most Malamutes would rather lie on the cool pan than on any bedding (which usually gets shredded). Metal crates are difficult to find replacement parts for. (Superman has gone through 3 metal crate doors and 1 airline door). The metal ones are good for chewers and puppies. They usually have a removable pan and either fold or use a drop pin to hold it together. Repainting metal crates with lead free paint will extend the life of the crate. You can achieve the same cave-like effect with a metal crate by putting a blanket over it - though some Mals will work feverishly to pull the blanket inside. I've had them pull it through so tightly you have to cut the blanket apart to get it out! Many metal crates have dividers so that you can make it smaller for a young puppy, then remove the divider as the pup grows. Some of the more expensive metal crates have "extra" doors making them easier to get dogs in and out of and extending the places you can put it and still open a door.
Soft-sided Fabric Crates & Pens
Good for a non-chewing Malamute - not recommended for a chewer, dog aggressive mal or escape artist. Excellent for portability becasue they are lightweight and fold for storage. They do tend to get dirty and are more difficult to clean than a plastic or metal crate. Dreamer has one in her van and it keeps the van from being hair-covered. They are not allowed at AKC dog shows.
Plastic & Fiberglass Crates
Plastic airline crates are approved for travel on airlines. They are cave-like, easy to clean, come apart and stack for easy storage. The little nuts that hold them together tend to get lost (for this I love zip ties) and the doors still tend to rust, but the best part is if they do get destroyed or rust out you can get replacements for about $10-15 so they last a long time. We've had escape artists that could only be contained by an airline type crate and other escape artists that got out of them immediately. They can be too warm in summer though, so use where there is good ventilation. Check out the ZenHaus crates, they are round and modern and use fiberglass or other materials instead of wood, but are still furniture-like, making them lightweight and easy to keep clean
Wood "Furniture" Dog Crate
I really like the look of these and most are well made pieces of "fur"nature.. You can put them anywhere, giving your dog(s) more than one place to rest and still not seem to have crates all over your house. The negative is mainly that they are difficult to find in a size big enough for a malamute, and if your dog is a chewer, there may be some destruction. It's also more difficult to clean wood than plastic or metal. On the other hand, they are great if you have limited space, would like your well-behaved dog crated near you and are careful not to overuse them. The dog benefits from a "cave" near the heart of the family and not in a back room somewhere. I would recommend these for house dogs that tend to stay clean. .
Cleaning your dog crates
All dog crates eventually need cleaning. The easiest to clean are the metal wire crates, preferably the ones that are powder coated. The just need a good hosing off. Airline crates stay pretty clean overall (if the dog doesn't get dirty) but when they get dirty - they get really dirty....a mixture of slobber, grime and dog dust makes for something almost impossible to get off. What I've found works best is a Mr. Clean magic eraser and Dow Scrubbing bubbles bathroom cleaner spayed on and left for a few minutes. It softens the grime and the Magic Eraser takes off the rest of the goo. If it's really bad, you may want to use a puddy knife to scrape it first after the Scrubbing Bubbles loosens the grime. An enzyme cleaner like Nature's Miracle is great for getting rid of the doggy odor. Most soft crates are washable with a damp sponge, but thats about all you'll get for cleaning - too bad they won't go in the washing machine!
Crate Accessories
Most crates don't come with any accessories, but there are a lot of things you can add to make them very cozy. From quilted covers on metal ones to make them more cavelike - to cushy beds. If you buy a good brand like Central Metal you can usually buy replacement pans...they may be a little difficult to find in a specific size, but they are available. You can also get bowl attachments and water bottles or buckets if you are inclined to feed your dog in them and provide water. The buckets generally work good unless you have a "whacker" like Kara...she likes to bat at her bucket and make it clang (spilling all the water) like a prisoner with a tin cup. I think she does it for the attention!
If you show your dog, there are other accessories available like grooming table tops, or trolleys that allow you to roll them around with the dog inside, but most people will not need them.
