This dog crate size calculator turns two quick measurements into the right crate size, in inches or centimeters. Pick a breed if you have not measured yet, plan ahead for a growing puppy, or switch to the airline tab to size a travel kennel with the IATA formula.
Your result
36 inch crateIntermediate
36 x 24 x 26 in (L x W x H)
A dog crate calculator converts a dog's length and height into a recommended crate size in inches, usually with a standard size class attached.
Weight is an optional third input. The result is a size to shop for, not a specific product.
The target is the same everywhere. PetSmart's crate size chart defines the right fit as room to stand, turn around and lie down comfortably, and no more than that.
A size chart is a different tool. It looks a dog up by weight bracket, while a calculator works from the dog's own measurements, the basis PetMD recommends over weight or breed alone.
Two numbers decide the result: length from nose to base of the tail and height to the top of the head. Weight is optional.
You need a soft tape measure, a few treats, and ideally a second person to keep the dog still.
Guides split on two details. Some, including the AKC's crate guide, measure length to the tip of the tail, while PetSmart and Petscorner stop at the base. On a long-tailed dog the tip adds the full tail length to the result, which outweighs any difference in the allowance, so this calculator uses the base of the tail.
Height splits the same way. Some guides measure a standing dog to the ear tips, while Petscorner and Chewy measure the dog seated. Petscorner's reason is that some dogs are taller sitting than standing. Measure both ways, then keep the larger number.
Published guidance adds roughly 3 to 6 inches to each measurement. The AKC says to add 3 to 4 inches to both the length and the height. The calculator's snug, standard and roomy options add 3, 4 and 6 inches.
Crate length: nose to base of tail length plus the allowance.
Crate height: head height (the larger of sitting and standing) plus the allowance.
Take a dog that measures 30 inches long and 24 inches tall seated. With the AKC allowance, the crate needs to be 33 to 34 inches long and 27 to 28 inches high.
MidWest Homes for Pets' 36-inch LifeStages crate is listed at 36 x 24 x 27 inches and its 42-inch model at 42 x 28 x 31 inches (retailer listings, October 2026). Length fits the 36 either way. Height fits that model only with a 3-inch allowance, and a typical 36-inch crate is about 26 inches tall (see the chart below), so this dog moves up to the 42. The calculator gives the same answer.
Height decided the match, not length.
| Source | Allowance | Applied to |
|---|---|---|
| AKC | 3 to 4 inches | Each measurement |
| Chewy | 4 inches | Length and height |
| Petscorner | 5 to 6 inches | Length and height |
The gap has a simple cause. A 4-inch allowance is 25% of a 16-inch dog and 10% of a 40-inch dog, so the same number feels generous on small breeds and tight on giants.
Bedding adds a second variable. Whole Dog Journal notes that a bed or mat can take up an inch or so of height.
Small dogs belong at the low end of the range, large dogs at the high end, and a thick bed pushes the height allowance up by an inch.
A crate that is too big stops working as a house-training tool. With spare room, a dog can soil one end and sleep at the other.
The allowance exists to avoid both errors. When your dog sits up, there should be at least 2 inches of space above its head.
Round up to the smallest standard class that clears both the calculated length and the calculated height. Check both numbers, because either one can push a dog up a class.
Most wire crates step up in 6-inch increments from 24 to 48 inches, with 18, 22 and 54-inch models at the ends of the range. Always read the listing to see whether the stated dimensions are interior or exterior.
Retailer listings rate MidWest's 36-inch LifeStages crate for dogs of 41 to 70 pounds and the 42-inch for 71 to 90 pounds, in line with the weight column in the chart below.
Those brackets work as a sanity check on the calculated size. PetMD and Whole Dog Journal both warn against sizing by weight alone, since two dogs of the same weight can differ in length and height.
Giant breeds such as the Great Dane can exceed the top of that range. For them, the calculator result is a minimum to confirm against the manufacturer's own chart.
Size up, but only one class.
PetSmart advises the larger size when measurements fall between classes. The AKC warns that spare room slows house training, and one class adds 6 inches of length.
Wire crate: size up and set the divider panel to take the extra space back.
Plastic or soft crate: there is usually no divider, so size up only when the measurements fall short, not for comfort.
The chart shows typical dimensions for each size and the largest dog it fits with the standard 4 inches of extra room, the same rule the calculator uses by default. Weight ranges are rough and differ between makers, so treat them as a cross-check.
| Crate size | Typical dimensions (L x W x H) | Fits a dog up to (length x height) | Typical dog weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 inch | 18 x 12 x 14 in (46 x 30 x 36 cm) | 14 x 10 in (36 x 25 cm) | Up to 6 lb |
| 22 inch | 22 x 14 x 16 in (56 x 36 x 41 cm) | 18 x 12 in (46 x 30 cm) | Up to 12 lb |
| 24 inch | 24 x 18 x 20 in (61 x 46 x 51 cm) | 20 x 16 in (51 x 41 cm) | 13 to 25 lb |
| 30 inch | 30 x 20 x 23 in (76 x 51 x 58 cm) | 26 x 19 in (66 x 48 cm) | 26 to 40 lb |
| 36 inch | 36 x 24 x 26 in (91 x 61 x 66 cm) | 32 x 22 in (81 x 56 cm) | 41 to 70 lb |
| 42 inch | 42 x 28 x 30 in (107 x 71 x 76 cm) | 38 x 26 in (97 x 66 cm) | 71 to 90 lb |
| 48 inch | 48 x 30 x 32 in (122 x 76 x 81 cm) | 44 x 28 in (112 x 71 cm) | 91 to 110 lb |
| 54 inch | 54 x 35 x 45 in (137 x 89 x 114 cm) | 50 x 41 in (127 x 104 cm) | Over 110 lb |
Dimensions for 18 to 48 inch crates follow the PetMD crate sizing chart. Real models differ by an inch or so (MidWest's 36-inch LifeStages is 27 inches tall, for example), and giant 54 inch crates vary the most, so check the inside measurements before you buy.
These are typical crate sizes for an average adult of each breed. Where two sizes are listed, smaller females usually take the first and larger males the second. Weights are the adult ranges from the AKC breed standards.
| Breed | Adult weight | Typical crate |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Cattle Dog | 35 to 50 lb | 36 inch |
| Australian Shepherd | 40 to 65 lb | 36 or 42 inch |
| Beagle | Under 20 to 30 lb | 30 or 36 inch |
| Bernese Mountain Dog | 70 to 115 lb | 48 inch |
| Bichon Frise | 12 to 18 lb | 24 inch |
| Border Collie | 30 to 55 lb | 36 or 42 inch |
| Boston Terrier | 12 to 25 lb | 30 inch |
| Boxer | 50 to 80 lb | 42 inch |
| Bulldog | 40 to 50 lb | 36 inch |
| Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | 13 to 18 lb | 30 inch |
| Chihuahua | Up to 6 lb | 18 or 22 inch |
| Cocker Spaniel | 20 to 30 lb | 30 or 36 inch |
| Dachshund (miniature) | 11 lb and under | 24 inch |
| Dachshund (standard) | 16 to 32 lb | 30 inch |
| Doberman Pinscher | 60 to 100 lb | 48 inch |
| French Bulldog | Under 28 lb | 30 inch |
| German Shepherd Dog | 50 to 90 lb | 48 inch |
| Golden Retriever | 55 to 75 lb | 42 inch |
| Great Dane | 110 to 175 lb | 54 inch |
| Havanese | 7 to 13 lb | 24 inch |
| Irish Wolfhound | 105 lb and up | 54 inch |
| Labrador Retriever | 55 to 80 lb | 42 inch |
| Maltese | Under 7 lb | 22 inch |
| Mastiff | 120 to 230 lb | 54 inch |
| Miniature Schnauzer | 11 to 20 lb | 24 or 30 inch |
| Newfoundland | 100 to 150 lb | 54 inch |
| Pembroke Welsh Corgi | Up to 30 lb | 30 or 36 inch |
| Pomeranian | 3 to 7 lb | 22 inch |
| Poodle (standard) | 40 to 70 lb | 42 or 48 inch |
| Poodle (toy) | 4 to 6 lb | 22 inch |
| Pug | 14 to 18 lb | 24 or 30 inch |
| Rottweiler | 80 to 135 lb | 48 inch |
| Saint Bernard | 120 to 180 lb | 54 inch |
| Shetland Sheepdog | 15 to 25 lb | 30 or 36 inch |
| Shih Tzu | 9 to 16 lb | 24 inch |
| Siberian Husky | 35 to 60 lb | 36 or 42 inch |
| Yorkshire Terrier | About 7 lb | 22 inch |
Mixed breeds and doodles vary too much for a breed estimate, so measure them. The same goes for any dog that sits outside its breed's usual weight range.
Size the crate for the projected adult dog, then use a divider panel to shrink the usable space to the puppy's current size.
PetMD and the AKC give the same advice. Buy for the adult, and cut the space down until the puppy needs it.
Doubling a puppy's weight at 16 weeks is a common shortcut, but Dr. Genna Mize, DVM, told Rover that no one-size-fits-all formula exists.
Larger breeds typically mature later, so any estimate is a range, not a number. Revisit it at every growth check.
The divider is the puppy's real crate.
Apply the same measure and allowance method to the puppy's current length and height, then place the panel at that size. The calculator shows this position when you tick the puppy box.
Most crates sold with divider panels are wire, and Hepper points large-breed puppy owners toward wire options first. Plastic and soft crates generally lack a divider, so a puppy in one needs a crate sized for now. A growing puppy also needs the right amount of food, and the dog food calculator and dog calorie calculator work that out by age and weight.
Crate type changes the fit through interior room, not through the size on the label.
Petmate's Sky Kennel in its 40-inch Extra Large size measures 40 x 27 x 30 inches outside and about 36.25 x 24.75 x 28.8 inches inside (retailer listings, October 2026).
Size a plastic crate against the interior figures. Measured against the outer size, that model would look almost 4 inches longer than the space your dog actually gets.
| Type | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Wire | Sturdy, ventilated, divider available, folds flat | Noisy, heavier |
| Plastic | Lighter, den-like, harder to escape | Less airflow, does not collapse |
| Soft-sided | Lightest, folds easily | Not for chewers or untrained dogs |
| Heavy-duty | Holds strong dogs and escape artists | Thick bars and frames can shrink the inside |
| Furniture-style | Looks like home furnishing | Wood can be chewed and stained by accidents |
Whole Dog Journal calls wire crates durable and secure for escape artists, and plastic crates secure and enclosed. Soft-sided crates are only for dogs that are already fully crate-trained.
Plastic walls make a crate feel more enclosed than a wire crate of the same size, so Hepper advises confirming the size suits the dog.
A length and height calculator misreads broad bodies and tall ears, and home sizing does not cover airline travel at all. That is why this calculator has a separate airline tab.
Home sizing guides treat width as a given. Petscorner says width is in proportion to length and height, so it needs no separate check.
Airline rules do not make that assumption. They measure the dog's widest point directly.
Length and height catch most dogs. Width and ear height catch the exceptions.
Airline travel runs on a different formula, and the penalty for a wrong crate is a refused flight.
| Method | Length | Width | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| IATA Live Animals Regulations | A + 1/2 B | C x 2 | D + bedding |
| PBS Pet Travel, domestic | A + 1/2 B | C x 2 | D |
| PBS Pet Travel, international | A + B | (C + 1) x 2 | D + 3 inches |
In IATA's terms, A is nose to base of tail, B is ground to elbow, C is the widest point and D is standing height to the top of the head or ear tips. IATA's pet container requirements state that the results are internal dimensions (Container Requirement 1).
The pet shipper PBS Pet Travel uses IATA's formula for domestic trips. Its international formula asks for more, which is why the carrier's own rules come before any purchase.
Snub-nosed breeds such as the French Bulldog need a container 10% larger under IATA's rules.
No label guarantees compliance. IATA states that it does not certify or approve any pet container brand, and Petmate describes the Sky Kennel as meeting airline cargo specifications while telling owners to check with the airline.
American Airlines Cargo's January 2025 kennel guidance says a kennel that fails its requirements is refused at drop-off and has to be rebooked.
Car travel has no airline-style formula, so the home method applies. Excess space lets a dog shift around on the road, which argues for a tight allowance.
Measure your dog's length from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail and its height from the floor to the top of the head, sitting and standing, keeping the larger number. Add about 4 inches (10 cm) to each, then pick the smallest crate that is at least that long and that tall inside. A dog that measures 30 by 22 inches needs 34 by 26 inches of space, which a 36 inch crate covers.
Yes. Your dog should be able to stand without ducking its head, turn around and lie flat on its side with the legs stretched out. When it sits, there should be at least 2 inches of space above its head.
Most adult Labrador Retrievers fit a 42 inch crate, about 42 by 28 by 30 inches. Large or tall males may need a 48 inch crate. Measure your own dog, because two Labs of the same weight can be built very differently.
Mostly, yes. Airlines say kennel, IATA says container, and Petmate sells its Sky Kennel as a travel crate, but each one is sized from the dog's measurements. Read the product listing, not the name, to see which dimensions apply.
Split the job in two. Measure length first, then height, and write each number down as you go. Most dogs tolerate the tape for only so long, so a quick pass beats a perfect one.
No. A senior dog still needs room to stand, turn around and lie down, so the same length and height calculation applies. What changes is the build. CareCredit advises easy entry and space for soft, supportive bedding to cushion sore joints.
Generally no. PetSmart advises that each dog should have its own crate. IATA allows an air container to be shared only by two adult animals of comparable size, up to 14 kg each, and the width is then three times the widest animal.
Crate sizes on this page are general guidance. Dimensions differ between brands and models, so compare your dog's measurements with the inside size listed by the maker. Never leave a dog crated for longer than it can comfortably manage, and ask your vet or a trainer if your dog shows stress in the crate.
Quick calculators for the everyday questions every dog owner asks.
Daily portions by age and weight, with a calculator built for each breed.