Bryan_Carey's Full Review: MidWest Life Stages Fold & Carry Pet Home Crate Mo...
Dogs spend most of their time roaming the back yard or the interior of their family home, but there are times when a dog needs to be contained to its own space, away from its usual domestic habitat. One product made for the task of dog containment is Midwest Life Stages Single Door Folding Metal Dog Crate, model 1642, a dog kennel for large canines.
Basic Facts About This Dog Kennel:
The Midwest Life Stages Single Door Folding Metal Dog Crate comes in many different sizes. Model #1642 is designed for larger breeds between 70 and 90 pounds. This crate measures 42 inches in length, 28 inches in width, and 31 inches in height, making it just the right size for larger breeds of dogs.
This dog crate is metal in construction with a wire frame. The four walls are already pre-assembled and folded together. Unfolding the crate and locking the latches into place completes the construction. There is also a metal divider that can be used to cut the living space in half, for use with puppies, and a single metal door with an upper and lower latch. A plastic tray slides into the bottom of the tray and it can be easily removed for cleaning. Two plastic, removable handles are included for easy transport of the crate from place to place.
Final Thoughts: I have grown up with dogs and other than my years as a student and the few years that immediately followed, I have always had at least one dog in my home. Today, I have two dogs and while they generally enjoy a life of leisure, there are some times when they need to be locked up, either to get them out of the house for a short time or to transport them to another place, like the vet's office or a boarding kennel. My larger dog needs this type of containment more than my smaller one and this is when I open the door of the Midwest Life Stages Single Door Folding Metal Dog Crate and direct him to step inside. This dog crate is large enough that he can turn around and lie down in different ways and it folds easily for storage.
I have owned a few different dog crates over the years and most of them have been made from plastic construction with a closed design that included only a few open spaces from which a dog can see through to the outside. These types of crates are fine for transporting but for general containment at the home, an open design is better because it allows the dog to see everything clearly, without the barriers. The Midwest Life Stages Single Door Folding Metal Dog Crate offers this open design, allowing a dog to see his/her family and the world around him/her while safely contained inside the crate.
Looking at the specifics of this dog crate reveals a single door, located on one of the ends of the crate. The door is kept shut with two locking latches. To lock, you simply lift the latch, slide it to the right, through the slot, and then lower it. The only way to undo the latch is to perform the same action in reverse: Raise the latch and then slide the latch to the left. This should be enough to keep dogs safely contained within the crate. The latches seem a little flimsy, but a quick check will show that they are secure. It takes little effort to lift the latch and slide it, but I doubt many dogs would be able to figure this out and it isn't likely to happen by accident. Even if it did, it would have to happen twice since there are two latches securing the door.
The wire design of the Midwest Life Stages Single Door Folding Metal Dog Crate is safe and secure. It is strong enough to easily keep your dog within its grip, yet the wires are thin enough that they do not obstruct a dog's view. The entire unit weighs about 39 pounds, so there is plenty of metal to keep dogs safe and secure. And the plastic pan makes this crate a cinch to clean. The closed variety of crate requires opening up the crate and scrubbing the sides and bottom. With the Midwest Life Stages Single Door Folding Metal Dog Crate, all you do is slide out the plastic tray, which easily removes itself without even opening the door. You can then clean, rinse, and slide it back into place.
This dog crate comes with a divider, making it ideal when you have multiple dogs or when you have a puppy that will eventually grow into a larger breed. The reason the divider is helpful with a small puppy is because it makes the dog's home space smaller, which means the puppy will be less likely to have an accident. Dogs generally do not like to soil their living space and then lie down in it. With a large space, a dog is more apt to make a mess because the dog knows it can avoid the mess and sleep in a dry area. With a smaller space, dogs will not have much free area and thus will try to stay clean until a family member lets them out.
The Midwest Life Stages Single Door Folding Metal Dog Crate folds apart for easy storage and there are two plastic handles that can be snapped into place to make transport even easier. A few metal latches hold the door and back side in place. They snap into the rest of the frame to keep them secure and even though they seem a little flimsy (much like the door), a quick test proves that these latches are strong enough to contain your dog and keep him from escaping.
Overall, I am satisfied with the Midwest Life Stages Single Door Folding Metal Dog Crate. I like the ease of assembly, the simple folding and unfolding design, and the ease of cleaning the slide out tray. This crate isn't super- strong and some parts at least give the perception of weakness. But this is a solid, sturdy crate from Midwest Designs and it's a device I recommend for simple dog containment.
The MidWest 1600 Series is designed completely around the safety, security and comfort of your Dog. The Life Stages Single door dog crate sets up easi...More at National Pet Pharmacy
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