Dutch Shepherd Forum

Anyone have experience with this type of crate (not wire crates)? But like the ones pictured below:





The reason I asked is I picked up with a stainless steel crate/kennel unit from a vet office for a song and I'm trying to decide which way to go with it as far as use. My concern is the stainless steel construction and summer heat. I'm wondering if anyone is using these in the Southwest or similar areas and how they feel about them.

It's a really nice quality, commercial construction, stainless unit and I had a few ideas on how to put it to good use but I thought I'd get some input from anyone that might have a bit more experience. I've always just used the typical plastic Vari-Kennel style crates in the past so I thought I'd look to other's experiences.

Typically our dogs ride in the extended cab part of the pick-up and enjoy the AC and company. Before this, I'd been thinking about putting the plastic crate in the bed, dropping the tailgate on arrival to train, and using it as shade for the crate on the ground. Now I'm wondering if there is a better/nicer/more durable option available here.

Any thoughts there or on the stainless/aluminum crates in general?

I'd be using the large stainless vet office crate and its attached rack (with the castor wheels removed) to create something similar to this...

The crate is fine IMHO as long as you do not leave it exposed.

Get it in the shade and on the hot days definitely get air moving through it even if it is shaded.

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Saw a great setup some time ago using deep cycle marine batteries running fans mounted on the crates. the Batteries were charged from the alternator on the truck.

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consider cold weather as well. The average DS is a short haired dog.

We have unbearable heat with high humidity here in the south and I've seen this same exact crate used. At training, the man had a cooling pad in the bottom and a portable fan attached to the front for air flow. Seemed to work. He also did have it in the shade during training.

With the Phoenix sun and heat I have similar concerns. I haven't seen the cooling pads but had definitely thought about the crate fans I see for sale. I'll have to google the cooling pad.

Tentatively I'd considered mounting the crate to the bed and using a "softopper" like this one for shade and weather.


I looks like the back and sides can unsnap and fold up so it would be more of an awning when at training.

Lining it all out though makes me wonder if it might be a bit ironic though to go through so much work though if hauling a Vari-Kennel in the bed and just putting it on the ground with the tailgate dropped to provide shade gets the same job done to the same cooling, comfort, and safety level.