Do they make two door crates?

[Guest Anonymous]

I have been desperately looking for a two door crate but am having no luck and am afraid no one makes them! My little doxie sweetheart rides in a hard sided crate (I used to have her ride in the seat strapped to the seat belt with a harness but one day a rock hit the windshield and she's been scared to ride in the car since. I have found though that riding in a crate takes away about 98% of her car anxiety) that is strapped down in the passenger seat next to me. I would like to be able to access her thru each END of the crate...so I can open the door if I need to fuss with her from the drivers seat (no...not while driving) and also to be able to get her out of the car through the passenger side door. Without having to turn the crate around. It is just too hard to get her out onto my lap and then both of us get out of the car, etc, from the drivers seat.

Has anyone seen a crate like this or am I out of luck? Thanks!

[kendalyn]

I looked and couldn't find any crates with doors at either end. But here is an idea. It'll take a little creativity though!

Here is a crate I found at this website: http://www.cagesdirect.com/tentcrate.html



I have 2 ideas for how you can customize it. Do you sew? If so, you could sew another zippered entrance into this crate as it is made of cloth. Or you could take it to a tailor who could do it for you. I don't think it would be that expensive either.

Here's my other idea. You could put the crate in the middle of the back seat. That way you can reach her from the drivers seat. But you would have to lean way over to get her out. To solve that problem you could leave it unzipped and put a velcro closure on it instead (very easy to do with stick on velcro) then tie a string to the flap and pull on it from the outside of the car to open. Then she can just walk out. Or since you know she likes it in there you could leave it unzipped and just teach her how to push the flap open to walk out.

I know it's not exactly what you wanted but it's the best I can do!

[DogPaddle]

There are wire crates that have doors on both ends, I have one in my basement right now. I picked mine up at an independent pet store and have no idea on the name though. Mine has a door on each end. I was able to find these online:
2 door side and back http://www.sitstay.com/store/equip/cratepp5.shtml
3 door http://www.countrysidevetsupply.com/level.itml/icOid/246
I guess the door on both ends is not very common, probably because they are not as stable, at least from my experience.

[Peng1zrule]

I have not seen crates with doors on either end (I think that would compromise the integrity of the crate structure anyway...I am probably wrong, though) However, I have seen crates that open from the top as well as the front, and front opening crates with a side door. JB pets has them, care-a-lot pets, dr's foster and smith have the top opening ones, and I beleive even pet edge might have some.

[Guest Anonymous]

Kendalyn, you have some great ideas with that tent crate!! I can tell you are someone who thinks outside the box for your own dog(s). :D This just might work, I was hoping to find a hard sided crate for better safety in the event of a fender bender but if I can't come up with something else, this would do! I have saved your post, thanks so much.

DogPaddle...you actually HAVE a double ended door crate? So they do...or did, exist! Thanks for the links to the two and three door ones...I caught my breath there for a minute seeing all those doors LOL, but still none with each end! I'm sure you are right in that they would be more unstable but still you'd think SOMEbody would make one. I emailed PetSmart and they said they don't have them but would send the request on to the manufacturer....uh huh! Hmmm DogPaddle, wanta sell yours?? LOL!! :wink:

Thanks Peng...I think I've seen those as well. My little one is a doxie so I am very concious of her back (went thru back surgery with my last doxie...not fun!) The way I have to get her out of the crate now, I have to kind of tweak her around and that worries me. Not enough room to open the side or the top in the car the way it is set up. I might be able to figure a way to stick a door at the other end of a wire crate, but I really need the hard sided as it makes her feel more secure and I think it would be safer in case of a wreck. I think I'll email the sites you mentioned though just to see if they've heard of a two ended door hard crate and if not maybe they will send the request on to the manufacturers too! Thanks!

I am considering now in taking the varikennel to a welder or something and see if I bought two crates...sigh...to see if they can cut the door end off of one and the back end off of the other and somehow securely melt or ??? them together to make one crate with the two doors I need. I don't know if they can do that so it would be strong enough, I don't want it falling apart. But we'll see. If not I will try Kendalyn's suggestion.

Thanks for the replies and ideas!

[kendalyn]

Thanks Halo! :D I am NOT a shopper. If I can make it or modify it, I will! Plus, I love crafts.

The vari-kennel idea you have is good! Are you married to having the actual metal screen door on the other end? Because a heavy canvas cloth could close the other end also. But to keep it hanging down good, sew something long and heavy into the bottom. Baggies full of sand or metal washers will give it the weight needed so that the cloth hangs properly. OR you could add magnets into the material and stick metal along the bottom of the crate with hot glue. This would give you a pretty good door. Thought not as good as the other metal door obviously.

Cutting the vari-kennel will be a challenge, especially where the clam shell comes together. You will compromise the strength of the kennel by removing the back of it. If you are going to have something hard like that in your car though, make sure it is strapped down. Not only for your dogs safety but for your own. A hard kennel slamming into the back of your head in a collision could give you a serious head injury. I've seen people come into the hospital who were more injured by the flying debris in their car than the accident.

Anyway, I love a project. Good luck with yours!

[DogPaddle]

Halo - If you were close enough I would definately sell you my two enddoor kennel - it's sitting in my basement doing nothing. It is two small to leave either of my boys in anymore. Generally I am a big fan of sectioning of a larger crate and just letting a puppy grow into the crate but when we got Zaphod we also had Kavik and were fostering Tyr. I have a monsterouse crate that Kavik and Tyr shared but I was not keen on putting Zaphod, a wee 8 week old pup, in there with two other dogs.
You could also consider a doggy seatbelt and desentsitization training. Kavik gets overexcited in the car and runs from left to right and whines with anticipation, he is expecting to go the park all the time. I've been meaning to do a bit of desensitizing with him because after a while he really starts to distress Zaphod (who is not the best of riders, can get carsick.)

[Queen Bitch]

Another important question. Does your car have airbags in the front? With the amount of pressure that an airbag puts out, it would probably do some damage to at least the crate.

[Guest Anonymous]

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