Dog Kennel (2026): Indoor, Travel, and XL Picks by Size

The best dog kennel is decided by two things: where it sits and how big your dog will be when it is grown. A kennel that fits a puppy is too small a year later, and a kennel built for the yard is a poor fit for the bedroom. Get the size and the type right and the rest is easy.

Kennel is a loose word. Retailers use it for everything from a wire box in the corner to a hard travel crate to a fenced outdoor run, so two listings with the same word can be nothing alike. This guide sorts the common types by where they live, then names the kennel we would buy for a small dog, a medium or large dog, a traveler, and an XL dog.

If you are still choosing between wire, plastic, and a heavy steel frame for training, start with our guide to dog crates and browse the rest of the beds and crates setup. Once the kennel is home, a washable crate pad and a playpen for daytime round out the room.

What is the difference between a dog kennel and a dog crate?

In everyday use the words overlap: both name an enclosure a dog rests or travels in. A crate usually means the indoor wire or plastic box used for training and sleep. A kennel often means a larger travel crate or an outdoor run. Neither word maps to one kind of box.

What actually separates them is the job. A crate is for a den: a closed, den-like space for naps, nights, and crate training. A travel kennel is built to be moved and to survive a car or cargo hold. An outdoor kennel run is a bigger, fixed enclosure for time in the yard. The label on the listing does not tell you which one you are buying, but the size and the build do.

Two of those three are the same purchase for most people. The indoor kennel is the one most homes actually need, and the travel or outdoor version is added later if a trip or a yard comes up.

What size dog kennel does your dog need?

Size to the adult dog, not the puppy. A kennel should let the dog stand without hitting the top, turn around, and lie down flat, and not much more. Too much space slows house training, because the dog learns to sleep at one end and relieve itself at the other end.

Here is the size ladder the standard wire kennels follow, with the dog each size suits.

How to measure your dog for a kennel

Measure the dog standing, from the floor to the top of the head, and from the chest to the rump. Add about 2 to 4 inches to each so the dog can stand and turn without ducking. If your dog is between two sizes, take the larger one and use a divider to shrink the space while it is young.

Why door hardware fails first

The latch is the part that lets you down. A slide-bolt latch that is not pushed fully across can be worked open from inside, and a folding kennel door can be pried enough to bend. When you check a kennel in a store or on arrival, close the door and tug it from the inside, then look at how far the bolt has to travel to lock. That one test predicts more than the gauge number on the box.

Best overall: Midwest 36-Inch iCrate

The Midwest 36-Inch Single Door iCrate is the kennel we would buy for a medium or large dog. It is a wire kennel built for dogs from 41 to 70 pounds, with a black e-coat finish, a slide-bolt latch with a Paw Block, a divider panel, a leak-proof tray, and rubber feet.

The divider is the reason to buy the adult size now. Use the panel to give a puppy just enough room, then open it up as the dog grows. The 36-inch size measures about 36.5 by 23.25 by 24.75 inches outside, so a dog much past 70 pounds should size up to the 42-inch model.

Two details set this kennel apart. The Paw Block sits on the latch and stops a dog from nosing the door open, which is the failure that turns into an escape. And at 22 pounds the whole kennel folds flat and moves without help, which is not true of the steel kennels some dogs end up needing. The honest caveat is the finish work: file any sharp cut ends at the door bottom, and wipe the tray frame on the same night you clean the pan.

Skip it if your dog has already bent or escaped a wire kennel. That dog needs a heavier steel frame, not a better version of this one.

Best small dog: Midwest 24-Inch iCrate

The Midwest 24-Inch Single Door iCrate is the same build as the 36-inch in a compact frame, made for dogs from 12 to 20 pounds. It is the right kennel for a Chihuahua, a Pug, or a Fox Terrier, and it is the size that fits an apartment corner without swallowing the room.

At 13.8 pounds it is the kennel you actually carry, which matters more for small dogs because they travel to the vet and to family more often. The divider, the leak-proof tray, and the Paw Block latch all carry over from the larger iCrates, so nothing is stripped out to hit the smaller size.

The catch is the same as any folding wire kennel: the gauge holds a small, calm dog and not much more. If your small dog is a hard chewer, spend the difference on a steel frame rather than replacing this one in a year.

Best travel kennel: Petmate Sky Kennel 36-inch

The Petmate Sky Kennel 36-inch is the kennel to buy when the dog needs to travel. It is a hard-sided kennel for dogs from 50 to 70 pounds, with a one-piece metal door, a metal grille, and ventilation on all four sides, which is the pattern airlines check.

The build is the point. A hard shell gives a den-like space, holds up to cargo handling, and meets the construction rules that soft carriers and home wire crates do not. The door is a single piece of metal rather than a folding gate, which is what stops a dog from pulling it inward and collapsing it.

Plan for the hardware before you fly. The kennel ships with plastic nuts, and most carriers now require metal fasteners in every bolt hole, so buy a metal bolt kit and keep it with the kennel. The latch starts stiff and eases with use. And because the shell does not fold, it claims real storage space between trips, which is the honest cost of a travel kennel.

If you mostly drive and rarely fly, a folding wire kennel is cheaper and easier to store. The hard shell is worth it when a plane is actually involved.

Best XL on a budget: FDW 48-Inch double door

The FDW 48-Inch double door is the kennel for a big dog without a steel-crate budget. It is a 48-inch folding wire kennel for dogs over 90 pounds, with front and side doors, a divider, and a removable tray that runs the length of the floor.

Two doors are the practical upgrade. In a corner, you can leave the front door shut and use the side door, which keeps the kennel out of the walkway. The frame folds flat in about a minute, useful if the kennel moves to the car a few times a year, and the tray slides out the whole length for cleanup.

At about $65 it costs roughly half a comparable steel kennel. That is the trade: the wire is a lighter gauge than the pricier frames, so it suits a calm XL dog and not a dog that has already bent metal. Check that the floor is level before you load the dog, because a shifting tray rattles.

What makes a good outdoor kennel?

An outdoor kennel is a different purchase from an indoor crate, and it is where the word stops meaning the same thing. The rule of thumb for an outdoor run is at least 6 by 10 feet for one large dog, with 8 by 12 feet the comfortable target for longer stays.

Floor, roof, and shade

A run needs a surface the dog cannot dig out of, a roof or covered area for shade and rain, and a raised sleeping spot off the ground. Concrete, pavers, or a buried apron all stop digging better than bare dirt. A dog left in a bare, unshaded run is a welfare problem, not a kennel problem, so the bed and the shade come first.

Kennel runs, not just a box

A box is a sleeping spot. A run is the space around it. For a large dog that spends real time outside, the run is the enclosure that matters, and the sleeping box sits at one end of it. If you do not have the yard for a run, a raised dog house plus a small fenced area covers most of the same job.

Can a dog stay in a kennel all day?

Not as a routine. A kennel is for naps, nights, and short stretches, and most adult dogs should not be shut in one for a full workday. If you are out at work every day, a larger playpen or an outdoor run is the better setup, and a midday walk matters more than a bigger box.

If you must leave a dog for a long stretch, use the largest safe space you have, the playpen or a run rather than a crate, and give it something to do. An interactive dog toy or a food puzzle turns an empty kennel into a place with a job, which is what stops a bored dog from working the door.

How much does a dog kennel cost?

A kennel is a one-time buy, so the price on the page is most of the lifetime cost. The sizes below are the kennels we recommend, with the current price and the dog each one suits.

The numbers make the case for buying one size up front. A 24-inch kennel at about $31 and a 36-inch at about $40 cost less than two kennels bought in a year, so sizing to the adult dog and using a divider is cheaper than re-buying as a puppy grows.

Bottom line

Buy the Midwest 36-Inch iCrate for a medium or large dog, because the divider grows it from puppy to full size and the Paw Block latch holds the door. Buy the Midwest 24-Inch iCrate for a small dog, where the lighter frame is a feature and the size suits the room.

Buy the Petmate Sky Kennel 36-inch when the dog flies or rides, and add the metal bolt kit before the first trip. Buy the FDW 48-inch double door for a big, calm dog on a budget, and keep it off your list if your dog has already bent a wire bar.

Whatever you buy, size it to the adult dog and check the latch before you trust it. Those two things matter more than any label on the box.