Border Collies are some of the hardest working dogs in the world. Not only are they diligent herders, but also affectionate and super smart. In fact, they’re the smartest dog breed in the world.
Though training a Border Collie will be relatively easy, training with a dog crate will make things even easier. It’s one of the most important and biggest one-time purchases you will make for your dog.
For that reason, we’ve looked through dozens of crates online and found the four best crates for Border Collies.
Benefits of Crate Training Border Collies
If you’re someone that thinks sticking your Border Collie in a dog crate is cruel, you are wrong. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of great benefits to crate training your Border Collie. And, veterinarians will agree.
No matter how intelligent Border Collies are, dog crates are still extremely useful for housetraining. Puppies at an early age need to learn where they’re able to “do their business,” and crates certainly help.
Dogs don’t like to soil where they sleep. As a result, sticking them in a crate will teach them how to control their bladders and bowels. There will be accidents, so make sure to clean up immediately after.
Another great benefit of dog crates is that it provides your Border Collie with a safe space. In the wild, dogs usually seek out a compact den as a place to rest. This helps them with anxiety and stress.
Likewise, a dog crate can do the same for your Border Collie. It may cause extra anxiety in the beginning, but they will learn to love it.
Crates can also teach your Border Collie to keep teething to his or her own property. Whatever great chew toys you decide to put in the cage, they can chew. Anything else, such as your favorite pair of shoes, is off-limits.
These are just some of the benefits. For more benefits of crate training, check this out.
Border Collie Size
When shopping for a dog crate, make sure you buy according to the full adult-size of your Border Collie. Though it may seem weird buying such a large crate for a small puppy, it is the smart thing to do.
A Border Collie will grow quickly in the first few months of existence. Unless you want to buy multiple dog crates, always plan for the future. A dog crates is not something you only use during puppyhood.
| Gender | Height | Weight |
| Male | 19-22 inches | 30-45 lbs |
| Female | 18-21 inches | 27-42 lbs |
Border Collies will usually reach their full adult size within 13 months. They can certainly range in size, but these numbers are for the average purebred Border Collie.
Border Collie Crate Size
The recommended dog crate size for a Border Collie is 42 inches. However, some owners claim that this is a little large. Depending on the size of your Border Collie, you can get away with a 36 inch dog crate.
If you have a smaller or female Border Collie, you can get away with a smaller 36 inch crate. Because these dogs are so active, I would suggest going for the 42 and giving them more room.
The extra space can provide more comfort in the long run. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Top Picks: Border Collie Crates
There are a lot of dog crates that work for the Border Collie. However, after reviewing many dog crates, these are our favorite picks for dog crates. Let’s see why:
1. MidWest Homes iCrate
There are many reasons why we love the Midwest Homes iCrate. Mainly because it comes with all the features that make it the most convenient and best dog crate available on the market.
At a reasonable price, the iCrate tops our list for best Border Collie crates. It’s the perfect combination of sturdiness, functionality and convenience.
Currently, over 22 thousand people have purchased this crate, giving it a 4 and a half stars out of five. With that many positive reviews, it’s easy to see why the iCrate is the best.
- What to Get: The 42 inch w/ divider & double doors.
- Reviews: 22,000 +
- Stars: 4.5 / 5 Stars
- Highlights: Secured latches, rounded corners, electro-coat finish, removable pan, divider, convenience.
Best Features
Midwest Homes is a reputable brand. And like with all reputable companies, they’ve really put in a lot of effort into the details of the crate.
Dog safety is always a concern among dog owners, and Midwest Homes built the iCrate with this in mind. All the corners are rounded edges, preventing unnecessary injuries from your doing going in and out of the crate. This is especially important for ultra-hyper dogs, such as the Border Collies.
The frame is coated with their non-toxic dog safe electro finish (in satin black). Not only is it perfectly safe for heavy chewers, but it looks fantastic as well.
No matter how great your Border Collie is at escaping, it’ll be difficult for them to break through the ultra-secure slide bolt latches. It’s a rather simple design, but effective as well.
A 42 inch dog crate can be big, and you probably wouldn’t want this out in your living room all the time. For this problem, the iCrate allows you to simply fold the crate up for storage very easily. Don’t underestimate this, it’s a super convenient feature.
A divider panel is very useful for a Border Collie. Because these dogs grow so fast in their first year, it’s important to adjust the size of the crate space. Too much space as a puppy can actually cause anxiety in some dogs.
Last but not least, this crate has a removable plastic tray that’s secured to the bottom of the crate. If your Border Collie has an accident, you’ll be able to slide out the tray and clean it up quickly and hassle-free.
The Cons
Although we like the iCrate best for Border Collies, there are some things we can nitpick. For example, we would have liked to seen more heavy duty material for the wiring of the cage.
It’s highly unlikely that your Border Collie will be able to escape, but thicker wires would be better for peace of mind. If your Border Collie is bent on escaping, we would suggest a heavy duty option instead.
To learn more about the Midwest Homes iCrate, check it out on Amazon.
What Border Collie Owners Are Saying
Midwest Mom says: “This works for us and I read the directions so I had no issue putting this together at all. Also never had any issues with my border collie pup getting hurt or stuck. I also only crate him at night/bedtime – as a crate should be.”
Erin says: “Sized as described, though it looks bigger in person. It holds up nicely and cleans very easy. We got it for our 50lb flatcoat retriever border collie mix so that she has plenty of space. There is certainly plenty of space. The door opens nicely and the crate is not overly heavy or difficult to move considering the size. It also set up very nicely.”
Lorene says: “Easy to assemble. Sturdy and well made. Even my very determined border collie puppy has been unable to escape it. My dog is 24 lbs and has room to stand, sit and lie down. This crate has a nice plastic tray that can slide out for cleaning.”
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2. Amazon Basics Dog Crate
You know how we know dog crates are an important essential for all dog owners? When the largest e-commerce company in the world decides to manufacture their own.
As you would expect from the giant conglomerate, the Amazon Basics dog crate is one of the best available online. In fact, it’s quite similar to the Midwest Homes iCrate with a few minor differences.
Of course the Amazon Basics crate would sit atop our list. Let’s investigate what makes them so great for Border Collies.
- What to Get: The 42 inch w/ Double Doors.
- Reviews: 11,000 +
- Stars: 4.5 / 5 Stars
- Highlights: Secured latches, (optional) double doors, removable pan, divider panel, foldable frame.
Best Features
The Amazon Basics dog crate is well crafted. Like with the iCrate, they secure your Border Collie with two slide-bolt latches that’s both effective and safe. In this case, there’s no reason to try to reinvent what’s working so well.
The double doors is optional, but highly recommended. I would suggest upgrading because two doors is always better than one. For bigger cages, such as the 42 inch, it’ll make it much easier to reach your dog and all the toys and accessories you put in there.
The Amazon Basics comes with a standard removable plastic tray. It allows you to easily clean up after your Border Collie should an accident occur. In puppyhood, you can expect this to happen. It slides in and out, and can be secured with a latch.
Another big plus about this crate is the standard divider panel. Border Collies are medium sized dogs, but as puppies, they’re tiny. A divider allows you to adjust the size of your crate’s living space as he or she grows into adult size.
The Amazon Basics dog crate can also be folded in a few seconds. If you’re frequently traveling or need to store the dog crate when guests visit, this is an excellent feature to have.
The Cons
The Amazon Basics dog crate is very similar to the iCrate, so our cons are pretty much the same. Again, we wish this crate would have done a better job reinforcing the wiring of the crate with thicker materials.
Still, we don’t think your Border Collie will be able to escape this dog crate. It’s durable, but if you’re still concerned, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to invest in a heavy duty crate.
If you’re interested in the AmazonBasics crate, check out the current price here.
What Border Collie Owners are Saying
Pat says: “This kennel is exactly as described. It’s easy to set up and take down, it’s not light weight but not extremely heavy either. We are only using it to keep our dog Ryker in when we have to leave him alone in the motor home. He’s a border collie/ kelpie mix and he still hasn’t completely calmed down.”
Derick says: “Our mixed border collie is reaching 6 mo. He loves his room I believe it’s the 32” with a divider and we have taken it out as he has grown. We are now going to move up to the next size and we don’t expect him to get much larger. The price is great and we leave at least two of his durable chew toys inside when closed up while we are at work and he is great.”
K Ballard says: “We’ve had this for about a year for our mini Aussie/Border Collie mix and it’s worked perfectly! She loves her kennel and it’s a great personal space for her. The kennel packs up and sets up easily too so we take it with us every time we travel. We use it all the time and it’s held up. It’s also very easy to clean!”
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3. New World Metal Dog Crate
The New World Metal Dog Crate is an excellent cost-effective choice for Border Collie owners. If you’re trying to save a little money, the New World crate may be for you.
Although it lacks some feature that we see in the first two, it’s still a well made dog crate and perfect for any dog breed. For the great price and simplicity, we rank them the third best for Border Collies.
- What to Get: The 42 inch with double doors.
- Reviews: 1600 +
- Stars: 4.5 / 5 Stars
- Highlights: Double door, metal construction, collapsible crate, slide-bolt locks, removable tray.
Best Features
They advertise that they’re made from quality metal, and we think it was a great call. This metal dog crate is both lightweight and durable. For how energetic the Border Collie is, this is quite nice to have.
The New World crate uses a slide-bolt latch locking mechanism to safely secure your Border Collie. We don’t think a Border Collie will be able to get past this. Especially, a purebred puppy Border.
There’s also a removable plastic tray that slides in and out from the bottom of the dog crate. This will make your life that much easier, as you’ll be able to clean up after their mess in minutes. If your Border is big on digging, this tray can be secured to the bottom with an extra security latch.
The New World crate was also built with convenience in mind. In a few seconds, you’ll be able to collapse the crate into a compact size for easy transportation or storage.
The Cons
One thing we wish this crate had is the divider panel. They don’t even sell the panel as an extra option. To get one, you’ll need to buy one from their competitors, such as Midwest Homes (it’s compatible).
Even though this isn’t a deal breaker, we think that a panel can be very useful if you’re picking up a puppy Border Collie. Giving them too many space as a puppy may cause unnecessary stress and anxiety. And like we said, you should be buying a dog crate for their adult size.
We also wish they would provide thicker wires for the frames of the cage. They’re a little on the thin side, but it should have no problem containing a Border Collie.
To learn more about the New World crate and check out the current price, click here.
What Border Collie Owners are Saying
Gabbie says: “Very nice crate. Very easy to set up and very sturdy. I like the heavy plastic pan instead of the metal ones. (As long as my dog doesnt chew it….lol). I’ve only used it once so far but my border collie mix seems happy with it. My other dog has an older crate with a metal pan which i have to put a towel on because the pan is so cold. So far so good!!”
Lynn says: “LOVE LOVE LOVE it! My 35 lb border collie mix has room to stand, turn, sprawl out. Perfect size (now that she is fully house trained…used a smaller crate for potty training). It is very easy to take down and take with on road trips. It fits perfectly in our GMC Acadia when we travel. She is nice and comfy “
Kelsey says: “Was a lot bigger than expected, in a good way! We have 2 Border Collie lab mixed dogs and they can fully stand up and spread out in the kennel comfortably! Great purchase!”
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4. Carlson Pet Dog Crate
Sitting at number four of our list is the Carlson Pet Dog Crate. They lack some extra features that we’d like to see, but it’s still a solid crate with an excellent price. The Carlson Pet definitely deserves a place on our list.
Compared to the many other dog crates online, we still love this crate. Let’s examine the pros and cons of this new dog crate, and why they make such great crates for Border Collies.
- What to Get: Large (42 inch)
- Reviews: 1500 +
- Stars: 4 / 5 Stars
- Highlights: Metal construction, foldable crate, good price, removable tray, slide-bolt locks.
Best Features
The first thing that stands out is the material they use to build this crate – heavy duty steel. It’s a bit much for a Border Collie, but we don’t mind the quality steel.
One recurring theme with our top picks are dual slide-bolt locks, which the Carlson Pet dog crate also comes with. Simply put, it’s one of the best and easiest ways to secure your Border Collie in a crate.
This crate does come standard with a removable plastic tray. Without this, it’ll be a huge hassle to clean up after your Border. You can lock the latch and slide the tray from underneath. After cleaning the tray, simply slide it back in. It’s that easy.
In a few seconds, you’ll be able to fold this crate into a compact carrier. This makes the Carlson Pet dog crate ideal for storage and transportation.
The Cons
The Carlson Pet Dog Crate is missing two feature that we really like. For example, it doesn’t come standard with a divider panel. As we mentioned, this helps with reducing any unnecessary anxiety in a puppy. Without it, you won’t be able to adjust the size of your crate space.
Something else that it’s lacking is the double doors. When your puppy is small and you’re dealing with a relatively large crate, it’s always best to have two doors.
Having double doors makes it easier for you to access your dog and anything else you put inside. It’s a minor problem, but it would be nice to have this little feature.
The lack of these features certainly aren’t deal breakers, but for this reason, we’ve ranked it number four on our list of best Border Collie dog crates.
If you want to learn more about the Carlson Dog Crate, check it out on Amazon.
What Border Collie Owners are Saying
Amelia says: “Nice little crate for the money. I purchased to take my pup back and forth to the vet for her shots. This one was too small for my Border Collie so I sent it back for the next larger size.”
Daniel says: “Does exactly as advertised; fits both my two 40 and 50 pound lab-border-collie mixes comfortably. Easy to fold and unfold for easy transportation.”
M.M. Ocallaghan says: “I don’t believe how cheap this is. I bought this, because I had an emergency that required crating my dog…On arriving, I checked it out carefully. Nothing was bent, or flimsy looking. Putting it together required no tools and took me about 2 minutes. It is well made and sturdy. It is idiot proof too.”
VIEW PRICE ON AMAZONIs there another dog crate you love and would recommend for a Border Collie? Let us know in the comments section below – you can even leave a link!
If you’ve owned and tried any of these, tell us what you think of them!