Ultima Pro Double Door Dog Crate

I absolutely love this crate. I have looked high and low for a crate that is the right size for my dog. I did not want to have to buy a huge crate for my dog just because she happens to be bit too tall for medium size crate...as if all medium size dogs have short little legs...why in the heck were medium size crates being made only a couple of inches taller than small crates? I live in a very small house so I have a space limitations issues so there was simply no way I couple bump up to a large size crate... Is exactly why I don't have a large size dog. My dog is a medium size dog and will never weigh more than 25 pounds or be longer that 24" long and 20" from the floor to the top of her head. The problem is most medium size crates are about 30"L × 18"W × 20"H. 20" gives her no head room. So thank you MidWest for making a taller medium sized crate. Not only is it taller, it is also several inches wider than other medium size crates. This is really a nice sized crate for a medium sized dog and it is very well made, nice and heavy. This crate has two doors with double latches on each door. Everything works smoothly with no problems and it is very easy to put together. Yes, the instructions at stuck inside but just look for the metal . It came with a handle to attach on top. I added a couple of photos so you can see my dog intge crate. She is a mini Aussiedoodle. She is 20" tall from the floor to the top of her head and 24" long from the trip of her nose to her back end. She weighs 20 pounds. The photos are a bit dark because I put the crate in the corner underneath my tall dinning table...it fits nicely under there btw. Some people have complained about the instructions being stuck inside the closed crate...which is true. However, if you look on the long sides of the crate you will see a clip (see the photo). It wraps around two pieces but will pop apart with one of them detaching while it stays attached to the other one. Do not try to remove this. If you ever want to pack the crate up, this clip will hold the pieces together. Once you have that unclipped it, you should be able to lift up the piece enough to get the instructions out. It's really not hard to put the crate together. I did it without using the instructions but I've put together crates before. Some force is required when you are hooking the end pieces togetger. Be sure the side hooks are in place before you clip together the top hooks and watch your fingers. You definitely don't want to get your fingers caught. The fact that these crates come with a divider is a great bonus. If you are getting a puppy that will grow into a medium size dog, this is a great buy. The divider will allow you to create a smaller space for your puppy and then as your puppy grows you can give it more space instead of having to buy two size crates. A small puppy should never have a lot of room in their crate because it will use that space to go potty in the crate. If you are looking for a great quality crate, get a MedWest crate! These things are definitely a cut above other crates regarding not only the thickness of the wire used, but the pan on the bottom is really nice as well. It is not cheap plastic. If you are looking for a medium size crate for a little taller dog, look no further! MidWest has exactly what you need.

Crate arrived in perfect condition. Any "damage" was microscopic and to be expected, such as tiny scratches where metal parts touch and moving the box will of course leave light scrapes in the paint, and a tiny slight bend (more of a slight curve) on one of the upper corners where it just barely slopes down. Nothing worth changing nor anything that would impact the integrity of the otherwise sound crate. As far as the reviewer that said the side catch doesn't line up with the end panel with the door, it just needs a little jiggling where the long walls are attached to the base. If you look, you will see the small metal tubes that hold the wall to the base allow the wall to sit just to one side or the other of the bar. You need to wiggle it so it settles toward the interior and that minute (⅛" or so) actually makes it so everything gives the right amount. Mine looked exactly like that photo, and I was skeptical that I could fix it, but I looked at the other side, did some jiggling, and it just worked. Be patient when setting it up for the first time. While the crate is foldable and technically can be transported, it IS heavy (intentionally bought this heavier, stronger version, but there are more lightweight versions if that is what you are wanting), so if you plan to use this as a permanent fixture like me, I recommend getting zip ties (see my photo), and securing any parts that allow separation when pulled with your hands. Trust me, determined dogs are MUCH stronger than what your 2 hands can pull apart. I wasn't particularly pleased that for being the "stronger" version of this line, the latches are the straight bar ones instead of the ones that have the extra "L" at the end that really lock in place so a curious paw cannot slide it over. No worries, just get one of those spring hook things (like the hardware that leashes have to connect to collars) and clip them to the handle of the latch so it cannot be moved unintentionally. This thing is now incredibly solid and my solid muscle, 30lb French Bulldog will be safe for an hour a day while I let the new puppy put of her x pen (and she will be safe from being trampled by him when she is exploring). I recommend this for medium dogs who are properly crate trained but can get a bit over excited sometimes :)

In short, this crate is very durable and worth every penny if you have an anxious dog. I have a 50# pitbull mix with crate anxiety who bent the door and several bars on a basic wire crate in 30 minutes. Out of fear that he would eventually injure himself, I bought this crate along with an indestructible Kuranda bed (also highly recommended). He hasn't left a mark on this crate yet, after hours of use. In addition to being durable, I did not have any issues with the quality or setup; I was able to set it up just as quickly as my other wire crates. I also really like that this model has three doors, it's really convenient and gives me more options for arranging them in my home. UPDATE: I now have two of these crates because I was so please with the first and adopted another dog with crate anxiety. I'm starting to think that having a more durable crate that doesn't give into biting and other anxious behaviors helps to curb their anxiety. I have a wireless camera and have watched my dogs in their older, weaker crates and in these Midwest Ultima crates and they seem to give up and settle down when they realize that trying to get out of the crate is useless. This is just a theory based on my experiences. I'd also like to add that the heavy weight of these crates also makes it much more difficult for the dog to slide them across hardwood floors. My beagle slid her old crate several feet across the floor while inside (she's only 25 lbs with a very small frame) but hasn't been able to move this one.

My beagle is tough on things. For a 20lb dog, she sure thinks and acts like she is 60lbs. So we needed a tough kennel. Upon opening this crate, I almost sent it back because it appeared to be warped. Once I got it put together tho, it sets well. Very sturdy. Front door is a little stiff on opening, but it's manageable. Once I put the cover on it, she sleeps in it no problems on the few nights she will actually use it. Also... the nifty divider will make it easier for going to my sister's because we ha e another small dog too. They are of a size enough that I can put them both in the crate if needed. I also like how easy it is to remove the bottom tray-nakes cleaning simple vs the carrier we had to take apart.

I bought two of these for my puppy. I love the flexibility of adjusting the size. I would adjust the space every few weeks or as needed. She has loved it at every size. It is actually very easy to collapse and put back up. However, it is pretty heavy to move around. As someone who travels a lot, I sometimes find that inconvenient but I know the great quality is the cause of the weight. The crate comes with removable handles that are easy to pop on and off when transporting. The handles make it much easier to move. My dog is a chewer, but the crate is so sturdy that she doesn't bother trying to chew on it or chew through it. I will say that one of the 2 crates, has a sticky top latch. I have to work it back and forth to close it each time. I think this is probably just a defect of my crate because all of the other latches on both crates work smoothly. In hindsight, I should have send that one back before I began using it.

Absolutely perfect! It’s become hard to find taller 36 inch crates or ones that are still made with heavy gauge wire, and I’m so grateful to have found these. I’m slowly replacing all of mine with this model because they are so durable and safe for my dogs. They’re every bit as well made as crates were 25 years ago, not flimsy at all, and the powder coating on them seems to last longer than other crates. I love knowing I can leave my dogs in them at performance events without worrying they might escape. I have taller but square dogs (24-25 inches at the withers) so they don’t need a longer crate, but I’ve been disappointed how many crates have been getting shorter and shorter in height, and the 28 inch height is wonderful.

We bought this so we could teach our boxer-kerr mix to go camping with us. He loved it so much on our camping trip that we had to set it up in the house for him and he spends most of his time in it with the door open. He is a 75lb dog and very large and this kennel is very roomy for him. We coupled it with a dog bed that fit perfectly and a kennel cover. He would be sleeping so soundly that I would have to check on him like a worried daddy. The setup was extremely simple and it is very sturdy. The only down side is that it is too heavy for the wife to lift on her own, so if I'm not around she has to wait til I am to move it. All-in-all it is very good quality

I looked hard for a quality crate before finally settling on the Ultima Pro. I have had a fair amount of experience with wire crates after adopting an escape artist some years back. I wanted to buy a Kennel Aire, but everywhere I look, it seems that people report that the company has gone downhill fast. I finally settled on the Ultima Pro after eliminated other crates that were positioned at the premium level. This crate is fine as crates go; however, it is not in my opinion a premium crate, nor are the features exactly as advertised. If it sold for $80, it would be fine. Quality and design are both poor. To assemble the crate, you must (from the manual): "Make sure the bottoms of the two Side Panels rest inside the Bottom Panel and that one edge of the Top Panel is "inside" the Side Panel and "outside" the other Side Panel (as illustrated)." Got that? Other folding crates I've used required no instructions, but on the "Ultima" you must arrange the sides and top just so. Failure to do so weakens the integrity of the side joints. After arranging the sides just so -- remembering that one edge of the top panel must lie outside the a side panel while the other edge of the top panel rests inside the side panel -- you have to push down on the top to spring the hooks into it while leaving the protruding U wire above the side panel. When done properly, the top is unevenly sprung against the front and back panels. This means that the top in the front and back is actually bent progressively from one side to the other. The advert claims that it can be set up in seconds. My old General Cage model can be set up in seconds -- lift the ends and latch them. The "Ultima" requires much, much fiddling. Once set up, none of the door latches align with the pins when closing the doors, so you have to lift the door a bit or wiggle it to get it to latch. Once you have one in, the other latch is, of course, easy. The powder coat isn't much of a powder coat at all. The crate, although brand new, is already rusting where the powder coat has worn off. The wire under the latches that clip the crate together when folded is already completely rusted, as is likely the case under the rings that hold the sides together. The finish is chipped in many, many, many places. The front and rear doors are designed with a wire loop above the hinges that prevents the door from being removed while closed. Why the side door has no such thing is a mystery. In fact, the wires that form the hinge pins for the side door are all bent at all different angles. Perhaps this weird alignment is actually by design in order to make the door resistant to removal while closed. Otherwise, it's simply horrible quality control. Either way, once the doors are off, they are a pain to put back on, especially the side door. Oh, it has rollers on the bottom that make it easier to move it about. They seem to work. I took some photos of the rust, doors that don't line up, the weird setup and odd angles on the door pins. I can post them, but at this point I feel I've wasted entirely too much time on this product. Lastly, the design and workmanship makes me doubt that the crate would be good against a determined dog. The wires are heavy, but the design is weak. If it's too much of a pain to return it, it'll be headed off as a donation to the local Humane Society.