I got my second oldest dog Pip nearly five years ago now. She's a chocolate labrador and we picked her from the litter when she was 5 weeks old and obviously had to wait until she was older until we could actually bring her home, which gave us plenty of time to prepare and get everything ready. My first dog was an 'inheritment' and we got him when he was 1 so getting a puppy was really exciting. My mum read a book on puppies and dogs etc to get an idea of what we would need/what to expect, and she insisted that we get a dog cage (also known as 'crates') to help the puppy feel secure and to also contain the puppy when we were out/at night time etc and for the puppy to have its own space. I know that a cage sounds quite cruel, but they really aren't when used properly. A dog cage gives a dog somewhere to go when they want their own space, and they feel secure and safe in their own little 'den'. Some dogs won't like cages and some will. I have four dogs and all of them have used this crate. Talia liked it and then grew out of it, Clyro didn't like it at all and refused point black to even step inside it, Harvey wonders in there when he fancies it and Pip goes in it once in a while when she wants to be left alone.

Purchasing the right dog cage is important. You will obviously need to make sure that it's large enough for your dog and also you will need to ensure it's good quality and will be able to withstand your dog moving inside it. If you have a small dog that won't grow much then it's pointless buying a large but don't buy an extra small and then realise that your dog will need a medium when it grows lol - think things through and check measurements. Me and my mum set out in search for a dog cage about 3 weeks before we got Pip. We were shocked at how much they were in the pet retail shops such as pets at home etc and decided to pop into the 'discount' type factories that were scattered around where we used to live (eg B&M and so on). We ended up purchasing this dog cage from a shop called Tickertee Boo for £40, which was the cheapest we'd come across and we snapped it up.

The RRP for these cages varies depending on where you buy it from and which size you get. We chose the extra large as we knew my dog would grow up to be quite chunky and we wanted it to be a long term item rather than just for use while she was a puppy. The RRP for the extra large is around £87 and it can be purchased for £10-£20 less on a range of discount pet supplies websites. Other sizes available are small, medium and large so there's a size to suit every breed. The cage came flat packed and weighed an absolute ton, setting it up was easy from what I remember, you just connect the various hooks and so on to build it up, it didn't take too long at all and the cage looked impressive once it was finished and it didn't stand out from our decor. We had the cage in the conservatory but it really doesn't matter where you place it in your home.

The cage comes in either silver or black and we chose black as we were concerned that the silver may rust, however the black did wear and rust after about a year which wasn't too bad and we simply went over the rusty patches with some black paint. The tray that goes in the bottom of the cage got very dirty and mud stained but it was easily covered up with a foam mattress that was provided, although as Pip grew older she ended up chewing the mattress up and it wasn't very durable. Getting the tray out of the cage is simple. You simply unhinge the bottom of the cage and pull it off then remove the tray. The tray is easy to clean with a damp sponge but it did get scratched easily. It's not an option to chuck the tray away if it gets stained badly though as underneath it's metal wireing which would be uncomfortable for a dog even with a blanket over the top.

There are two doors to the cage which were able to be locked by pulling a hinge. We always left the doors open so the dogs were free to come and go when they fancied. All of my dogs were able to fit through the doors with no effort. The doors became creeky after a while and they also were hard to keep open as they were so lightweight they would close half way but the dogs were able to push them open so this was not an issue. We've had this cage for almost five years and although it looks slightly worn it's still in one piece and the dogs still get occasional use out of it. We currently have it in the spare bedroom however as it has a handle on top it's easy to carry and put into the car to put one of the dogs in when we take them to the vets. The cage is sturdy and doesn't slide around in the car and fits into the back of my boyfriends landrover with ease, although even a medium would be too big to fit into a small car boot.

Overall I would reccomend these cages. They're sturdy, durable and long lasting. The price is a bit of a disadvantage but due to how long they last it's well worth it.