Best crate for Great Dane puppy

A 16-week-old Great Dane is already a handful size-wise, and the crate question is one you really do need to get right first time — buying too small now means replacing it in six weeks, and buying too large without a divider can actually slow down toilet training. Crate training works when the crate becomes a genuinely positive space, and for giant breeds that means getting the size and introduction approach right from the start. So — are you starting from scratch with no crate associations yet, or has he had any exposure already? And is this primarily for home use, travel, or both?

Good — starting from scratch is actually the easier position to be in, because you're building the association fresh with no bad memories to undo. At 20kg at 16 weeks, he's going to be a big adult — male Great Danes typically finish around 70–80kg and stand 80cm or more at the shoulder. That means you need a 54-inch crate, full stop. There's no point buying a 42-inch now and upgrading in two months. Before I give you a specific recommendation, one thing worth knowing: what's your flooring like at home? Hard floors change what you want inside the crate, and some XXL crates have metal trays that slide around on tile or wood.

That's useful — you'll want something with rubber feet or a non-slip mat underneath, because metal trays on wood floors can shift and that movement unsettles dogs fast. Here's my recommendation: the MidWest iCrate 54-inch XXL Double Door Folding Dog Crate. It comes with a divider panel, which is essential — you use it to give him a smaller section now while he's being toilet trained, and slide it back as he grows. The double-door design (one end, one side) gives you flexibility in how you position it in a room, and it folds flat if you ever need to store it. The carry handle is a nice touch for moving it between rooms early on. It's genuinely built for giant breeds, not just labelled XXL. Put a non-slip rug underneath and a snug-fitting crate pad inside, and you're set. You won't need to buy another crate.

The first rule is: never push him in and close the door immediately. Start with the door open and just let him investigate in his own time — put a few treats near the entrance, then just inside, then at the back. Do that over a day or two with no pressure. Once he's walking in willingly, start feeding his meals in there with the door open. After a few meals, close the door for the duration of the meal, then open it again immediately after — he'll associate the closed door with food appearing, not with being trapped. Build duration very gradually from there. The divider panel means his first experience of the crate is a den-sized space, not a cavern, which matters a lot for a puppy's sense of security. The goal by the end of week one is that he walks in voluntarily. That's the foundation for everything else.

Yes, for most dogs and especially for puppies, covering three sides of the crate with a blanket or a purpose-made crate cover helps significantly — it reduces visual stimulation and makes the space feel more den-like. Leave the door-side open so there's ventilation and he can see out. Don't cover it completely. For a MidWest 54-inch, you can get a fitted crate cover made for that exact model, which is worth doing rather than wrestling with a blanket that slips. Just make sure whatever you use can't be pulled inside and chewed — Great Dane puppies are enthusiastic destroyers.