Labradoodle ate crate tray — metal base fix

A Labradoodle who's eaten through the plastic tray — that's a safety headache and a sign the crate setup needs a proper rethink. The good news is you don't need to start from scratch with training, just upgrade to a crate that removes the chewing hazard entirely. Crate training works when the crate becomes a genuinely positive space, and the right size and type matters more than most people realise — as does how you reintroduce it after a bad experience. Before I point you in the right direction: how big is your Labradoodle right now, roughly in weight or size — and are they crated overnight, during the day, or both?

That makes complete sense — at one year old a Labradoodle is right in that peak chewing phase, and a plastic tray corner is basically an invitation. The crate itself may be perfectly fine; it's the floor that needs replacing. The question is whether your current crate takes a replacement metal tray, or whether you're open to switching crates entirely. Do you know the brand and size of the crate you have, and has she shown any interest in chewing the wire sides as well?

In that case I'd move her into a Midwest Homes iCrate — specifically the 42-inch double-door model. It's one of the most consistently reliable crates available in the UK, and crucially it comes with a metal slide-out floor pan rather than plastic. At 42 inches it gives an 18kg Labradoodle enough room to stand, turn and stretch without being so large that she treats half of it as a toilet zone. The double-door design is genuinely useful for overnight use near a wall, and the divider panel means you could tighten the space if needed. The metal tray is robust enough that chewing the edge becomes pretty pointless — there's no give and no satisfying texture to work at. It's widely stocked on Amazon UK and usually around £55–65 depending on the day. I'd pair it with a flat washable mat rather than a plush bed for now, just until the chewing phase settles. One thing worth doing when you introduce the new crate: don't just swap them over — spend a few days letting her sniff and explore it with the door open and treats scattered inside before you close her in. She doesn't have a bad association with crates in general, but a fresh start helps.

Honestly, no tray is completely indestructible if a dog is determined — but cold-rolled steel is a genuinely different proposition from plastic. With plastic there's a satisfying crunch and pieces come away quickly, which rewards the behaviour. With the Midwest metal pan, there's nothing to grip, no flex, and no reward. Most dogs who've been plastic-tray chewers lose interest in the metal version within a day or two. If she does try it, a light spray of bitter apple on the tray edges for the first couple of weeks usually puts an end to it. The bigger risk with Labradoodles at this age is boredom-driven chewing generally — so making sure she's well-exercised before any crating period is probably the single most useful thing alongside the new crate.

Good choice — she'll be well set up in that. Remember to take it slowly on the reintroduction, keep the first few closures short even though she's been crated before, and you should be back to a smooth routine within a week. Good luck with her.