Best metal crate for a Catahoula dog

A Catahoula through a fabric crate in under ten minutes — honestly, that's not surprising for the breed, but it's a good reminder that fabric crates simply aren't built for powerful, determined dogs. You need something with welded steel, not zips and stitching. Before I point you to a specific crate, a couple of quick questions: how much does your dog weigh roughly, and is this crate going to live in one spot at home, or do you need to move it between rooms or take it in the car?

Good — that makes things straightforward. At 25kg a Catahoula is solidly in the large-dog bracket, so you're looking at a 42-inch crate. The one I'd go straight to is the MidWest Homes for Pets iCrate in the 42-inch size. It's a double-door welded wire crate — heavy gauge steel, a robust slide-bolt latch on both doors, and a fold-flat design that makes moving it between rooms easy without fully dismantling it. The wire construction also means he can see out in all directions, which tends to settle anxious or high-energy dogs better than a solid-panel crate. It comes with a divider panel, though at three years old you won't need that. It's widely available on Amazon UK and regularly sits around £55–65.

Fair question given what he did to the fabric one. The MidWest iCrate is heavy-gauge welded wire, not the lighter pressed wire you find on budget crates — most dogs, including strong breeds, don't get through it. That said, if he's genuinely escape-focused and has managed to bend bars before, the next step up would be something like the Midwest Ovation or a dedicated heavy-duty crate with reinforced corner bolts. But for a dog who destroyed a fabric crate through persistence rather than sheer brute force, the iCrate 42-inch will hold. The slide-bolt latches are the weak point on cheaper crates — the iCrate's are solid. Has he ever broken out of a wire crate before, or is the fabric one his first real attempt?

That's a very common mistake — fabric crates are really only suited to calm, already-crate-trained dogs who aren't trying to escape. For a young, energetic Catahoula they were never going to hold. The MidWest iCrate 42-inch is your answer then. One practical tip: put something heavy and non-chewable in the base — a rubber mat or a fitted crate liner rather than a loose blanket — so there's less for him to work at. Catahoulas do much better in a crate when they've had a decent run first, so if crating during the day is the goal, a solid walk or play session beforehand will make the crate feel like rest rather than confinement.

Good choice — it'll last years. Search 'MidWest iCrate 42 inch' on Amazon UK and it'll come straight up. If for any reason he does start working the latches, a simple carabiner clip through both latch loops stops that immediately without needing to replace the crate. Good luck with him.