ProSelect Empire Cages - Medium I just received this yesterday. UPS left it in my patio, didn't have to sign for it, so that made me happy. It's heavy. As another reviewer wrote, if the steel tubes weren't hollow this thing would be too heavy to move (for me anyway). I will be updating this review as days go by. Putting it together was easy. I put the floor grate in prior to putting on the back, as another reviewer suggested. I tried to put the roof on without it being on its side. Don't do that. It went inside and I had to unscrew the back to get it out. Have it on its side. Also, my crate is a teensy bit wobbly - I need to tighten one of the wheels. MY FAULT, not the manufacturer's. I had no problems with this being rusty as other reviewers noted. Mine was perfectly clean. Had an unusual odor but that's already gone. It seems SOOO STURDY compared to the wire cages. I am very pleased with how sturdy it seems at this point. As for the grate bottom - I cut a 1/2 inch thick rubber exercise mat (the kind that link together for gym floors) and put it down. I would have done this even if the bottom wasn't grated. As another reviewer noted, crate issues aren't going to be solved by a stronger crate. I have a rescue dog. She was abused in her first home, abandoned in her second. I have had her for years, and didn't need to put her in a crate because she was really a good girl, but I moved a year and a half ago and she has been HORRIBLE ever since. Tore up two doors and four door knobs. Pooped and peed on the carpet. She clearly doesn't like change. Now... because of her past she HATES crates. I tried w/ 3 wire crates. The last one from PetSmart was supposed to be sturdy and indestructible but of course, no guarantee. She broke it the first day. So I took her to daycare. I love the daycare. Francis Kennels in Xenia, OH has a wonderful daycare, for those that are in the area. I can't say enough good things about them. But it's a 45 minute drive there from my home and then 1/2 an hour to work. That's a lot. Plus... I'm not rich. They're not super expensive but it adds up... with gas money, but so are doors, door knobs, carpet cleaners, cages... My process for getting my girl used to the cage was to take the door off of the old wire crate - which wasn't hard because it was just barely hanging on and was bent. For three months I have been giving her treats and all of her meals inside the crate. I put her blankets in there. After two months she would go in there voluntarily. A few nights ago I had to go across town and was hoping that I could leave her alone for just 3 hours without her being destructive without taking her to daycare. It had been a year... was she cured? No. Peed on my bed, took food out of my kitchen cupboard, and I honestly just sat on the floor and cried. I know she's been through a lot but so have I. I wasn't in a great position to afford this crate but without it, I just don't know how much more I can take. I'm exhausted from driving and I'm exhausted from worrying about her when I'm gone. I promised her when I adopted her that as long as I lived, my home would be her home but I am tired. I'm sad. Anyway...on an overnight stay at the kennel she broke a tooth and I'm thinking she may do that w/ this crate, but I'm hopeful that I can keep her calm. As I write this, she is curled up in the crate on a blanket sound asleep. The door is open, but earlier this morning the door was closed and I praised her and gave her treats and she sighed heavily and went to sleep. Later today I will attempt leaving her alone with the door closed for about ten minutes and then maybe 1/2 an hour if she can take it. My dog trainer said to give her a beef knuckle to keep her occupied and that for the next few months if I am gone even for ten minutes, my dog must be in the crate. He said she has learned very bad habits and she needs new ones. But IF this works, IF this crate holds up, I won't go back to leaving her out. She will go through the glass door one day, I'm afraid. IF this crate holds up, it will pay for itself within 2.8911 months - daycare cost only - not considering gas money. I will post updates as I go along but I wanted to at least post that this crate seems sturdy, was easy enough to put together, and it was not rusty. Update: Left her alone in the kennel for an hour / hour and a half. It held her! SO HAPPY. I purchased D rings to reinforce the door for the days I leave her alone for more than that, but honestly I can not see this being necessary. I am SOOO happy at this point. Update: It has been a few weeks now. I was out of town for one of those weeks, and my dog was at the boarding kennel. However, life is back to normal. Well should I say, my life is now NORMAL. No longer do I worry about the destruction she has wrought upon my home. I worried a lot at first that she would be able to break out due to the comments about the poor welding job on the door hinges. I was bolting the sides of the door when I left. My boyfriend tried to pull the door off and couldn't so I stopped worrying about that. I do use two carabiners to lock the two door latches. She's excited to get out in the afternoons but with each passing day I can tell she is happier and more secure. I paid a lot for doggie day care, lesser crates, doors, door knobs, potty pads, etc. All of that pales in comparison to the heartbreak and worry that I went through. It seems like a lot of money for this crate, and I get that. It was expensive for me too. I know you may read the negative reviews... and think maybe it isn't as good as you need it to be. Maybe those that had a bad batch with the faulty welding will turn you away from the crate. It almost made me not buy this crate. My dog does chew on the crate bars. And yes some finish comes off when she does. It doesn't affect the crate sturdiness. I do put down a blanket for her to lie on but she usually bunches it up and is lying on the bare bars when I get home. My peace of mind regarding my dog - I finally have it back.
