UPDATED: Which collapsible crate is more practical: polyester or metal?
Review: Deekuiwi portable four-door soft kennel for medium to large dogs
Update on June 24, 2024: Scroll to the bottom of this post for the video. All I could do was laugh.
Four times. I believe I banged the black metal crate against a door and a wall four times, possibly chipping paint all while trying to hold a collapsible crate by its handle in one hand and a hyper dog’s leash in the other.
My Hound mix was ecstatic to hang out with family. I was too — except I loathe packing. Even with my persistence to attend two out-of-state colleges, I waited until the day before to pack. Moving from apartments to condos? Same. This time wasn't permanent though; it was holiday festivities.
I waited until the day of to pack, but I did manage to fold up the suitcase-style dog crate ahead of time. As much as I liked that it could fold into a George Jetson-style suitcase, the weight of it left much to be desired. I had to position it in such a way so that it wouldn’t fall over and bang on my toe if I walked by.
And when my ride showed up, I’d barely gotten out of the lobby doorway before my Hound mix yanked away from me and ran lightning fast toward my father’s legs, who was standing by his car and unaware that my dog was loose.
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I hobbled with the collapsible metal crate in one hand and shouted my dog’s name in a commanding tone. She froze within an inch of going into the street and turned around. I commanded her to stay. She followed my order. I sat the crate down on its side, marched over to her and put the leash back on her harness.
Within a couple of minutes of securely fastening her in the backseat of the car, I continued helping my father bring my luggage out. At that moment, I was thinking about leaving the crate behind, but this was my dog’s safe place to snuggle when she wanted to take naps. Leaving it behind just didn’t seem right.
But finding a collapsible crate that didn’t weigh as much as the 25-pound weights in my closet was way more ideal. So, I searched online and my eyes zoomed in on a collection of polyester, collapsible, indoor/outdoor, soft kennel crates. Bingo!
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Although it wouldn’t arrive until long after I’d returned home with my own dog, I knew I could put this soft kennel crate to the test the next time my mother’s dog came to stay with me — because my mother was already complaining about having to drag the crate onto a train or bus if she didn’t feel like driving. She was almost gleeful when I told her to skip bringing her dog’s metal collapsible crate altogether. She didn’t quite know what I had in mind, but she agreed. What can I say about this Deekuiwi soft kennel crate? I’m impressed!