This is not veterinary advice, and it is not a crash-test report. The Pet Bench is a research desk. Breed charts are a starting point. The number that matters is the dog in front of you — measured — not the name on the papers.
Most “crate size by breed” pages sell one interior as if a Labrador is a single size. Adult Labs run a wide band. A car crate wants a snug fit. An airline crate is sized from IATA’s formula. A house crate is usually one size larger than the travel crate. Those are three different jobs. This page is a printable way to pick the interior, then check whether a certified car size actually exists for that interior.
If you already know you need a crash-tested travel crate, the buying page is our crash-tested dog crate guide. This chart does not replace it and does not rank products.
Three jobs, three size rules
House crate. The dog should stand, turn, and lie on its side. Manufacturers who publish a travel size (Lucky Duck is explicit) tell you to go up one size for home use. Extra floor space at home is comfort. Extra floor space in a crash is momentum.
Car crate. Center for Pet Safety (CPS) crash-tests a specific model and size, usually at about 30 mph with a weighted dummy. A 5-star badge on an Intermediate does not make that brand’s Large certified. Gunner’s own fit guide for travel is a snug fit — “paws tucked,” not stretched out. The crate still has to let the dog stand and lie down. Then it has to be strapped the way that size was tested. Details and the current certified list live on the crash-tested crate page and at centerforpetsafety.org/cps-certified.
Air crate (cargo / checked). IATA Live Animals Regulations, Container Requirement 1 (LAR 2026) is the written rule airlines point to. IATA does not certify brands. The dog must be able to stand, sit erect, lie in a natural position, and turn about normally while standing. Size is calculated from your dog, not from a breed nickname.
IATA’s public formula (internal dimensions):
- A = nose to base of tail
- B = ground to elbow
- C = width at shoulders or widest point (use the larger)
- D = standing height to the top of the head or ear tips (use the higher)
- Length = A + ½ B
- Width = C × 2
- Height = D + bedding
- Snub-nosed (brachycephalic) breeds: 10% larger container
- Two animals: width = C × 3; three: C × 4. Animals over 14 kg (about 31 lb) travel one per crate.
Manufacturer labels are usually exterior. Airlines and honest size charts use interior. Expect about 1–2 inches of wall on each side.
Measure first (print this block)
Do this standing, on a hard floor, no “they’ll grow into it” guess.
- A — tip of nose to base/root of tail: ______ in
- B — ground to elbow: ______ in
- C — shoulders or widest point: ______ in
- D — ground to head or ear tip, whichever is higher: ______ in
- Adult weight today: ______ lb. Still growing? Write the expected adult band, not a wish.
Air minimum (IATA)
- Length = A + (B ÷ 2) = ______ in
- Width = C × 2 = ______ in
- Height = D + bedding (write the pad thickness: ______ in) = ______ in
- Snub-nosed? Add 10% to each number.
Car (travel) — smallest interior that still clears those standing/lying needs, and a CPS-certified size if you want a crash credential. Check the live CPS list for that exact size. Tie-downs are part of the certification (Gunner strength-rated straps; Lucky Duck ratchet kit).
House — usually the next size up from the travel interior.
Weight-band chart (starting point only)
These bands use published interiors and the maker’s own travel-weight notes, plus the CPS list as of this writing. They are not a ranking and not a promise your dog fits. A tall, lean 55 lb hound and a compact 55 lb bully are different interiors.
| Weight band (typical adult) | Example breeds (typical adults — measure yours) | Travel interior to look for (L × W × H, inches) | Certified car size that exists today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under ~18 lb | Chihuahua, Yorkshire Terrier, Maltese, Pomeranian | Soft carrier ~20 × 11 × 12 | Diggs Passenger — CPS 5-star; tested with an 18 lb dummy (Oct 2021) |
| ~18–50 lb | Beagle, Cocker Spaniel, French Bulldog*, Corgi, smaller Aussie | ~24–25 × 18 × 17–20 | Gunner G1 Medium (interior 25 × 18 × 19.75; CPS 5-star, 45 lb dummy, Mar 2017). Lucky Kennel Medium (24 × 18 × 17; CPS 5-star, 50 lb dummy, Jan 2024; maker says under 50 lb) |
| ~50–70 lb | Labrador, Golden, German Shorthaired Pointer, Border Collie, many Malinois | ~30 × 18–20.5 × 22–25 | Gunner G1 Intermediate (30 × 18 × 25; CPS 5-star, 75 lb dummy, Jun 2015). Lucky Kennel Intermediate (30.25 × 20.5 × 22; CPS 5-star; maker: average Labs/retrievers under 70 lb, ~24 in at the shoulder) |
| ~70–110 lb | German Shepherd, Rottweiler, larger retrievers | ~34–36 × 21–22 × 26–29 | Lucky Kennel Large (35.75 × 22 × 26.5; CPS 5-star; maker: 70–110 lb). Gunner G1 Large interior is 33.25 × 21 × 29 — not on the current CPS certified list. Cabela’s GunDog Large is listed by CPS; confirm that exact listing before you treat it as certified. |
| Over ~110 lb or extra-tall | Great Dane, Mastiff, oversized mixes | Measure; many hard kennels run out of certified sizes | No CPS-certified crate on the current list is published for this band. Air still uses the IATA formula. For the car, be honest: you may be in uncertified territory or a custom cage. |
\*French Bulldog, Pug, Boxer, English Bulldog, Pekingese and other snub-nosed dogs: IATA wants 10% more container. IATA also advises against hold travel for snub-nosed dogs in hot weather. Many airlines add their own seasonal bans — check the carrier, not a blog.
Puppies: size the house crate for the adult you expect, with a divider. Size the travel crate for the body that is getting in the car or on the plane this week.
Worked example (so the formula is not abstract)
Say A = 28 in, B = 10 in, C = 8 in, D = 22 in, bedding = 1 in, not snub-nosed.
- Air length = 28 + 5 = 33 in
- Air width = 16 in
- Air height = 23 in
That dog’s air crate must be at least 33 × 16 × 23 inside. A Gunner Intermediate (30 in interior length) is short for that air formula even if the dog is a “50–70 lb Lab” on a breed chart. A Lucky Large (35.75 in interior length) clears the length. That is why breed tables lose to a tape measure.
For the same dog in a car, you still want them able to lie down and stand, but you do not add “room to trot.” Then you check whether that interior is a CPS-certified size and whether you have the straps that were in the test.
What this chart will not do
- It will not pick a brand for you. The Travel & Car Safety hub and the crash-tested crate guide are the product pages.
- It will not treat “crash-tested” marketing as a credential. CPS publishes which sizes passed. MIM Safe Variocage is tested to European automotive protocols (ECE / ISO / Swedish SPCT) — a real, different system, not a CPS badge.
- It will not tell you to sedate for travel. IATA and the AVMA discourage tranquilizers for transport except under a veterinarian’s direction, with the dose on the health certificate.
Print the measure block and the table. Write the four numbers in ink. If the breed row and the tape disagree, keep the tape.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use one crate for home, car, and the plane?
Sometimes, if the interior clears the IATA formula and that exact size is CPS-certified and it still fits the cargo area. Usually you size home larger and travel smaller. Our editorial team says its published interiors are for travel and to go up one size at home.
My breed is not in the table.
Measure A, B, C, D. Use the weight band only as a first filter. Mixed breeds are why the formula exists.
Is a bigger car crate safer?
Not for a crash. Extra interior lets the dog build speed inside the box. Snug is the travel rule; certified-for-that-size is the credential.
Where do I put the crate in the car?
Cargo area of an SUV or wagon, tied to the vehicle anchors the way that model was tested. Not the front passenger seat (airbags). Small certified carriers belong on the back seat, belted. This is setup, not a substitute for reading the maker’s tested configuration.
Sources
- IATA, Traveler’s Pet Corner / CR1 container formula (LAR 2026): https://www.iata.org/en/programs/cargo/live-animals/pets/
- IATA, Container Requirements 1 (PDF): https://www.iata.org/contentassets/b0016da92c86449f850fe9560827bbea/pet-container-requirements.pdf
- Center for Pet Safety, certified products list: https://centerforpetsafety.org/cps-certified/
- Center for Pet Safety, Gunner G1 Medium / Intermediate / Small listing pages (test weights 45 / 75 lb; Small on the same list)
- Center for Pet Safety, Lucky Kennel Medium listing (50 lb dummy, Jan 2024) and Intermediate / Large listings
- Center for Pet Safety, Diggs Passenger (18 lb dummy, Oct 2021)
- Gunner, G1 sizing guide (published interiors): https://gunner.com/pages/sizing-guide
- Lucky Duck, Lucky Kennel Medium / Intermediate / Large product pages (published interiors and travel weight notes)
Article update log
Last reviewed: August 2026. Initial publication. We will revise if IATA updates CR1 or if CPS adds or drops a certified size. We did not crash-test these crates and we will not invent a breed-to-inch number we did not measure.
