What kind of crate?

Hello, I have a quick question about crates. I 've read the links on this site and anywhere else I could find information and i've decided to use a crate when I get my new puppy( which isn't for a while but i'm in preparation /nesting mode). I just wondered what you all thought about the types of crates on the market. Do you have a preference, wire type crates or the airline kind? I'm in Ireland, do we have as good a choice as in other parts of the world?
Thanks to anyone who can help out with opinion or information.

It depends on what you use them for. I have both plastic and wires crates and use them for different things. The large size Argos plastic crate is very handy for transporting puppies/small dogs and I used it to crate train when I had Jaspar as a puppy. They are also inexpensive.

I also find the plastic crates easier for the car and less likely to scratch or tear the car.

I like wire crates for an in-house 'doghouse' -- it can be covered to create a more enclosed feeling.

Dog Training Ireland have nice coloured wire crates that look nicer than the all-metal ones and also sell plastic crates. Argos sells them too and so do Zooplus.ie. The Argos ones are not of airline quality though, however I have had mine for over 4 years.

We like the plastic crates for in the house and transporting in the car. What we look for are the crates that have what I call a thumb turn latch; you turn what looks like a larrge dial to latch the door rather than the type that you squeeze two spring loaded latches together. I like the dial because you know if the door didn't latch completely because the dial won't turn all the way; whereas you can't tell if the other type hasn't latched completely without looking at the latching rods.

The other problem with the spring latch is the plastic 'handle' bits can break off making the door very hard to operate! I have had this happen on two crates. I've never seen the dial type over here, though.

I liked the Rosewood brand crates, but they are very expensive and I couldn't manage the spring weighted latches. However, I was lucky enough to find Canine Kennels, ( in England, near Crewe) who do a similar crate, at a much lower price and it has the advantage of bolts without springs and two doors. I haven't looked recently, but they do offers like free vetbed, mats and hook on bowls, sometimes.

It's really a matter of personal preference - I personally prefer plastic crates for the car because they're more secure and, heaven forbid, if there was an accident and it where properly buckled in, it would provide alot more protection for your dog then a wire crate. In the house, I much prefer wire crates for crate training and just a safe place for a puppy/dog to be - ESPECIALLY for puppies because you can get divider panels for the wire crates so you can buy a crate that'll fit your puppy as an adult and adjust the size of the crate with the divider panel as the puppy grows instead of buying 2 or 3 crates as your cavalier grows. I also find wire crates easier to clean then plastic crates, but I've heard other people say the opposite.

Argos do great wire crates as well. I have two - one for at home, and one at my parents'. The medium size (which takes two Cavs comfortably, so you may prefer the smallest one) is £36, so the smaller one is quite a bit cheaper. They're superb. Easy to put down and put up (watch out for nipping your fingers, though), really robust, and the dogs adore it.

Thanks for your opinions everyone. I never thought I would spend days on end internally debating the best kind of crate, collar, food dish etc
I'll have to take a step back from all this nesting and concentrate on the actual puppy and not on all the accessories!! ( The crate issue is important though) I've only posted a couple of times, always looking for help and advice, and I really appreciate the fact that someone always answers.

Just on food dishes (while you are pondering!) -- go for a cat sized dish. People always get huge dog bowls for some reason and too-big bowl is probably the main contributor to people overfeeding their dogs. The right amount of food looks like nothing in a mostly empty bowl, so people tend to top up.

I don't know whether you have Morrisons there , but they do a weighty stainless steel cat bowl for 99p.

Tescos used to do stainless steel cat bowls with a rubber thing on the bottom to keep them from slipping. I used them for Holly until Amber chewed the rubber off one and Holly took a sudden and violent dislike to the other.