Should You Cover Your Dog’s Crate With A Blanket?

Yes, you should cover your dog’s crate with a blanket if your dog is feeling cold, suffers from anxiety, is noise sensitive or is having trouble falling asleep due to lights in the house. However if you do decide to cover your dog’s crate with a blanket you need to be aware of the risks such as overheating, the high flammability of blankets and also how they pose a choking hazard. Remember when covering a dog crate with a blanket you should always leave at least one side uncovered to provide adequate air flow.

Benefits Of Covering Your Dog’s Crate With A Blanket

1. Provides A Sense Of Security

Dogs are animals that like their dens. They need their own place that is large enough for them to fit inside and feel secure. You can increase the level of security experiences by your dog by covering its crate with a blanket as it will make the enclosed place darker and warmer.

2. Creates A Dark Area Which Makes Sleeping Easier

If your dog struggles with falling asleep due to an active household with many lights on, covering a crate with a blanket is not a bad idea as it will create a dark area that is much easier to sleep in. The darkened crate will send signals to your dog’s body that it is a time to rest due to the absence of light.

You can even use a dog crate cover set to increase the darkness levels in your dog’s crate!

Read Also: How To Keep A Dog Warm In A Crate At Night

3. Helps Reduce Anxiety

Covering your dog’s crate with a blanket can help calm down your dog and ultimately reduce anxiety by limiting visual stimuli. You can even further help your dog during anxious times by putting a calming dog bed inside the crate!

4. Reduces Barking From Easily Excitable Dogs

As a dog crate cover reduces visual stimuli, it can prevent your dog from barking and getting over-excited. With a blanket draped over your dog’s crate they will not be able to see as much movement outside the crate whether that is within the home or outside a window. Hence they will not react as often by barking, making the environment much calmer.

5. Signals That It Is Bed Time

Some people like to cover their dog’s crate with a blanket at night to signal that it is bed time. This training trick where the crate is only covered at night and is uncovered at day can help your dog establish a good routine. A covered crate would visually indicate to your dog when they should calm down and go to sleep while an uncovered crate would represent for your dog that it is okay to be active and play.

6. Dampens Noises For Sound Sensitive Dogs

Covering a crate with a blanket can help reduce the noise levels experienced around a dog’s sanctuary. If you want to reduce the noise as much as possible, you should use a blanket that have padding between the layers of fabric. While a crate will never be fully sound proof, it will reduce noises from around the house such as appliances, traffic and storms.

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Dangers Of Covering Your Dog’s Crate With A Blanket

1. Blankets Are Flammable

If you are going to cover your dog’s crate with a blanket, you need to make sure that the crate is far away from heat sources and open flames.

2. Not All Blanket Material Is Breathable

Before covering a dog crate with a blanket it is viral that you check that the blanket material is breathable. A blanket intended for use in summer is going to be much more breathable than a winter blanket. As it goes for materials that have a decent level of breathability look for cotton, bamboo, silk, linen, and microfibre.

Even if the blanket fabric is breathable you should always leave at least one side of the crate uncovered to provide adequate ventilation and prevent your dog from suffocating in their crate.

3. Risk Of Your Dog Overheating – Especially Brachycephalic Breeds

Covering a dog crate with a blanket creates a small, enclosed space with limited air flow. While in winter months this may be beneficial as it is cold, all dog breeds, especially brachycephalic breeds have the risk of overheating as dogs can not sweat like humans to lose body heat. Brachycephalic dog breeds are at a higher risk of overheating as they have short noses and smaller air passages.

These Are Some Of The Brachycephalic Dog Breeds

• Pugs
• French Bulldogs
• Boston Terrier
• Boxers
• King Charles Spaniel
• Pekingese
• + Many More

4. A Blanket Can Become A Chew Toy & Choking Hazard

When puppies enter the teething phase from 4 to 8 months, they may be tempted to pull bundles of blanket fabric through the wire slats of their crate and start chewing on it. While in most cases this will be harmless (despite the few tears you might get in the blanket), your dog may swallow some material causing a bowel blockage or even choke on the material. This risk is increased for knit blankets as they can snag and unravel, posing a greater risk for choking.

Advantages Of A Commercial Crate Cover Instead Of A Covering A Crate With A Blanket

While an old blanket is a cheap solution to covering your dog’s crate it is definitely not the most aesthetically pleasing, might not fully cover the crate and can pose some health and safety risks.

Alternatively, a commercial dog crate cover is specifically designed to fit snuggly over a dog crate, preventing bunches of blanket fabric becoming a chew toy if pulled through the wire openings. Additionally, commercial crate covers provide proper airflow through a crate and have the option of leaving the front side or multiple sides open.

In Summary, Commercial Dog Crate Covers…

• Provide adequate airflow
• Are form fitting and sturdy designs
• Cover the crate from top to bottom
• Are aesthetically pleasing as they cover up ugly wire or plastic crates
• Usually have velcro windows for additional airflow whilst allowing you to leave the front or other sides open
• Provide a den like atmosphere for your dog
• Often come with a crate mat/pad/mattress to increase comfort

Read Also: How To Make A Dog Crate Super Comfortable!

The Best Commercial Dog Crate Covers

1. Windsor Dove Crate Cover Up Set

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2. Bowsers Luxury Crate Cover

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3. MidWest Quiet Time Crate Cover

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Further Reading

• This Is The Best Spot To Put A Dog Crate In Your House!
• The 12 Best Car Accessories For Dog Owners
• Should You Put A Dog Bed In Your Dog’s Crate?
• 7 Ways To Restrain A Dog In The Car (Options For All Breeds)