If you’re looking for a dog crate brand that can help to make your life easier as a pet owner and provide your dogs with a safe space to relax, I’d highly recommend Impact Dog Crates. My Alaskan Klee Kai are active, talkative, sassy dogs who have struggled with separation anxiety since we picked up our mini huskies nearly six years ago from their breeder. When we first welcomed our Alaskan Klee Kai, Copper and Skye, to our home, we were really unprepared for life with dogs who struggle with separation anxiety. We didn’t know much about the chronic canine condition.
It’s been a long journey but we discovered Impact Dog Crates in 2022 - and their dog crates have been increasingly helpful in alleviating some of Copper and Skye’s separation anxiety, thus giving us peace of mind. While we started with the Collapsible Dog Crate, we’ve now got Impact’s High Anxiety Dog Crate and Stationary Dog Crate that we use on a daily basis, whether it’s at home, in the office or in the car.
In this blog post, I wanted to share my positive experience using Impact Dog Crates in the hopes that it can help other dog owners whose pets are struggling with separation anxiety.
Copper and Skye: Our Alaskan Klee Kai
To give you a brief overview of our dogs, Copper and Skye are Alaskan Klee Kai. Alaskan Klee Kai are a relatively new breed that was created in the 1970’s by an American woman named Linda Spurlin. She wanted to create a Husky-like dog in a much smaller package so they could be companion dogs rather than working dogs. Alaskan Klee Kai are loving dogs that relish the chance to spend time with their dog owners, whether it’s sitting on your lap or going for walks.
Copper and Skye are no different - they love to go on hikes and runs with me, while they enjoy curling up on the sofa next to my wife at the end of a long day. While Klee Kai may be a small dog breed, they’ve got the personality of a big dog. If you’re familiar with our social media channels, Life With Klee Kai, you’ll know that Copper is extremely vocal and Skye is super sassy. Spurlin was successful in creating a companion dog and Klee Kai are typically very attached to their dog owner(s). They want to be by your side at all times - there’s no privacy! However, a lot of Klee Kai do suffer from separation anxiety.
When I First Noticed My Klee Kai’s Separation Anxiety
While Klee Kai have different personalities to Alaskan Huskies and Siberian Huskies, there are some similarities. For instance, Copper and Skye struggle with separation anxiety like many Siberian Huskies. Separation anxiety is a chronic canine condition that can affect any dog irrespective of breed or mix. Dogs will usually display signs of separation anxiety when their owners leave the home (or when preparing to leave the home). Symptoms include barking, howling or whining, destructive chewing or digging and in some extreme cases, they may urinate or defecate inside the home.
With Copper, he would vocalize his separation anxiety by howling and whining when he was younger. Skye, on the other hand, would internalize her separation anxiety for the most part. However, we did learn the depths of Skye’s separation anxiety when she managed to get her snout through a standard wire dog crate and pull clothes hanging on a door and chew them to pieces. It was at this stage that we realized the importance of investing in a premium dog crate to keep Copper and Skye safe from themselves when they’re at home alone. We worked with a dog behaviorist to tackle their separation anxiety but decided to start our search for a quality dog crate that could meet our Alaskan Klee Kai’s needs.
Other Dog Crates That Didn’t Work
We started our search for a premium dog crate but unfortunately we had a few misses before we finally landed on Impact Dog Crates. Like a lot of dog owners, we decided to research Amazon to find some dog crates that could potentially fit the bill. You won’t be surprised to learn that we tried a wire dog crate. While it was reasonably secure, the design wasn’t innovative. It was difficult to collapse and move around the home. Copper and Skye would be able to chew the wire crate because the design hadn’t considered the possibility of dogs being chewers. It was really awkward to use and I lost count of the amount of times that my fingers got caught in the wire. We decided to switch to a fabric dog crate with a metal frame but Copper managed to scratch his way through the fabric door and escape. Through my work with hellobark.com, I learned of Impact Dog Crates and wasted no time getting my hands on their Collapsible Crate.
How Impact Helped My Alaskan Klee Kai
I was immediately impressed by the clever design, the safety features, and the durable materials used to create the Collapsible Dog Crate. I spent a lot of time reading Impact’s review section and frankly, I was impressed by the sheer volume of five-star reviews. It wasn’t just the average score but some of the incredible testimonials explaining how Impact’s crate had kept their dog safe. I felt confident that Impact was the best option for my Alaskan Klee Kai.
Initially, I opted for the Collapsible Dog Crate because I wanted to have a versatile dog crate capable of being used in different situations. I really liked that I could collapse the crate within 60 seconds and resemble it just as quickly. It was perfect for pet owners who live an active lifestyle. Copper and Skye weren’t able to stick their snouts through the ventilations holes thanks to the clever rounded diamond-shaped design. At the same time, there was still ample airflow in the Collapsible Dog Crate if my Alaskan Klee Kai were in the trunk of the car. We have a toddler who likes to play with our Klee Kai, but sometimes, Skye and Copper need some space to chill away from our little one. I really like that the Collapsible Crate had a door mechanism my toddler couldn’t use - she had previously figured out how to open all the doors on the wire and fabric crates, so this is a huge plus. Once the crate is broken down, the military grade handles made it super simple to carry; whether I was moving the crate to a different room or taking it to my car.
High Anxiety Perfect For My Klee Kai
While the Collapsible Dog Crate was a great portable option for traveling, the High Anxiety Dog Crate piqued my interest because it's designed to cater to dogs with separation anxiety or escape artists. My wife and I have noticed that Copper and Skye love feeling like they’ve got a den. They consider it a safe space. Whether it’s a bundle of blankets, chilling under the sofa or finding an empty box, Copper and Skye crave a den-an area that is completely theirs.
The High Anxiety Crate was perfect for my Klee Kai because it felt like the ultimate den to keep them safe. The ventilation holes are even smaller so my toddler couldn’t stick objects through the holes to pester them. It has butterfly latches to add an extra layer of security. While Copper and Skye showed signs of destructiveness in the past, they’re small dogs so there’s a limit to the amount of damage they can do.
I can see how the High Anxiety Dog Crate can easily cater to large dog breeds with the thicker aluminum and welded design. The High Anxiety Dog Crate still has the military grade handles but it’s not as portable as the Collapsible Dog Crate. That isn’t an issue for me because the High Anxiety Dog Crate stays in our main living area. If I need to take a crate for a road trip, I just use the Collapsible Dog Crate. Remarkably, we have noticed that Copper and Skye are more relaxed in the High Anxiety Dog Crate when we’re not home. We regularly check our pet camera and aside from a couple minutes of complaining when we first leave, Copper and Skye settle down on the orthopedic mattress in the High Anxiety Dog Crate and just nap.
Why I’d Recommend Impact Dog Crates
Since I used the Collapsible and High Anxiety Dog Crates very frequently, I completed the set and got my hands on the Stationary Dog Crate. It’s perfect for travel but it doesn’t have the collapsible feature. Since testing our all three dog crates, I haven’t hesitated to recommend them to family and friends, as well as our Life With Klee Kai community. We’ve sent over 71 customers their way which is rewarding to know other pet owners will get to experience the same benefits.
Of the three dog crates, my personal favorite is the Collapsible Dog Crate. While the High Anxiety Crate has helped Copper and Skye’s separation anxiety a lot, I really appreciate the versatility of the Collapsible Dog Crate. With a toddler at home, we’re fighting a never-ending battle with toys. This means that space is often at a premium. I really like how I can break down the Collapsible Dog Crate in 60 seconds and store it in the garage if I need to create some space. It serves a great purpose in the car, keeping Copper and Skye safe. Once we reach our destination, it can be collapsed and left in the trunk or carried to our hotel or AirBnb before being set up quickly. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference and what purpose you need your Impact Dog Crate to serve. But I’m confident you won’t regret your investment in an Impact Dog Crate.
Article written by Kieran Beckles who is the co-founder of hellobark.com and a
content creator with Life With Klee Kai. While he utilises his qualifications as a
journalist to write about pets on hellobark.com, he shares a glimpse into life with
Alaskan Klee Kai through his Life With Klee Kai website and social channels.