Crate size by breed / Working group
Working group · medium breed
Portuguese Water Dog crate size
An adult Portuguese Water Dog weighs 42–60 lb, which sits inside the manufacturer's 36 in band (41–70 lb, 36.6 × 21.9 × 24.5 in interior).
- 1Shoulder 20–23 in
- 2Crate 36 in · 36.6 × 24½ in inside
- 3Adult weight 42–60 lb
- 4Bed Medium 36 × 24 in
Which crate for a Portuguese Water Dog
The chart below is MidWest's iCrate sizing, the most common wire crate in US pet stores, with the Portuguese Water Dog's weight range marked. Interior lengths are the figures the manufacturer lists, not the nominal size, which is why a "36 in" crate is 36.6 in inside.
| Crate | Label | Interior L × W × H (in) | Dog weight | Portuguese Water Dog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 in | Toy | 17.68 × 11.7 × 14.22 | 1–6 lb | Too small |
| 22 in | Extra Small | 22.5 × 14 × 16 | 7–12 lb | Too small |
| 24 in | Small | 23.6 × 16.7 × 19.1 | 11–25 lb | Too small |
| 30 in | Medium | 29.7 × 18.6 × 21 | 26–40 lb | Too small |
| 36 in | Intermediate | 36.6 × 21.9 × 24.5 | 41–70 lb | Fits the 42–60 lb range |
| 42 in | Large | 41.9 × 29.5 × 30.3 | 70–90 lb | Larger than needed |
| 48 in | Extra Large | 47.76 × 29.6 × 31.7 | 90–110 lb | Larger than needed |
Crate dimensions and weight bands: MidWest Homes for Pets — iCrate product sizing (manufacturer), checked 2026-10-20.
Measure before you buy
Weight bands are a shortcut. The dimension that decides whether a crate works is body length. Stand the dog, measure from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail (not the tail tip), and add 2 to 4 inches; the crate's interior length must be at least that. For height, measure from the floor to the top of the head while sitting and add the same allowance. A Portuguese Water Dog that measures more than 35 in nose to tail base is long for the 36 in and should go up a size regardless of weight.
The welfare rule is the one every shelter and trainer repeats: the crate must be large enough for the dog to stand up and turn around. Bigger is not better for house-training, because a crate with spare floor space invites the puppy to soil one end and sleep in the other, which is why the adult-size crates in this chart ship with a divider panel.
Puppies: buy the adult size and use the divider
A Portuguese Water Dog puppy reaches 60 lb at maturity. Choose the crate for the adult weight above, fit the divider so the puppy has room to stand, turn and lie down and no more, and move the divider back as the dog grows. The Portuguese Water Dog puppy feeding chart shows the growth stages the divider will follow.
Bed size for a Portuguese Water Dog
Using Orvis's rectangle-bed fit guide, a 60 lb Portuguese Water Dog takes the Medium (36 × 24 in). Dogs that sleep stretched out need the length of their body plus a few inches; curl-sleepers can go one size down in a bolster bed. Full chart on the bed size page.
How the Portuguese Water Dog compares
By mid-range adult weight, the Portuguese Water Dog ranks 77 of 132 breeds on this site, with 55 heavier and 76 lighter — a medium breed in the size classes used here. In the AKC's 2024 registration ranking the Portuguese Water Dog stood at number 45. The standard separates the sexes: females top out around 10 lb lighter at 35–50 lb and stand 17–21 in, which is why a female often fits the smaller of two candidate crates. The standard's ideal heights are 22 in for males and 19 in for females.
Breeds of similar weight, whose crate answer is the same or one size off: English Springer Spaniel (40–60 lb), Dalmatian (40–60 lb), Bearded Collie (40–60 lb), Saluki (40–60 lb), Australian Shepherd (35–70 lb).
Adult height from AKC breed standard (PDF); adult weight from AKC breed standard (PDF); both checked 2026-10-21. Height is at the withers in inches; weight in pounds for adult dogs. Where a breed standard states a figure it is used first (AKC, then FCI); where the standard is silent, the Wikipedia infobox or VCA breed page is used and named. Metric figures were converted and rounded to the nearest half inch or pound. Where the source gives only a maximum, the range reads "up to" that figure.