Heavy-Duty Wooden Dog Crate End Table, Waterproof Top, Black and Grey

Most dog owners end up hiding a wire crate in a spare room because it looks like a cage. This one does not have that problem. The frame is rustic wood reinforced with widened metal bars, and the difference shows the first time you push on it. Wire panels flex and eventually bow out of shape. These bars hold their line, so the crate stays square through years of a dog leaning, pawing, and settling against the side.

There are two doors, one on the front and one on the side. That sounds like a small thing until you are trying to fit a crate this size into a real room. With the side door you can push the long face against a wall and still let your dog in and out. With the front door you can tuck it into a corner. You decide which orientation the room allows instead of the crate deciding for you.

The top is high-quality particle board, waterproof and wide enough to actually use. A damp rag takes care of spills and paw prints, which matters when the surface is holding a water glass, a stack of photo albums, or a potted plant. Adjustable feet let you level it on hardwood, tile, or carpet so nothing rocks when your dog turns around inside. Sitting there as a side table or end table, it earns its floor space twice over.

Sizing is the one thing to get right before ordering. The interior measures 44.7 inches long by 28.0 inches wide by 28.9 inches high, and the outside footprint is 47.2 inches long by 30.3 inches wide by 31.9 inches high. Measure your dog standing, both height at the shoulder and length from nose to the base of the tail, then compare against the interior numbers rather than the overall ones. A dog should be able to stand fully and turn without ducking. Measure the room too, because 47 inches of length reads a lot bigger next to a sofa than it does on a screen.