Ruff Land Kennels

Dakotazeb

Dakotazeb

Well-known member
I've been wanting to buy a Ruff Land kennel for a couple of years but have never pulled the trigger. Plus, lately they are hard to come by and some retailers have really bumped the price. If you go to Ruff Land's web site they are on backorder. But if you are interested in purchasing one check Scheels. They only have the single door in intermediate, large and XL. I just bought an intermediate in Whitestone online. Since I'm in Arizona I'm having my step-son pick it up for me.
 
I had two of them in the intermediate size. Gave one to a young guy I know who bought a Brittany(from the guy outside of Denver) and didn't have the money for a kennel. I've been there so I gave him one of mine. Mine are the double door version but I might buy another with that slanted back to keep in my wife's Subaru. I like them.
 
I have three and really like them as well. I have one large to house the larger Ryman setters I used to run. One is a double door intermediate and one is the SUV type the fits in the Outback. Two of those will fit with the back seat up so I hope to find one used at some point. They are not cheap but I have enjoyed them. For those who are interested, Mud River has been making covers for the double door units for a little over a year.
 
I like the fact that the doors open on either side…once in a while it’s nice to have doors on both ends, I occasionally access from different doors or areas of my vehicle. I also have one that has a 2nd door in the middle of the crate, which can be handy depending on how the crates are being loaded into vehicles. Other than the door features, I don’t really feel they’re substantially better than an $80 plastic crate from Walmart. I have 4 ruff land crates, my breeder lives close by to the factory and gets 2nds quite cheap, and I’ve gotten mine from him. I’ve got misc crates spread between a few vehicles, including one of the $80 plastic crates from Walmart…it’s doing everything the ruff land crates do, and it can be disassembled. Ruff land has marketed their crates very well, I would say. Again, the door flexibility is nice to have, not worth $200-225 for an intermediate sized crate…assuming that’s a ballpark price?
 
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I have one, they are great kennels. If you call them, sometimes they have seconds or rejects for a discount.
 
I ordered another Intermediate in the slant back SUV model from Scheels. I need at least one kennel that will fit in the back of my wife's Subaru with the back seat up.
 
benelli-banger said:
I like the fact that the doors open on either side…once in a while it’s nice to have doors on both ends, I occasionally access from different doors or areas of my vehicle. I also have one that has a 2nd door in the middle of the crate, which can be handy depending on how the crates are being loaded into vehicles. Other than the door features, I don’t really feel they’re substantially better than an $80 plastic crate from Walmart. I have 4 ruff land crates, my breeder lives close by to the factory and gets 2nds quite cheap, and I’ve gotten mine from him. I’ve got misc crates spread between a few vehicles, including one of the $80 plastic crates from Walmart…it’s doing everything the ruff land crates do, and it can be disassembled. Ruff land has marketed their crates very well, I would say. Again, the door flexibility is nice to have, not worth $200-225 for an intermediate sized crate…assuming that’s a ballpark price?
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I believe there is value in the flexibility of the door locations and how they operate. I believe the real value is protecting your dog in case of an accident. The $80 kennel from most any discount store is made from inferior material and can crack quite easily, especially in cold weather. The Ruffland kennels are made of extremely thick and durable material of which I have never seen fail. My analogy is : do you buy you son/daughter the cheapest bike helmet you can find, or do you spend a little extra and buy them one that might actually protect them when they fall?
 
Chessie 67 said:
I believe there is value in the flexibility of the door locations and how they operate. I believe the real value is protecting your dog in case of an accident. The $80 kennel from most any discount store is made from inferior material and can crack quite easily, especially in cold weather. The Ruffland kennels are made of extremely thick and durable material of which I have never seen fail. My analogy is : do you buy you son/daughter the cheapest bike helmet you can find, or do you spend a little extra and buy them one that might actually protect them when they fall?
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Yeah, I hear you. I do own 4 of them. In an accident maybe the dogs would be ok? NASCAR should make drivers cages out of that shit!!! Been driving all over gods green earth with my dogs, no issues, 30 years…my best gal sits next to me most of the time in the seat. I’ll probably get waxed by a semi later today, returning from Florida with my 3 dogs, 4,000 miles. Again, I like the door opening flexibility…👍
 
You can never be to safe traveling with your dogs. We have seat belts and air bags, dogs have crates. Would you allow your grandkids to travel without restraints in your vehicle? I have seen dogs who have lost eyesight due to high impact airbags. Highly recommend Ruffland kennels.
 
Chessie 67 said:
I believe there is value in the flexibility of the door locations and how they operate. I believe the real value is protecting your dog in case of an accident. The $80 kennel from most any discount store is made from inferior material and can crack quite easily, especially in cold weather. The Ruffland kennels are made of extremely thick and durable material of which I have never seen fail. My analogy is : do you buy you son/daughter the cheapest bike helmet you can find, or do you spend a little extra and buy them one that might actually protect them when they fall?
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When I read these post you guys make me smile a lot. For the record I do want some day to have a Ruffland kennel. When talking to my friend about purchasing a new dog box never has doing a barrel roll going down the interstate in our trucks wondering how the dog box would fair in a serious accident. I have two crap plastic ones that I’ve owned for several years, that are removed daily that I don’t think will ever break. I don’t try to be careless but also don’t treat my stuff bad either. When all my other top needs are satisfied and have little cash in my pocket I’ll buy one. The multiple doors when you got 3 boxes in the back of a truck will be nice. I’m gonna get the no spill Ruff water thing for my birthday this year. Till then crap plastic box with a sticker that says “This side up”! To you with a Ruff, I envy you.
 
I have and still use a kennel I bought over 45 years ago. I saved up for over a year after I got my first hunting dog. I was a teenager and I can remember the day I bought it at a local dog show. Funny...the things you remember. I guess I haven't changed much. Still buying hunting dogs and kennels.
 
Mosby said:
I have and still use a kennel I bought over 45 years ago. I saved up for over a year after I got my first hunting dog. I was a teenager and I can remember the day I bought it at a local dog show. Funny...the things you remember. I guess I haven't changed much. Still buying hunting dogs and kennels.
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Kennel Aire by any chance!? Got one in 1980 with first hunting dog as a 12 yr old. Collapsible wire kennel, pretty sure was lost when parents moved from my childhood home.
 
Plannerman said:
Kennel Aire by any chance!? Got one in 1980 with first hunting dog as a 12 yr old. Collapsible wire kennel, pretty sure was lost when parents moved from my childhood home.
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No. I think it was made by a company called Central. That was the brand the people that I got my English Setter from used, so I got what they used. It's a heavy duty, fold up, metal crate with a slanted front to fit in the back of station wagons back in the day.
 
I have 2 of them.. an intermediate and a large. It had been a "want" of mine for a long time but I never really wanted to pay the full price for one. Then one day on facebook marketplace, listed about 1 minute ago, was 3 kennels 10 minutes away. I went there to buy the large and left with a large and 2 intermediates. $400 for a large, 2 intermediates, and a mud river insulated cover for each was too good to pass up. Gave one to my Dad as a "thank you" and kept 2 for myself. One is used daily as the dogs "home". One pretty much stays in the back of the Polaris Ranger during the off-season for easy transport around training, roading, etc and in the back of the pickup during hunting season.

They are superior to the cheap plastic crates in all aspects IMO. But still a notch below Dakota 283, Gunner, Lucky Duck.
 
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