When it comes to your loyal hunting dog's safety, settling should never be an option.
The decision to take home a puppy comes with a lot of costs, especially if you plan to hunt with it down the road.
However, the most important of all the obligations that come with being a dog owner—regardless of your hunting aspirations—is keeping your pup healthy and safe. I've found Gunner Kennels to be one of the tickets to maintaining that safety.
When I went to West Virginia to pick up my English setter, Sage, I had already gotten a G1 Small kennel to crate-train her in the house, but also in my truck.
She quickly became comfortable sitting in the crate for long periods of time, so I upgraded to the G1 Intermediate when she got too big for her puppy crate.
The Intermediate now lives in the back of my Toyota 4Runner, where she knows to jump in whenever it's time for a road trip.
It's always easy to tell yourself you won't get into an accident, but the truth is it could happen to anyone. Everyone likes having their dog riding shotgun in the cab of a pickup, but in a worst-case scenario involving a collision, your dog could find itself in a lot of trouble.
Gunner Kennels engineers its crates to withstand the worst case, while also providing a durable crate that'll last you for years to come.
Using an exclusive double-walled, rotomolded design, Gunner Kennels are able to withstand over 4,000 pounds of force and 630 pounds of impact when dropped from 8 feet, 4 inches. According to the Center for Pet Safety, these are the safest travel crates on the market.
Each kennel also uses an escape-proof, reversible door to ensure your eager hunting partner doesn't get too far ahead of itself.
So many crates on today's market use cheap, flimsy doors that eventually wear down and present a dog with an opportunity to escape, but you'll never have that problem with Gunner Kennels.
The nylon door is custom-welded, powder-coated and reinforced with an aluminum frame.
While Gunner Kennels leads the industry in crash test results with its beefy construction, they are certainly on the heavier side when it's time to move them.
Fortunately, each comes with a set of rugged carry handles that make it wildly easier to carry.
Gunner offers a number of different accessories help make your crate as efficient as possible, including tie-down straps, floor pads, weather guards and even air conditioners for those who drive pickup trucks in warmer states.
The G1 kennel is offered in four total sizes—Small, Medium, Intermediate, Large—which should cover every dog size out there. And users have the option of picking from a variety of colors—tan, gunmetal gray and Mossy Oak camo—so you can find one that suits your specific taste, too.
My gunmetal G1 Intermediate is as big as it is heavy, but it's the one kennel I trust on hunting expeditions. My gun dog's safety will always come first, and Gunner Kennels check some big concerns off the list.
NEXT: GARMIN ALPHA 100: THE GPS TRAINING COLLAR THAT TURNED MY PUP INTO A HUNTING DOG
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