The Overview: (keep scrolling to read reviews)

The German Shepherd working dog breed is agile, high-energy, intelligent and excels at almost anything they're trained to do. Their devotion, loyalty and intelligence often contributes to their impressive escape artists skills. This is why having a high quality dog crate is essential for your shepherd!

If you have a German Shepherd, German Shepherd mix or a dog who suffers from separation anxiety, we highly recommend you continue reading this article. Rather than us explaining why this escape proof High Anxiety dog crate is ideal for GSDs, we've decided to share thorough testimonials written by our customers! All of these reviews have been submitted by verified customers and the only modifications to this content are the updated crate sizes in parenthesis when a size has been mentioned.

What is the best dog crate for anxious German Shepherd Dogs and other escape artist pups?

Well, there is no right or wrong answer to this question because as you may know, every dog is different. 

So why does this article only refer to German Shepherds and GSD mixed breeds?

Fortunately, our team has the opportunity to converse with dog owners every single day and some of these customers are trainers, owners and handlers of German Shepherds. The trend with those who work with GSDs is their need for a heavy duty crate that can outwit their dog and keep him/her safe. The most common Impact Dog Crate for German Shepherds is the High Anxiety crate because of its durable, welded structure and its escape-proof design.

Feel free to read all of these reviews and other product reviews here! 

German Shepherd Owners Review The High Anxiety Impact Dog Crate

No more escaping! - Aimee S.

Our German pup Riley has broken through, chewed and/or destroyed 4 different crates. Her high anxiety Impact crate was the solution to her anxiety. Not only can she not break out, but she is calmer in her crate and loves it! She goes in to sleep all on her own and doesn’t freak out when we close the door. If you have a pup working their way through all the crates at the pet store, stop wasting your money and buy one of these bad boys! You won’t regret it.

photo credit: Aimee S. 

Wish I wouldn’t have waited - Cait

I love my impact dog crate. I ordered the 400 (size 34-inch) high anxiety crate for my German Shepherd mix, Rookie. She has really bad separation anxiety. Her last crate (a black wire crate from Petco) was a mess. She has broke the door off (was held on by carabiners after that) and broke the black plastic underneath. When she would escape she would cause damage to the house that cost me thousands. The only thing I did not like is I am a night worker, and I wasn’t able to track the shipping with the company that was used. They called me the day before (woke me up) and weren’t that flexible with shipping it to me. So I had to miss sleep to retrieve the delivery and was unable to fall back asleep after the call. Other then that I’m in love with the crate and I am so grateful for it. I do not have a picture in her new crate but I do have pictures of her for any size references for others, the damage she did to my boyfriends man cave when she escaped her old crate and a picture of her poor nose when she would attempt escapes out of her old crate (and under her butt you can see where she destroyed that carpet as well). Crate = 1000 - Flooring in the house redone = 8000. Should have just bought the crate and saved money in the long run😅

photo credit: Cait

Expensive, but worth it. - John N.

Crate was expensive, but it solved a problem that I had been unable to solve otherwise. My 95 lb. German shepherd puppy escaped from his conventional folding wire crate multiple times, sometimes from bending the wire structure and other times from opening the latches. Besides his being loose in the house we feared that he would injure himself during his escape (as he did once when we came home to find blood on the floor and wall near his wire crate.

The first Impact crate arrived with shipping damage. Impact shipped a replacement crate the same day that we called about the damage to the first crate. The second arrived in perfect condition.

So far, no escape from the Impact crate. If he does get out (I don’t see any chance) he probably deserves to be free.

Also, the Impact crate construction is so smooth that there doesn’t appear to be any risk of his injuring himself inside. We bought the accessory covers for the door bars but have not seen reason to install it. We want to leave as much visibility for him through the door as possible.

In summary, the impact crate is very expensive, but it safely solved a problem that we didn’t know any other way to solve. It protects our home and our dog. Excellent customer service helped added to experience.

photo credit: John N.  Size 42 inch crate shown.

Toby has met his match -  Edward T.

Our dog Toby is a German Shepherd that has separation anxiety and doesn't like being in a crate when no one is home for more that a couple hours. He would break out of wire crates until I would reinforce it to make it more difficult for him.
Since we purchased the size 600 ( 42-inch ) high anxiety crate, he has met his match! The only thing he as done so far is some scratching on the inside (to be expected), and tearing at a dog bed we placed inside the crate.
When we are home he will go inside the crate and lay down.
At least now when we leave the house with him inside his new crate, we know he will never scratch or dig his way out or it. And will not hurt himself either.
I did purchase the door guards for his high anxiety crate shortly after ordering the crate but have not had to install them yet.

I really like the solid construction of this crate. Once you buy this crate, you will never have to buy a cheap wire crate anymore.
Like others have mentioned, I highly recommend impact crates!

Thanks,
Ed & Lori Taylor (and Toby)
Fishersville, Virginia

photo credit: Edward T.  Size 42-inch crate shown.

The Dog Crate that gave me my life back - Kimberly J. M.

This crate (though expensive) is worth every cent I paid for it. I have a shepherd/husky mix dog who was a stray so I really don’t know her past. Apparently this sweet baby was abused with a crate or left in one for extremely long times. We had gone through 3 crates, 2 wire ones and 1HUGE hard plastic one. She managed to break out of all three. Miraculously, she didn’t hurt herself in the process, but every time I left I feared for her safety. I had basically become a prisoner in my own home. Since getting my IMPACT dog crate, she isn’t as reluctant to go in, she’s NOT breaking out of this thing and I can go the places I need to go and not worry about her safety. She is still soaked with her own drool when I return from her anxiety, but she is SAFE!! I love her so much and am giving her the best life I possibly can. I’m taking her for professional training and the trainer is working with us on helping with her anxiety with the crate but I am BEYOND PLEASED with my purchase and will recommend IMPACT dog crates to everyone I know who owns a dog!!! THANK YOU IMPACT DOG CRATES FOR CHANGING AND SAVING MINE AND MY DOGS LIVES!!!

photo credit: Kimberly J. M.  Size 40 inch crate shown.

Mans Best Friend - Phillip S.

Most people would read the title and think I’m referring to my dog. But in reality, I’m talking about the high anxiety dog kennel we ordered from Impact. Don’t get me wrong I love my German Shepherd and would do anything to keep her safe. However, she had become an escape artist. Two wire kennels and three travel crates later my family decided it was time to invest in a quality crafted kennel. After doing extensive research and talking with several trainers and K9 officers we are friends with, we chose Impact. If you want to stop worrying about your dog breaking free when you leave the house then it is well worth the investment. I would recommend an impact dog kennel to anyone. Not just because of the quality by which it is made but because the staff took the time to answer all of our questions and made sure we were getting exactly the right kennel.

photo credit: Phillip S.  Uses size 42 inch crate.

High Anxiety Dog Crate - Patricia H. - size 48 inch crate

This is the best crate we have ever purchased. It exceeds expectations. My German Shepherd could break out of the front of every other crate we have had. She now only will do turns in the crate, and will not even try to escape. She is very large at 120 lbs. and loves her crate. Service was also great. Thank you so much.

Worth the money - Elaine F. - size 34 inch

This crate is perfect for your pup that has the worst separation anxiety. I have a German Shepherd who any time we left the house would freak and destroy crate after crate that we'd get her from Petco or Persmart. Finally I did my research, after already spending so much on wire crates I went with the high anxiety crate. I was nervous about it at first because it is a lot of money but in the end it's worth it. My pup has not escaped from the crate and she is also comfortable in there. I make sure she has treats and a nice bed to lay on while we're gone and she adapted quickly. Believe me, it's worth it if you want to stop spending money of crates in the end. :)

Best Crate For Anxious Dogs By Far!!! - Brandon B. 

This is the second Impact Dog Crate I have purchased. I have a highly anxious German Shepherd Rescue that has broken out of nearly every crate we have bought for years, sometimes hurting herself and leaving her parents worried. I can now feel safely assured that she has a 'safe' place that she cannot escape out of, that is well built, and has taken nearly every consideration in design/structure to ensure a dog's safety and well-being. Being airline compliant is a much needed bonus as well. I cannot recommend this crate enough! Best on the market!!!

Miracle Kennel! Worth every penny!! - Megan G. 

I have a 60lb female Anatolian Shepherd Mountain Cur mix with the most severe case of separation anxiety I have ever heard of. She has ripped apart plastic kennels, plywood, wire metal kennels, and crushed and bent “sturdy” metal bars of fairly expensive kennels. She’s figured out how to open kennel doors, break carabiner latches, and squeeze through impossibly small spaces. I have owned her for close to a year, and there have been a LOT of ups and downs in her separation anxiety training. Through her desperate attempts to escape, she has hurt herself pretty badly with strained muscles, worn down teeth, and bloody cuts. Her howling was unbearable to hear and caused immense anxiety and stress for myself and my roommate as we’d leave the home for work. She’s destroyed close to 2-3k of things in our home. I’ve tried medications, CBD oil, etc. She’s been on a strict exercise and socialization schedule, including daily dog parks and once a week doggy daycare. I’ve trained her to do numerous tricks to keep her mind busy. It still wasn’t enough and although she’s definitely gotten better over time she was never really safe from her own attempts to escape.

I decided to invest in this kennel because of the reviews of owners with similar dogs. And although the cost required me to be on a payment plan, every single cent of the payment is worth it. My dog cannot escape this kennel and she knows it! With her exercise and socialization routine, and some positive reinforcement training of this kennel, her anxiety has so drastically reduced that I believe she actually enjoys her kennel. She no longer howls when I leave, she doesn’t even try banging on the kennel door to escape. She’ll go into her kennel when she doesn’t need to to grab her favorite chew toys. Her behavior is better at the dog parks, she’s calmer when playing with the other dogs and so can make friends rather than accidental enemies. I can leave my home without worrying about what I’ll come home to, destroyed...

Separation Anxiety - Christa

So we got this crate about a month ago now. My 5.5 year old rescue German Shepherd has had major separation anxiety since we found her a year ago. She has gone through two cages (1 was even 22 gauge steel and she ripped 2 of the bars off) so we had to find something else to do. Because if we left her to roam free we’d come home to scratched doors and walls, broken blinds, shredded trash, and so much more.
We got the 600 ( size 42-inch ) crate for her (she is an 83 pound, female) and she has plenty of room. I even sat in there with her and we both fit fine.
This crate is incredibly heavy duty but surprisingly very light and easy to move with the help of another person. And the airplane rails on the sides did not come assembled, but in the box with assembly directions.
We have seen that she has grown accustomed to the crate (and she associates going in with treats so that works) but obviously she still tries her hardest to escape it when we’re gone but she has met her match. The inside paint is scratched off, as expected, but the bars are not bent or disfigured in the slightest.
We are exploring other options to attempt to aid her separation anxiety but the crate has done what we wanted: keep her contained and out of trouble.
Yes they are very pricy crates, but they are built incredibly well and I would really recommend it!

Anxious dog makes an anxious owner - Rhonda M. 

Impact Dog Crates is a life changer for me. My German shepherd was ruining her teeth pulling on her old wire kennel and I was so anxious knowing that as I left my house and the door bell rang, she would try like crazy to get out of the kennel. There is nothing inside the Impact Dog Crate that she can grab on with her teeth or pull on with her paws. It's awesome! I wish I had found this 2 years ago.

The best thing I’ve ever done, for my dog and me. - Tyler

My fiancé and I have a 1 year old German Shepherd. We had been crating her in your average dog crate, until one day when we got home from work she had ripped her tooth completely out, root and all. We took her to the vet and she advised us to not use the crate for the fear of her ripping out more teeth. So we were letting her roam free in our living room and kitchen area during the day while we were at work. She destroyed our sectional couch, remote controllers, books etc. Then she started pulling trim off the walls, and eating holes through the drywall. So then we heard about these High-Anxiety crates and I will admit we were a little scared by the price at first, but I will tell you knowing that our dog is safe and not destroying our home makes it worth every penny. The crate is heavy duty, and relatively easy to move. The door has 5 latches on it and it is impossible for your dog to escape and/or hurt themselves in any way. Our little girl used to hate all crates but she willingly goes in this one and lays down in it even when we’re home. The peace of mind this crate gives my fiancé and I is so great. We used to worry every second of every day when we were at work, but now our girl is safe and sound in an Impact dog crate. The customer see that was provided to me was 5 star as well. I have zero complaints with my crate or the customer service I received. Other companies should take lessons from Impact dog crates.

Absolutely amazing! - Samantha V. 

I have a German Shepherd who has broken out of every single cage I have bought him. He’s 3 years old and has gone thru at least 8 cages. The cost is very expensive and definitely made me second guess purchasing it in the first place for over a year. But I wish I would’ve done this sooner because it is so worth the money. Delivery excellent. Customer service was above & beyond! Very pleased

WOW..Finally a crate that works! - Ashley C.

We have a German Shepherd with HIGH anxiety. New Years, 4th of July, storms..forget it. We tried everything, thunder jacket, anxiety meds, you name it we tried it. No matter what we did or how many crates we bought, Albus would find a way to break out of them. It got so bad that he was injuring himself by the broken metal when he’d bust out. He ate the garage door handle and the trim around it. We knew we had to do something bc we were afraid to leave the house for fear that he would cause serious harm to himself. We did ALOT of research and finally found Impact Dog Crates. WORTH EVERY PENNY! Albus can’t break out of it, and trust me, he’s tried. There are scratches on the inside of the door but it keeps him contained while we’re at work. We noticed too that his anxiety isn’t nearly as bad when he’s in it. I think he likes the closed in space. He would always try to squeeze into tight spaces, knocking things over. So having something that’s closed in makes him feel safe. It’s been a little over a year since we purchased the crate and we couldn’t be happier with the decision. Coming from someone who was at a complete loss for what to do, this is the answer. Thank you Impact Dog Crates for helping us regain our sanity and for making a product that we can stand behind without hesitation.

Saved my dog - Whitney C.

I have a high anxiety German Shepherd who has noise phobia and does not do well during storms. He has jumped out of window's 5 feet off the ground and hurt himself in standard crates. I needed a way to keep him safe while I was at work. I tried a regular aluminum kennel and he ended up ripping some teeth out. Meds did not work, his anxiety overcame any effect they might have had on him. I didn't want to worry about him while I was away during the day so I purchased the high anxiety crate and it was a game changer. He is unable to get his teeth around the bars and can't tear the inside walls. I don't have to worry about his safety when I am gone anymore. He is also doing much better with his anxiety and I can leave him out of his crate during the day when storm season is over. It is totally worth the price to have a safe and happy dog!

Great Product - Joyce G.

We adopted the most expensive free dog that should have been named Houdini. Not only could she open sliding glass doors and climb fences but she totally destroyed the standard plastic crates. Other than the severe separation anxiety she suffers from she is the perfect dog. This was our last option to be able to keep her. I wish we would have made the purchase in the beginning. This crate is perfect. She is a 2 year old German Shepherd and the 450 ( size 40-inch ) has plenty of room. We leave the door open when we are home and she goes in on her own. Excellent product. I never thought we would spend this much money on a crate but it has made our lives so much easier because we do not have to worry about what we will find when we get home.

Peace of mind - Shari

We have an 80+ pound one year old German Shepherd. He is one strong pup and has gotten out of a standard crate and then the next step up crate. He will watch you close it and figure out how to open it or just bend the bars. He has been through several training courses but does not like to be alone and it one smart dog. I bought this crate a few months ago and he has not gotten out. There are a few teeth marks on the inside so I know he has tried. It took only 2 days to get him used to it as it is a little more closed up than a regular crate but after the 2 days he went right into like he did the other ones. When I read reviews when I was looking at these I thought there was a place to upload pictures but I am not seeing that now or I would upload one.

Perfect - Kathleen C.

I bought the High-Anxiety 700 (size 48-inch) crate for my German-Australian shepherd mix. He tore apart every other crate, and a bathroom - door and floor - before we had this crate. He took to this new crate immediately and is very content when inside. We also have a tough bed that he can't destroy and it fits well inside the crate with room for water and food dishes if needed. The only 'con' - and it is an obvious one - is that the crate is HUGE! There are two handles on top but unless you are very strong and near six feet in height it will take at least two people to pick it up. Also the measurements for the shipping crate are a bit off and we ended up taking our front door off to get the unboxed crate inside. However I am very happy, and so is our dog, that we have this crate and it gives us all great peace of mind when leaving him home alone or when maintenance is being done on our home.

Durable and inescapable - Clay V.

We purchased a size 400 (size 34-inch) crate for our new 30 pound lab-shepherd mix. It didn't take her long to chew through a metal wire crate and escape, so we knew we needed the strongest crate possible. She has horrible separation anxiety and she definitely can't be left alone in the house (she escaped and tore up the carpet, trim, and door of my room). We researched for a week or two before finally deciding on an Impact crate. She had to be boarded daily for almost a month while we went to work. Every other crate had reviews that I just couldn't look past. Everything from "my dog escaped" to "my dog is severely injured." So we made the decision and we bought an $800 crate. If you're thinking that it's a lot of money for a crate, well you're right. But you get what you pay for, and this crate is top notch. She has scratched up the door and bars with her claws and teeth, but the structural integrity of the door is unaffected. Also nothing has chipped or broken off (aside from the paint) so she can't injure herself. Honestly I understand why they offer their replacement plan, because l highly doubt they have ever had to replace one. If you have a high anxiety dog, please take it from me and buy this crate. People literally don't believe that she needed it but then we show them the crazy scratch marks on the door and they understand. You won't be sorry with your purchase.

If these escape artist dogs remind you of your own pup, we highly recommend chatting with our team to learn more about this High Anxiety crate and which size would best fit your dog.  

If you would like to read more Reviews of all of our crate models and accessories, click here!