Last Updated on December, 2024
“Man’s Best Friend deserves MAN’S BEST KENNEL®” – Addison Edmonds, Founder of Gunner Kennels.
The Gunner kennel founder is just like any loving pet parent. He prioritized his dog’s safety, which led to creation of the innovative and virtually indestructible Gunner dog crates.
It is the first assurance you get from Gunner Kennels: A promise to provide the ultimate safeguarding for your dog. And that’s what all pet parents want at the end of the day.
In this gunner kennels review, you can learn about all the unique features of these kennels that keep your pet safe, the pros and cons, and if it’s worth the price.
Product Effectiveness
Brand Reputation
Price
Table of Contents
About Gunner Kennels
Behind Gunner Kennels Crate is an inspiring story of a dog owner, Addison Edmonds, who wanted to provide the best protection possible for his best friend, the dog Gunner.
Gunner, a dog full of life, had one mission: to please his owner. Gunner used to accompany Edmonds to the duck blind for hunting and eagerly retrieved the hunted ducks.
Edmonds wanted to give back the passion and drive Gunner dedicated to him, and that’s how the idea of Gunner Kennels was conceived during one of their trips to the duck blind.
Edmonds was tired of the traditional and flimsy crates that needed yearly replacement. So he built the world’s best dog crate to prioritize Gunner’s safety, especially when traveling.
Ever since Gunner Kennels were introduced in March 2015, the pet safety of thousands of dogs has improved across the US and beyond. These canine kennels are tested in real conditions to ensure every design detail satisfies an invested canine owner.
Gunner Kennels believe in giving back to the community. As a responsible organization, Gunner Kennels has been associated with the pledge 1% company to give 1% of their profits, products, and time to the Nashville local community and non-profit organizations to contribute to making the world a better place.
Gunner Kennels also supports service dogs and rescue organizations, including the Retrieving Independence and Nashville Humane Association.
And since the outdoors is an integral fixture to the founder, Edmonds, Gunner Kennels also supports habitat restoration and conservation organizations such as Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Ducks Unlimited.
The G1™ Kennel
The World’s Safest Travel Crate offered by Gunner Kennels is the Gunner G1™. These kennels are manufactured in America and assembled by Americans.
They are built to last and are certified by the Center for Pet Safety. The G1™ Kennels are available in 5 colors and 4 sizes.
The Unique Features
The G1™ Kennels are built with the most detailed, patented features to ensure the pet’s safety and owner’s convenience. Below are the unique features of the Gunner Kennel crates.
Double Wall Construction
G1™ dog kennel is the only crate in the market with a rotomolded double wall construction. This unique construction not only makes it a heavy-duty travel crate that requires extra muscle to move it, but it also contributes to the Gunner safety equation.
The Rotational molding manufacturing process is known to produce products with exceptional strength.
So even a single-walled canine crate will provide high strength. But the G1™ dog crate is double-walled to offer 2X the impact protection. It also further reduces the risk of failure in high-stress concentration points.
This double wall construction is proven to be effective in life-or-death scenarios. While the external layer absorbs most of the initial impact, the internal wall acts as an additional layer of protection.
Protection Against Extreme Weather
The G1™ Kennels have properties that safeguard your canine against all types of weather effects.
The tough and durable polyethylene material used for the double-wall has excellent UV resistance making it great for extended outdoor use.
It also means the internal wall reduces the amount of UV light reaching the insides of the canine crate.
The Gunner kennel was subjected to a test that simulated a hot summer’s day.
For comparison, this test was conducted in a 3rd party lab along with two other leading kennels (a single-walled rotomolded dog crate and an aluminum kennel).
The kennels were exposed to varying temperatures to measure the temperature rise of the dog kennels.
The results revealed that the Gunner consistently stayed at an average of 10% cooler than its competitors.
The following was concluded from the test;
- The Gunner G1™ kennel stays at an average of 8% cooler than a leading single-walled rotomolded kennel
- The Gunner G1™ kennel stays at an average of 12% than a leading aluminum kennel
- The ceiling of a leading aluminum kennel heated up ~50 degrees more than the Gunner G1™ kennel when exposed to 100+
The Gunner Kennel performed better than its competitors because of the double wall design. This design makes it difficult for the heat to push through from the outer wall across the air gap between the two thick walls. As a result, hardly any heat waves make it to the interior of the Kennel.
Similarly, the Gunner Kennel was also subjected to a test that simulated the frigid air temperature of a sub-zero winter night. And it was revealed that the Gunner stayed consistently warmer than its competitors.
The following was concluded from the test;
- The Gunner G1™ Kennel stayed up to 20 degrees warmer than the outside air
- The simulated canine in the GUNNER crate expended 20% less energy to stay warm
The results above are attributed to the double wall design capable of holding a large part of the dog’s body heat without letting it escape. So when this heat is trapped inside, the doggo doesn’t have to release much heat to keep itself warm.
The above tests are significant because, on a 100+ degree hot day or a sub-zero winter night, the weather can negatively affect your dog’s well-being. And these tests proved that the Gunner G1™ crate could keep your doggo safe in any weather.
Note: Since dogs have a comparable heat transfer rate to that of water, a 15L bucket of water was used as the simulated dog. In the sub-zero temperature test, the simulated dog was also heated to analogous body temperature.
Powerful Frame System and Stainless Steel Hardware
The kennel door is reinforced with a powerful aluminum frame with two steel supports to ensure the door and the frame is intact and holds shape during and after a collision/ wreck.
The stainless steel hardware featuring only the highest quality materials can withstand rough use to last a lifetime. These two properties combine to ensure that the G1™ is a safe travel kennel.
Reversible Door With Ventilation Holes
The Kennel features a unique reversible door that can be opened from either side. This design, along with the ventilation holes facilitating proper air circulation, ensures convenience and good visibility for the canine owner to keep an eye on the dog.
Strong Lock System
These canine travel crates feature a strong lock system to ensure the crate is escape-proof.
The crate has 3 locks: Paddle Latch, Key-In-The Hole Lock, And Safety Backup Latches.
The paddle latch is an easy-to-open and close lock even in a hurry. It also eliminates the risk of your doggo figuring out how to open the lock.
The Key-In-The hole lock featured on the paddle lock is a handy lock that ensures access to the dog only by the key bearer.
This lock lets you leave your doggo unattended in the vehicle for short errands.
The Safety Backup latches on top and bottom of the kennel door add to the strength of the other locks and secure them in place so that even a Houdini dog can’t escape.
Element Repelling Windows
Apart from serving as ventilation holes, the specifically designed windows/ vents on either side also limit the entry of seasonal elements like rain, sleet, and snow. So when this travel crate is exposed to mild rain and snow, you don’t have to worry about the dog getting affected by it.
Drainage Systemgo
These canine travel crates feature a removable, oversized drain plug and a recessed floor. This design facilitates easy drainage of liquids, ensuring the routine maintenance of this travel crate is easy and convenient.
Strong Logistical Support
These Gunner kennels have many features, like built-in tie-down rods, super strong carry handles, wider bases, and non-slip rubber feet to ensure stability and portability, especially for travel purposes.
There are four built-in, stainless steel tie-down pins for ultimate safety during travel.
These pins allow you to anchor the crate to the vehicle using the tie-down straps available for purchase separately.
These straps are heavy-duty, durable, and have a high break strength. This strap system prevents the chances of rollovers by holding the travel crate in place.
Also, Gunner recommends using tie-down straps for the assured safety of your dog.
This canine crate has two super strong kayak-grade handles that allow easy front grasp to move it around. The wider base gives better stability to prevent rollovers and unwanted movement.
At the same time, the non-slip feet raise the crate above ground level to reduce heat transmission and conduction from the surfaces and reduce any slippages.
Made in America
Every single Gunner Kennel is proudly American. Gunner sources its materials from 30+ small businesses across the United States to create the kennels.
From designing to manufacturing to assembly, over 2 dozen Americans are involved in the process, and each Kennel requires more than 120 parts to be assembled.
Lifetime Guarantee
Gunner Kennels are dedicated to building the best and safest dog crates in the market. They are built to last with high-quality materials.
Gunner believes in the integrity of the crate’s design and trusts it with the lives of our fur friends. So every Gunner Kennel is covered by a Lifetime Manufacturer’s Warranty policy.
The 5-Star Crash Test
Gunner Kennels have been subjected to brutal in-house safety testing procedures to prove that it is strong enough to save your doggo in a real accident.
Through these tests, the G1™ Kennel holds a 5-star crash-tested rating from the Center for Pet Safety.
Out of the many crate brands that were crash tested for safety certification in a 2015 study conducted by the CPS, the G1™ Kennel was the only Kennel that excelled in the test due to its patented features and durable construction.
Every single size of these gunner kennels is proven to save real dogs in real accidents.
Some of the stress and crash-tested criteria are listed below. And you can watch the videos of these crash tests on Gunner Kennel’s site.
- Dropped a 630 lb sled from a height of 8 ft onto the Kennel.
- Applied 4000 pounds of external force by a vice machine. The G1™ Intermediate size was strong enough to break the machine. This shows that it can withstand even more pressure.
- Dropped it down a 200-foot cliff.
- Shot at it with a 12 gauge gun
The above crash test certification is significant because, according to Ford & AHA, 100,000 dogs are killed yearly by getting rolled out of pickup trucks, and more are injured.
And according to bark buckle up, a car traveling at a speed limit of 35 mph with a 60 lb dog getting into an accident converts the dog into a 2700 lb projectile causing your doggo to get thrown over with much greater impact.
Based on the crash test results, the Gunner G1™ Kennel is the safest canine travel crate that can sustain great impact to shield your dog from harm.
The Right Gunner Crate Size for Your Dog
The Gunner Kennels are available in 4 sizes: G1™ Small, G1™ Medium, G1™ Intermediate, and G1™ Large.
Finding a well-fitted kennel size is key to your dog’s safety in case of an accident. Read this blog article on The Science Behind A Proper Kennel Fit for a better understanding.
The Gunner website carries a thorough sizing guide with measurements of exterior and interior dimensions stated clearly for each kennel size. A step-by-step process also guides you to input info like length, height, weight, and dog size (fully grown or pup) to help you find a good fit for your dog.
When choosing the correct fit for your dog, it is important that you go by the interior dimensions of the canine crate rather than the exterior dimensions because the double, thick walls cause the interior to be smaller than the exterior.
While at it, you should also consider if the crate is for kenneling at home or for travel purposes.
Gunner recommends a snug fit for travel purposes and kennelling purposes larger size.
For additional reference, you can also crowd-source the fit and check out the feed where parents of other dogs share their dog’s crate size to help you assess.
Will a Gunner Dog Kennel Fit in My Vehicle?
Every vehicle model varies from each other, and so does the interior space. Therefore a guaranteed fit cannot be offered.
Considering this, Gunner has a vehicle fit finder app developed for you.
You can input your vehicle’s specific measurements of the cabin/ passenger compartment (back seat) of the car or truck, the truck bed, the trunk/cargo area of a car, or any other area of the vehicle to help you determine the fit.
Gunner also has a curated customer gallery where Gunner has requested G1™ Kennel owners to share their setup in their vehicle. You can browse by the vehicle model to determine the fit.
Another interesting feature Gunner offers to find the Kennel fit for the vehicle is the GUNNER VISION™. Using augmented reality (AR) featuring 3D models of the crates, this feature allows you to imagine the scale of the actual product in any space you want. You can check it out here.
Also, always start from the traditional way. Measure the interiors of your vehicle and check against the exterior measurements of the crates.
Pros and Cons of G1™ Kennel
Pros
Cons
Gunner Kennel Customer Reviews
Based on real-life experiences from brutal vehicle accidents and other scenarios, some customers also claim the Kennel to be “VIRTUALLY BOMBPROOF.”
Below is the social proof that backs the high-quality standards maintained by Gunner Kennels. There are thousands of 5-star reviews. There are also complaints about the weight, but that’s the price you pay for your dog’ safety.
Figure 1. In this review you can see the customer appreciating the construction and how much their dog, Leo loves the crate.
Figure 2. The customer in this review tells us how much the durable design can be trusted with their dog’s life safety.
Figure 3. The customer from this review, although finds the construction of the crate to be of high standards, complains about the weight of the crate.
Read more of the same stories from customer testimonials to understand the performance of the Gunner kennels in real-life incidents.
Is Gunner Kennel Worth the Money?
Yes, the Gunner G1™ Kennel is worth the money you invest. It was a no-brainer for me and that’s why I chose to write this Gunner Kennels review for those pet parents prioritizing their pet’s safety over anything.
Rather than waiting to encounter a real accident and realizing that I would have paid even 10 times the price of the gunner kennel to keep my fur friend safe, a 5-star crash test certified Kennel backed by so many real-life save stories is worth the investment.
It gives me peace of mind knowing my doggo will be safe during travels, even in the event of an accident.
Related contents:
Frequently Asked Questions
End Note
After all, your dog is a living being who relies on you to provide protection.
The solid engineering detailed with safety, patented features, and backed by a lifetime guarantee assures you that you can trust the Kennel with your dog’s life.
Instead of anticipating a vet bill to save your dog’s life after an accident, owning a G1™ Gunner Kennel can prevent your doggo from getting harmed altogether.
For additional reference, read gunner kennels review and check the gunner website for informational blogs, save stories, sizing guides, safety tests, and results.
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