Gunner G1 Kennel

A double-walled, rotomolded travel kennel made in the USA, sold with strength rated anchor straps, and on the Center for Pet Safety certified list in three sizes.

Who it suits

Owners who drive with their dog in the cargo area of an SUV or wagon and want a crate that passed Center for Pet Safety crash testing, in the Small, Medium or Intermediate size. It is heavy and costly, and the Large size is not on the CPS certified list.

Key facts

• Double-walled kennel; the maker says it is the only one on the market and that the double wall gives more impact protection and better thermal properties (Gunner)
• Made in America (Gunner)
• Travel sizes by dog weight: Small up to 30 lb, Medium up to 45 lb, Intermediate up to 70 lb, Large for dogs over 71 lb (Gunner)
• CPS certified with strength rated anchor straps: Small, Medium (tested March 2017 with a 45 lb test dog) and Intermediate; the Large is not on the list (Center for Pet Safety)
• In the 2015 CPS crate study the Intermediate, tied down with Gunner’s anchor strap kit, kept the test dog inside, did not hit the seatback, and its locked door still opened easily after the test (Center for Pet Safety)

What reviewers say

Center for Pet Safety: The independent nonprofit crash tested the Intermediate in its 2015 crate study with a 75 lb test dog and later certified the Small, Medium and Intermediate under its crate test protocol; the Medium was tested in March 2017 with a 45 lb test dog. The certification covers the kennel used with Gunner’s strength rated anchor straps.

Field & Stream: Sage Marshall (October 2026) spent a couple of months testing hunting dog kennels, strapping them into a Toyota 4Runner and loading his own wirehaired pointing griffon. He named the G1 best overall, found it very solid, liked the welded aluminum door that can open either way and the built in tie down system, and noted it is heavier and more expensive than the rest.

We did not test it ourselves.

Pros

• Passed CPS crash testing in three sizes
• Double wall construction
• Built in tie downs and anchor strap kit
• Made in the USA

Cons

• Heavy
• Expensive
• Large size is not CPS certified

Good to know

• Only the certified sizes, tied down with the strength rated straps as the maker instructs, match what CPS tested.
• Pick the size by the maker’s travel chart; a crate that is too big lets a dog move further in a crash.