Crates

We are currently trying to decide on a crate for our upcoming pup. So far we have decided that we want to go with plastic crate instead of a wire one. I feel that the plastic one will contain shedding more and give the dog a little more privacy in their den. However one of the main problems with the plastic kennels is that they dont have any sort of  divider to make the crate smaller when they are a puppy (for crate training). As of now I have plans to make our own divider out of wood.

Now onto crate sizes… We are thinking either a 42″ or 48″. The puppies parents are not particullary huge so I think we may be able to get the 42″.

Does anyone have any suggestions on plastic vs wire, size, or how to construct a divider? Any tips would be helpful!

Rope Balls

Ive been looking into a bunch of different safe and durable toy options for our forthcoming puppy. .. So far I have been looking at these balls on rope:

1. Orbee-Tuff Ball on a String:  http://leerburg.com/788.htm

2. Kong Rope:  http://www.amazon.com/KONG-Dental-Rope-Dog-Medium/dp/B0002AR178

3. Romp N Roll:  http://leerburg.com/730.htm

Does anyone have opinions on any of these?