Love the flexibility and furniture like look of this crate!It's so easy to put together it's ridiculous. Just unfold it and slip the front door hinges on, and it's assembled. Then you just place the top and bottom (which is just a tray) on and you've got yourself a beautiful crate that looks like a piece of furniture. When my boxer was a puppy, we would take the top off and use it as a play pen, and she seemed happier in there because I could put it in the room where I was working.When our boxer was 8 weeks old (and 8lbs), we put a tiny pillow in the back and puppy pads in the front. It worked out well - she had a place to play, or to go if needed and a place to nap. She used the pads on a few occasions when she was really little, but never on her pillow. It worked out well. As she got potty trained and much bigger, we swapped the smaller pillow out for a full size pillow.Our only dilemma was trying to figure out what size pillow to get with this. We ended up getting lucky with the Midwest Quiet Time Pet Bed Deluxe Pillow. As I mentioned - it's been a year since we purchased the crate, and 8 months or more for the full sized pillow. Check the measurements for the large or XL vs the measurements on this crate. One will fit it like a glove (XL?). In fact - she is still using that pillow in her crate after all that time being used and washed.After she became trustworthy at home without needing to be crated, we took the front door hinges off of it and she now uses it on her own. We thought about taking it down for awhile, but since she still uses it so often, we don't dare. She seems to feel safe in there, especially without the front door. It's "her house" if you will.This crate is as easy to clean as any other crate. I use wood/furniture cleaner on the top, throw the pillow in the wash, and wipe down the bars/tray occasionally with paper towels, all purpose cleaners. Fortunately, our girl likes her areas clean. So, the only messes she makes is chewing up her toys outside of her little house.For those wondering - the bars are close enough together to prevent even the smallest of animals from getting in/out of the bars. We had a friend with a kitten come stay with us while our boxer was a puppy. We were afraid our puppy would chase their kitten but the 2 couldn't get to each other. Nor did we need worry anyway.We bought this crate nearly a year ago, and it still looks brand new. We still get compliments on how sharp it looks. We've debated moving it out of our living room, but we use the top for a lamp stand, a few decor items and it's in a corner so.... perhaps if she stops using it we'll move it, but until then - we want our girl as comfy as we are.A great play pen, and crate for your puppy and as they become an adult - a beautiful safe house of their very own! Well worth the few extra bucks!We are so happy with this crate! I would never consider another brand. And if our little girl could talk - I'm sure she'd second the motion!