This $80 dog crate doubles as an end table - most of my guests don't even realize what it is

• My family and I love the $82 Casual Home Wooden Dog Crate.
• It blends in with the rest of our furniture and most people don't immediately realize it's a dog crate. It also does double duty as an end table.
• This dog crate isn't just attractive but it's sturdy and durable too.

When my husband and I brought our adorable Aussie doodle puppy home, we were completely smitten. Suzy was instantly a member of the family.

While we worked on teaching her simple commands and housebreaking during the day, we struggled with the nighttime routine. After she came home, we realized she wouldn't be able to sleep in our bed or bedroom, mostly due to our moderate dander allergies.

We learned the hard way that letting her have free range of the living room while we slept was not an option either. She peed, pooped, and destroyed one of our favorite couch pillows.

We decided to get a dog crate after we realized she couldn't sleep in our bedroom or living room - we liked it so much that we now have two of them

We weren't immediately keen on obtaining a crate for Suzy, but after researching the positive effects that crate training has on a dog, we decided it was something we needed to invest in.

She would have her own comfy den, a place where she could safely sleep at night. When I began my search, it was apparent that there are two kinds of crates that are readily available - the metal wire crate and the plastic kennel. We didn't want either of those in our home since they would be an eyesore and would stand out way too much. Thankfully, while in a frantic online search, I found the Casual Home Wooden Dog Crate ($81.29).

We liked it so much that we bought it not once, but twice. There was nothing at all wrong with the first one that we bought, but Suzie just got too big for the first one we bought her, so when she reached her full-grown size at around 11 months, we purchased a larger one that would hold her 40-pounds and 18-inches-long frame comfortably.

They double as end tables and most of our guests don't realize they're actually dog crates

This isn't merely a dog crate - it doubles as an end table. Ours fits nicely next to our large brown leather couch, and most of our friends who visit have no idea that it's our dog's crate and at first glance, they assume it's just a piece of our living room furniture.

We use it to hold the big coffee table books we're currently reading (such as "Marc Davis in His Own Words: Imagineering the Disney Theme Parks" and "Entertaining With Disney: Exceptional Events From Mickey Mouse to Moana!") as well as drinks and snacks. We also use it as our catch-all area for our keys and sunglasses.

While we opted for the black finish, there's also a shade called "espresso" (basically a dark wood shade) and white. It also comes in five sizes, though the sizing depends on what color you choose. And this isn't made of flimsy material either - it's made of solid wood.

I have the small one at 20 inches wide, 27.5 inches deep, and 24.5 inches high ($81.29), and a larger one at 24 inches wide, 36.5 inches deep, and 29.25 inches high ($119.08).

All four sides of the crate have open wooden slats so that Suzie has plenty of air and she can see in all directions. We preferred the wooden slats since it looked more organic and natural than the ones that have metal bars, which have a more prison-like appearance.

It's easy to put together and clean, and looks great in our home too

Suzie hasn't had any messes in her crate, but we've wiped down the interior many times to clean out excess fur and debris. The wood has a smooth veneer so it's very easy to wipe clean with a damp cloth.

If you've put together Ikea furniture, then you can probably manage to build this pet crate - all you need is a Phillips screwdriver. But I should mention that with our crates, a couple of the holes weren't drilled in precisely the right spot, but we were able to wriggle the pieces into place.

Overall, it took about an hour to assemble. I should point out that the sturdy wood makes it difficult to move around, so once you've decided on a spot for the crate, it'd be hard to keep pushing it around your home.

Since the crate is made out of solid wood, it's really sturdy and looks just like our regular furniture. We've put her in there when another dog that we didn't know was at the house, and even as our Suzy tried to escape by pushing the door, she couldn't get it open.

The other thing we love about this piece is that it does double duty as our dog's den and a frequently-used end table. If you want to expand the crate's usage, Casual Home also makes other items like a wood lattice pet gate and pet feeder.

I'd recommend this dog crate for any dog owner - or even future dog owners who are planning ahead

If you're looking for nice dog crate, the Casual Home Wooden Dog Crate is a tasteful option.

It fits in with many types of home décor and lets your dog's den blend in nicely with other furniture. We love how it does double duty in our home, and is an overall great investment - Suzie no longer destroys our shoes and couch pillows because she has her own space at night now.

Buy the Casual Home Wooden Dog Crate on Amazon for $81.29

NOW WATCH: Here's why Google's co-founders went to Burning Man to find former CEO Eric Schmidt