Kennel Building Help

[Sansano]

Hey folks. I am planning on building a indoor/outdoor kennel for the dogs this summer. The indoor part will go into the garage(heated/cooled). The outdoor part will be into my backyard. I will have a covering for the sun. I was looking for some advice/tips or maybe even some plans. Before anybody is all worried about the dogs living outside, that is not the case. They will continue to live and sleep inside(and Cheyenne on the bed. lol). However I would like a safe place to put them up when I need to and also want a safe place to put then when it's nice outside. My backyard has a 6 foot high wooden fence but I still don't trust it. I am pretty sure they could dig underneath it if given enough time. Lastly, I like the idea of having someone come feed/check on them when I am gone as opposed to having to bring them to a actual kennel.

[LavenderRott]

What were you planning on using on the ground in the outside part?

I have never built a kennel, but here are a couple of things you might want to consider. Pea gravel has some give (unlike cement) and is easier on the joints. Also not to hard to clean. Also, bury some chicken wire a couple of inches under the bottom of the fence, just in case they try to dig their way out.

[sophie's-mom]

A long time ago I looked up building a kennel for the dogs and found this: Kennel Plans
There is a PDF file on the left side. It's a 6 page document that has materials needed and such. I thought it was interesting, even though it is for a kennel/office, maybe it could HELP with your plans.

[Sansano]

[quote=LavenderRott]What were you planning on using on the ground in the outside part?
QUOTE]

Haven't decided yet. There are cement blocks there now. I could lay actual cement. Could grow grass or put down gravel. LOL. Guess that's why I am looking for advice. I am a bit clueless on this.

[LavenderRott]

My only problem with cement is that it can be so hard on their joints.

[Sansano]

Originally Posted by LavenderRott

My only problem with cement is that it can be so hard on their joints.

True, although I can't see them being in there more than a few hours unless I am gone on vacation.

[LavenderRott]

That's true. And it is harder for them to dig through cement to get out. LOL.

[tilerspop]

Concrete may be hard on the joints but it is by far the best material for the floor of a kennel. If it is properly sealed it is non-absorbant and very easy to clean. Gravel will have to be replaced after a period of time due to the absorbtion of liquid waste. If you are worried about the hardness of the concrete you can pick up used walk off mats from your local commercial laundry for next to nothing. These are the type of mat that you see in building lobbies and convenience stores. In the process of laundering they get torn or otherwise deteriorate so that they are not acceptable for the cutomers. They are usually thrown away at this point. For cleaning all you need to do is hang them on the fence and hose them off and let them hang dry.

[K9-man]

I used washed rock in my kennels. Most of the liquid waste drains through the gravel into the earth. I haven’t replaced the gravel to date (5 years) – there are no odor problems.

I didn’t want to fool around with the noxious chemical sealers on concrete runs. You’d probably have to reseal it every other year or so – no thanks.

I don’t necessarily want my dogs running around on that stuff anyway.

[mmilard]

My dad built something like this, but not really a Kennel. More like a huge dog house that was attached to the garage. He had a guy come out and "cut" a hole out of the side of the house, and ran an a.c. vent to the hole, and built the dog house from that. It has two ways to get in and out, it's about a foot off the ground and about 10 feet long with a shingle roof and all. He put thick plastic flaps at each entery so that the a.c. would stay in the dog house. They live in Miami, so the dogs are mostly in there everyday.