The Best Dog Kennel Ever

If you have a medium to large breed of dog and live in a moderate climate you may wish to consider having a kennel for your dog to stay outdoors when the weather is nice. In some areas, particularly on farms, many owners of large breeds have their dog's live outdoors year round, even in colder more northerly locations. If your dog is double-coated breed that is used to living outdoors this can be a good option provided the dog can get out of the wind and way from snow or rain.

Building a kennel that will provide protection from the elements for the dog as well as be the correct size is important. A dog should be able to move about in the kennel and stand up, turn around and lie down in a stretched out position to be comfortable. Making the kennel too small will only inhibit the dog's interest in using the kennel. In addition the kennel needs to be made of a material that won't splinter or simply come apart when exposed to the elements. Most owners buy either a prefabricated plastic kennel or make a wooden kennel that is painted or stained to preserve the wood.

A good option is to make a hallway type entrance to the sleeping or living part of the kennel. This prevents snow, rain or wind from blowing directly in on the dog when he or she is in the kennel. By making the kennel these two sections that are parallel to each other this completely eliminates this concern. If you want to heat the kennel through a heat lamp or radiant type of heater this also means you only have to provide the heat source in the living space, not in the hallway area.

Plan to provide some type of bedding in the living area, ideally something that can be easily removed for washing or replacing. Cedar lined dog beds are ideal for outside use plus they repel fleas and other insects in the living quarters. Straw or other types of natural bedding are not ideal as they can be dusty and become moldy, possibly triggering respiratory problems and allergic reactions in the dog.

The kennel area needs to have a supply of fresh, clean water at all times. In very cold climates this can be difficult if the water dish or waterer is not located within the kennel itself. If the water dish is in the kennel there must be additional space so the dish is not knocked over by the dog, resulting in damp bedding. 

Finally the fence around the kennel needs to be sturdy and well built. Most owners use a chain link fence around the kennel that provides the dog with the ability to see outside of the kennel while still being very secure. A gate with a dog safe latch which cannot accidentally come open if jumped on or pushed up is absolutely essential as a dog will figure out how to unlatch the gate if they can.