another kennel question - Page 2

It is a mistake to not put something down that can be easily disinfected and that will not drain well. Wood chips are terrible surfaces, especially if you have more than one dog going into the run. Wood shavings etc. also provide an opportunity for dogs to be inhaling in things they should not. Horse mats are difficult to clean, can be chewed up and get bacteria underneath. Bacteria is bad enough, get feces and urine and you have more trouble. At the very least, small pea gravel is best but it has to be kept clean too. Concrete runs are the easiest to sanitize but you must be certain the finish is correct or your dog will have raw paws. Sealing concrete is imperative. Kennel Deck stuff can work well, if you can make sure the dogs are not going to destroy it and if it too is periodically removed and cleaned, as well as the surface underneath. There simply is no substitute for adequate kennels. It makes all the difference in the world in making sure your dog/s stay healthy. Good luck.

Sharyn, Have to disagree with you. The horse mats have not been difficult to clean, have never been chewed up or dug through. (Perhaps a different quality of mat? These are about 2 inches thick and weigh a TON!) I do bleach them (and under them) as needed, for you want to keep the bacteria OUT, (as you have correctly stated). I also spray antibacterial spray (just as you would use in a concrete kennel). CONCRETE IS BEST for many reasons, as you have stated, HOWEVER, sometimes it is just not feasible (financially or otherwise--my kennel area happens to sit over my septic tank drain/leach field, which I cannot concrete over), and I would say these are a good alternative, much better than gravel (especially for a puppy who eats rocks!) or wood chips, which definitely soak up, harbor and promote bacterial growth. Good luck to all! :)

Me being a brickmason& concrete man I would say concrete.Frame it up,pour an your done with it for at least your lifeyime.If you have any questions Email is sladefred@aol.com

VomFelsenHof, We can agree to disagree. For one thing, I would not be placing kennels for any dog over a septic tank/leach field area. To do so not only potentially compromises the purpose of the leach field, and would be a violation of code in most states, but does potentially also have the opportunity to have a dog in an area it should not be in. Clearly, we do a lot of things differently.

deuce's wild: www.optionsplus.com check out his vinyl flooring. It snaps together and works great. Dave C.

Wild, For what it's worth when I decided to get back into dogs, (plural)it made the most sense to me to have a real nice concrete slab put in. Rather then try and Mickey Mouse it I paid to have it done by someone that did GOOD work. It runs off in two directions for easy cleaning!! ( this is a must). Has a very nice finish so it is easy to keep clean but not like glass so as to creat too slippery of a serface for young ones. I planned it for what I though would be the maximum number of dogs that I would have, then went over that by one. I always go a little over with anything like that cause you never know. I have plenty of panels for what ever configuration I need. It is covered with tarp thats framed to keep it nice in summer and dry in winter. Eventually I will build around it. I say all this because it's always better to plan for the long run rather then keep putting money out, then having to re-due it or tear out the old and replace. I cannot say if this is the best, only that I like it and my dogs are always clean, and it's very easy to clean and disinfect. Good luck, and for my 2 cents I would save for what you really want unless that's a long ways off.

I don't like wood chips outside. They grow mushrooms when damp, harbor parasites and all manner of bugs, (YUCK!)provide a wonder home for worm larvae and eggs, ticks, stay damp when wet, and are impossible to sanitize even a little bit. They are okay for a quick run, but not for lengthy exposure in my opinion. Better: something that is inorganic. SS

As an aside on the topic of stall mats.  If you decide to go this route you will find they are incredibly awkward to handle because of the bulkiness, weight and lack of a "handhold".  Use two pair of pliers to grab them and pull them with. It helps a lot.

Dawg

 

Thanks everyone for your input. Seems like about everything has its problems. I guess I will probably fork out a little extra and go with concrete. I will have a professional do it so the finish will not hurt his feet. Again thanks to all for some great input. A man sure can learn a lot from this site. Jesse