Kennel design - Page 3

WOW!  Impressive facility! The only thing I see missing is the pool and the train tracks for the trolly to get around. Ha ha ha. I could put an apt. on my kennel. It has a big attic... would need gabled windows, but the view over the house down the hill would be fantastic. Septic might be an expensive issue, so it'll probably never happen, but I have lenty of room for a travel trailer for guests up back, maybe next to the parking area. (in front of the big tractor in the pic)

Yellowrose: When you find that money tree, send me a cutting. We're only about $7K into the building in materials because George did most of the work himself, but its far from done. I'm thinking we'll have at least $20K in it before spring is gone. We can't even put the steel on till it warms up, let alone dig trenches for water delivery. Hubby's fighting me on the covers for the outside runs, but I will win in the end. ;-)  I may have to feign a sprained ankle so he has to do my chores for a week out on the ice to get my point across, but I'm not above anything like that. Ha ha ha. Every once in awhile he needs a little "hands on" to appreciate how much labor is involved in animal husbandry...

I can't believe what a good mood my hubsand has been in since he started this project. He's very proud of the structure, strongly reinforced by abject flattery from friends and peers on the quality of the craftsmanship. I just hope he FINISHES something for a change. :-/

SS

Sukh writes this is his kennel and posts a photo of a plan, yet just yesterday posted a question about why all his pups are dying.....that should tell you something about what he knows about kennel design and maintenance. 

My kennel has living space, a full kitchen, a full bath, a spare bedroom, an office, a 1450 square foot indoor heated training room with astro turf,  large outdoor exercise areas, outdoor runs and a pool. No one needs to go to that expense. However, there ARE many pitfalls in building kennels, especially related to ease of disinfection, maintenance, movement of the dogs, and exercise areas. There are minimum standards as to ventilation requirements, lighting, HVAC and how the concrete is finished. If you build anything but a run or two, you ought to have an excellent installed power washer. All runs should be partially covered, period for shelter from the sun. Runs indoors and out should be a minimum size or the dogs will be walking and tracking feces and urine all over. Troughs and where they go are an issue. How to deal with the dog waste in an environmentally conscientious manner is an issue. 

In other words, do your homework. Don't just go off half-cocked, draw something on paper and think it will work well. As a minimum you better be checking your state and local building codes and kennel regulations to be sure you are meeting minimum standards. For my money, you want to exceed these standards because they are going to be upgraded sooner or later.

I'm moving to your place, Hodie. LOL Your training area is nearly the size of the house we live in.

theis is my 4th attempt at building or converting existing buildings for kennel use. Sure, unlimited funding would be nice. I can't do everything I want to, at least not right away. But this building will be clean, well-lit, heated with more than adaquate ventilation, and is designed with expansion and improvements in mind for the future. (When Yellowrose sends me that money tree sapling) I have a ppwer washer. Its portable, but hooks to hot water and has infusion capability. I am not big enough to come under PA licensing regulations, thank God. My facility will easily pass with the code inspector, and WOULD pass state kennel inspection, I'm sure, but who needs the paperwork? My inddor outdoor runs will be oversize, and I have room for even larger ex yards as well.

Environmentally conscious poop disposal?  Half the houses in our backwards community don't even have "real" septic/leach systems... (read 55 gal drums or 150 yr. old stone cisterns buried out back). We are proud as new parents of our septic, tank, sand mound and  2K ft. of leach beds. Kinda like driving a fine new automobile around here. Ha ha ha.

SS

 SS.

A word to the wise: with your septic system, make sure it too will be enough for what you are adding to it in the way of dog kennel drainage as well as your household drainage. I am an environmental engineer and, of course, I do not know all the details on your area, but it sounds like it is WAY undersized. If you are not regulated now as to your septic system or subject to kennel inspections, I bet in the next 5 years or less you will be. In fact, I think you are but perhaps you and the country and state have not done anything about it yet. But it will happen.

Another thing to think about is resale value on your house should you want to sell it. When the septic system has not met code or there is an environmental mess, one can have a very, very difficult time selling the property. Not saying you will have trouble because again I do not know all the particulars. But I give some free advice for what it is worth: do look into it now or you may pay HUGE later.....Even if someone were to buy and there were some sort of problem that they did not know about, it can come back on your head.

Good luck,

Sharyn

Thanks for the advice. As of this point I don't have a "kennel". I have a shop. For the first few month dogs will be on shavings (till we get the floor/drainage right) and the poop goes in cotractor bags in the dumpster. Really , the company doesn't mind. My hubby screwed up the graqdes on the floor so we're going to have to work on that in spring before I order the new kennels. Actually I LIKE using nice fluffy pine shavings. The dogs smell so nice.  I replace soiled shavings during the week, clean to the concrete and disinfect weekly.  Works pretty well. No finger painting (there's always one slob in residence) and no smell as long as I stay on top of things. No calloused elbows either. Only real downside is the expense at $5.50 bale, and the dust when you get a poor quality bale, more dust than shavings.  I hate it when that happens!

BTW: This is NOT a public boarding kennel. Private only. No traffic, few visitors.

SS

Hodie-  Your kennel is just beautiful.  It's like the Trump Tower for dogs. lol  Love the pool and I bet the dogs do too.  I'm jealous- I don't even have a pool anymore.  But I'm working on it in the spring we're putting in an inground pool-those above grounds are too much hassle. 

I bet you keep too busy taking care of that facility and land.

 Agar,

Yes, I work hard. But I also take very good care of all the dogs entrusted to me. They come first. One thing I would do over if possible would be NOT to put in the pool. It was by itself $25,000, plus the room, special ventilation, deck etc. etc. and so over all, perhaps responsible for $60,000 or more of the costs to build this facility. While it IS a really neat thing to have, and while I have seen the benefits of swimming dogs, especially those who need rehab from injury, it is VERY expensive to heat. On the other hand, when we have seminars and during the summer, the kids and their friends can swim while we train. But, I could probably have used the money better in some other way. And I have found that most people do not want to pay to swim their dogs. It is labor intensive to maintain the pool when dogs are in it. It is maintained just like a human pool of course and it also takes a lot of water!!!

Now, if I had some more money, I would astro turf the field rather than put in a sprinkler system and seed it or sod it. Water is an important issue here, so I have only a nice packed sand training field. None the less, I am blessed. Come visit some time!

Cheers,

Sharyn

Beautiful facility. I'm thinking one of those small "endless" lap pools with the adjustable current would be a better option for us.

Hodie-  If I'm ever out your way I certainly will stop by.  What a beautiful view you have also.

I guess the cost for your indoor pool is almost as much as what they charge for an inground outdoors over my way.  Minus the covered building.  I can see though how your thoughts are now that it could have been money well spent somewhere else with more benefits. I know my mother in law just spent a couple thousand dollars for rehabing her older lab that has some hip issues due to an injury that is now getting worse due to her old age.  There's only 1 place within a reasonable driving distance from us that has a facility with a pool for dogs to rehab in.  But the average person doesn't have that kind of money and quite frankly the average people think folks like us are out of our minds for investing the money we do on dogs.

Astro turf sounds like a great idea.  Keep up the hard work, place looks great.

 SS,

My pool is a Ferno and is 8 feet wide by 16 feet long with five variable current generators. It is about 4 feet deep and works very well. It is just expensive to heat and where I live, one could not install this outside, for the cold, but also for the wind blowing the sand into the pool constantly.

Yes, people are out of their minds to spend what they do on their dogs, but I am happy to include myself in that and they give us pleasure. Seems a better choice than lots of beer etc.......

To astro turf my field would be about $48,000 and I would have to have a commercial type cleaner to go around it and suck up the sand that would blow on it like it would today.... I am always hoping to win the lottery LOL

Take care.