another kennel question - Page 1

I have a 40 by 20 kennel I built out of 6x10 pieces of fence panels. My problem is my yard stays muddy in the winter and I am worried this will get my dog sick. I have put straw down but it looks like it was never there after a day. I do have 10x20 of it concreted and built a 4 by 8 cinder block house filled with ceder chips and this part of the kennel is covered by a tarp. I guess what I am asking is it ok for him to run in this or do I need to find a way to keep it from being so muddy and if I do what makes a good base for it. I can't afford to concrete the entire area yet but if that is what it takes I can do it in the near future. Thank you

deuce's Try putting shavings throughout the entire run, even the outside, It will at least keep him out of the Mud. Easy to pick poo from and does dry out on the nice days. 4 to 6 inches thick should do pretty nicely, Cheaper than concrete and better for the dog too. Hope that helps.

We use patio blocks, the 2x2 size on top of gravel, they usually run around $8 each around here..and you can move them if you need to..

gravel or wood chips, but I like chips better because ar Echo said its easier to scoop poop. Makes the dogs smell good and they like sleeping on it, it's comfortable.

I am experiencing a similar problem. I have an indoor run in my walk out basement, and have a fenced in back yard that is slightly more than .25 acre. It slopes down in the back and has become a mud pit because the grass has long since been trambled away. I had an outside 20 x 15 pen installed under my deck and off my patio (within the fenced in back yard). I had 2 foot boards installed at the base of the chain fencing and am having a filterable liner installed on the ground, then a small stone layer over that and then larger, smoother stone on top of that. I have been told I can bleach the area to keep it clean. A friend of mine had done this in part of her back yard to keep down the damage. My dogs like to think they are landscapers and decide what trees can stay and which ones don't belong. My dogs do live in the house with me, but stay in their kennels when I am not home. Too many couches eaten, destroyed remotes and my favorite - shredded mattress and curtains pulled off the windows. I wanted the extra - outside kennel so that I could put them out when I am home and don't have to watch them 24/7. I live in a development with a gazillion kids that seem to think it is fun to hang out at my fence with toy swords and agitate my dogs. My hope is by utilizing this stone lined kennel, I can fix my yard and reduce the amount of dirt/mud that gets tramped back into the house. Not sure if this will work, but would love to hear all other suggestions.

You might try the horse stall mats. They come in different sizes and specifically made to keep mud and muck under control, from a lot bigger animal. They're thick, heavy duty, and my dogs have never been able to even SLIGHTLY damage any of them. Cost is pretty reasonable, and if you decide to remove or even just move your kennel, they can be picked up and moved with a little muscle. They are also easy to keep clean, and can be sprayed off with the hose and bleached. They keep diggers from digging, and stay warm in the summer (they are black rubber like the stuff tires are made out of). The disadvantage is that they are black during the summer, which means they get hot. I have found that if you paint one side white (or light colored) with a non-toxic paint, you can turn it to the white side during the summer, and black during the winter. If you don't like this option, you can utilize the wood chips in a thick area, but be careful, because I have heard that wet wood chips can harbor bacteria and lead to pyoderma on the dog's skin. You have to remove them quite frequently, and it can be a headache (been down that road before!). Let us know what works for you so we can add it to our list of ideas? Thanks, and good luck! -Melanie

Ooops, that should be "stay warm in the WINTER". In the summer, they are HOT, unless painted, or kept covered.

Which would be better - those stall mats or the kennel deck sections at kenneldeck.com ? (still haven't finished the kennel project myself, uggh) I'd been using the kennel shavings for some rescue pups we took in. But it was a smallish kennel we fashioned up in our garage to keep them from being cold outside (so shavings on top of the concrete floor). Put 4-6" of shavings in it with a border on the floor to keep the shavings in the kennel as much as possible. Worked well for keeping the little buggers clean. Cleanup was a pain, and the dust was horrible even with good quality shavings. Smelled so nice though!

Melanie, if the stall mats are in total shade in the summer, do they still get very hot?

Maligator, Nope, they only get hot when exposed to direct sunlight. They do stay warm in the summer, but do not get hot. My 8 year old daughter plays with the pups on them barefoot when shaded, so I know they're not too hot for the dogs. :) Also, anyone who is near Albuquerque, NM, and wants these mats for free, just let me know, and you can take them as soon as my dogs are gone. I'm selling/placing my dogs due to my high risk pregnancy, complications with my unborn son, and STRESS (not the doggies-dealing with people, go figure!), so probably won't be having any dogs for some time. Depressing, but that's life.