Information on Dog Kennels

For some obscure reason, many people tend to feel that I, being a female, am unqualified when it comes to talking about dog kennels, dog needs, and what the 'ideal' kennel should look like.  I don't know why there is this bias against females and kennels, lol. Since when have dogs belonged to men only?  I suppose it could be argued that men are often the ones to 'build' the dog kennel, though in reality often enough they don't actually do the building but either commission someone else to do the building or they buy one.

In any case, I have had eons of experience with dogs, and cats too.  I still remember, when I was a small child, trying to give my pet cats a bath and also dressing them in dolls clothes. Neither of those things went over very well with the cats. I am a much more responsible cat owner these days. Just ask Tabby!

Following is the first of a series of articles (I hope) all about building or buying a dog kennel, slash dog house (it all depends where you come from.)  I am not pretending to know everything about dog kennels or houses, but I do have some advice and wisdom gleaned from, oh, about forty years experience that I would love to at least put down in print in case it can benefit others.

I am sorry, but I make no real distinction between a 'pure bred' dog and a mongrel. Nor do I consider a Persian or a Siamese any better than my house cat.  I admit that some breeds of dogs (and cats, though I am less familiar with pure bred cats) have certain characteristics that make them ideal for certain specific tasks and situations. There is no doubt about the fact that a Golden Retriever is so friendly she would drop a ball in the burglar's hand and beg for them to throw it.  They are also water dogs, and as such love to jump in the swimming pool in the heat of summer.

A doberman I once owned was not only a fantastic watch dog (barked at intruders) but he was also a terrific guard dog (bit the pant's leg off someone who tried to break in through our laundry room window...) 

Beagles howl. They howl at the full moon. They also howl every time the fire engines drive along the main road, engines blaring.  They love to howl!

And now, in defense of the non pure bred cat and dog...the two animals above were both rescued, and obtained respectively from a shelter and a vet.  I have never known a dog as loyal as the mutt in the photo. He not only barks at intruders, but he also barks at and corners snakes. He would never harm a child but he can surely scare the postman.

The cat, pictured with four legs, actually only has three now. She was caught in a trap, survived three days before being set loose. Her leg (this is yukky) dropped off by itself in incremental stages. Why did we allow that?  Because the veterinarians here charged an absolutely exorbitant price to have it taken care of surgically. One vet we knew told us that nature would take it's course and we trusted him.  It did.  She is the bravest cat I have ever known.

Currently we have a tabby cat,called Tabby, living with us. She was a wild cat. We tamed her and now she almost fools people that she is domesticated.  She's not. She loves us, but is afraid of everyone she doesn't know.  It's winter and her fur has grown so thick that it feels like a blanket. I have thought of what her "skin" would feel like, and have even wondered if people skin their pets once they (the pets) die in order to keep their memory alive.

Currently our Golden Retriever spends a good deal of her time outside. She loves it. We live in a house with a large yard and she revels in all of the outdoor activity she experiences.  We still walk her every day, it is part of our routine.

Because we have chosen to have her spend a great deal of time outdoors, we have also chosen to ensure that her living quarters outside are adequate--no, more than adequate--they are great!

The main  concerns we had were regarding her comfort, she needed a comfortable floor in her kennel and she needed to stay cool in summer and warm in winter--insulation!

We decided on kennel decking. Obviously we were going to put in some kind of kennel flooring. I didn't want her laying on the earth, dirt or grass. She needed something solid underfoot, something that was comfortable and at the same time easy to clean and care for.

There were quite a few options, and the whole internet marketing strategy was pretty impressive but when all was said and done the kennel decking option won out! It's great, I couldn't be happier with it.

It is portable so if it really needs a good scrubbing we can simply bring it out, lay it down in the yard or on the driveway and scrub it off. Plus it is so much more comfortable, especially now that winter has finally arrived, than cement flooring. It is warm, dry, easy to clean, and she seems to really like it.

In my next hub I'll talk more about kennels, kennel flooring and specifically insulation as well.