Kennel Thread! For all you first time pup owners, with new homes!

[Shack]

I figured with the posting of recent dog purchasers, we would start a thread about kennels. I know people love little Fido at the foot of the bed, but lets face it dogs at one point ruin your home. I built a new home about 4 years ago. I was lucky enough to get a great young black lab. I had thought about getting a dog, but had an opportunity thrusted upon me for a free dog with papers and a good blood line. To boot, field trial champ in her blood. She was six months old and loved to chew. She did not last long in house. I let her live in the garage while I was training her. My wife liked this better. She did chew a lot in garage, but it was my fault. Also you can not discipline a retriever for chewing. It hurts them in long run. They end up dropping dummy or bird at your feet, not in hand. So during that first summer, a kennel system was in my plans for outside yard work. The kennel is on a concrete pad 16’x16’, with a 4x6’ off shoot for house and 4x16 apron for dog food shed and training stuff. The house is fully insulated, with a hinged roof for cleaning out the straw or wood chips. I put it on out side to give more roaming room for dogs. It also sports and long entrance neck on door, to keep cold out. The old potato sack/flap door wears out all the time. Having the neck seems to keep cold out. I placed kennel in wooded area to provide shade, a black screen mess cover works well too. I had sprinkler system put in and stubbed a water facet right at kennel door in a sprinkler system under ground valve box. I use one of those green coil up garden hoses. It stores right in valve box. I will post some images, instead of writing on and on. GOOD LUCK AND I HOPE SOME OF THIS MAY HELP.

Sincerely,

SHACKBASH

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[Bryce]

Previous garage set-up. Will post new one when it is done.

Travel set-up.

[Shack]

Bryce,

Very nice set up. You must of spent alot of time and money on that building. Good post. Is the whole garage for just only dogs or storage aswell? I like the idea of the dog house inside. I showed the guys at work yesterday and they all said cool.

[Bryce]

Thank you. Didn't think I had an inside shot but found one yesterday.

Had a litter whelping in the corner which explains why we were storing things in the kennels. We don't provide much space for our dogs inside but there is enough room to stand and eat. This was just an add on to a new 2+ car garage. Don't think we had more than $400 additional tacked on to total price. Contractors pretty much throw these little add ons in for free to get the bigger project. We did quite a bit of entertaining in the garage since our house was less than 1000 sf so you can probably see the garage door screen and imagine the cable tv and electric heat. We are going through the same process at our new house so will post pictures as we progress. Similar facility with some minor changes to facilitate construction.

[Bryce]

Boy, this project got delayed a lot longer than I had expected. Turned out well though. Pretty much done. Just need to attach panels to wall inside and to brick outside and have signs made up announcing dogs have permanent ID.

[MinnesotaMongo]

Great topic and great posts fellas! I'm re-siding/roofing my garage and putting on a kennel attachment, since my Springer is destroying my house. I'm getting lots of great ideas! Thanks so much and keep them coming....

[Bryce]

When residing is the time to think about a chew proof section where the kennel run will be located. Chewing dogs can destroy vinyl siding pretty quickly.

Forgot to mention: Landscaping compliments of our very own LABS4ME on the new version.