Dog Kennel Help

[Rhino__14]

I'm looking for a little help on finding a durable kennel pad for my 16 month old GSP and 2 year old black lab. I built Bella and Boomer a "luxury" kennel complete with a Hound Heater, a carpeted floor, and a 40x72 dog bed for their lounging pleasure. I thought they would enjoy the accommodations but they decided to "remodel" by tearing out the carpet and chewing the bed apart so now they is down to sleeping on the plywood floor. I have tried numerous beds but in a matter of days I find them dragged in to my yard and tore to pieces. I am looking for something I can put in their kennel that is more comfortable than the plywood floor but will last longer than a week. Any suggestions are welcome.

[demonjigger]

straw. the dog beds are doomed. my dog does the same thing. she can't resist. at $40/per bed, she went through 120$ worth in no time... good luck

[Boogaard]

I think a lot of people forget a dog is a dog, it doesnt need a padded bed or any kind. It does not need a dog house that is like the raddison. A kennel should be no bigger than the dog needs to turn around. I have 2 black labs with dog houses that I have made myself. I have double walls with sand as insulation and hay in the house during the winter and that does fine. With a small enough house and hay on the inside the body heat of a dog should keep it comfotable with reasonable winter temps. I know the guy who invented the hound heater so i cant say bad things about it but with one of those in the house no reason for anything warmer. A smooth plywood floor is all a dog needs!If you look at companies whom make dog houses they do not have carpeted floors either or enough room to fit a couch inside.

[tealitup]

But some of us like to spoil our dog. Nothing wrong with that either. I have a hard time having my dog on a plywood floor for 8-10 hours a day while I am working.

[jigging-matt]

In my dogs kennel he has a wooden platform on the inside with a blanket and a heat lamp above him. This is in the garage. Outside he has a permadeck platform that keeps him off of the concrete. A lot of days he will drag one of the blankets out the dog door and lay on it in the sun. The blankets get ripped once in a while but he doesn't shred them. I agree with Teal, I like to make sure my buddy is comfortable, if you want to call it spoiling, call it that.

[killerloop1]

I have a garage entry from a 6x10 panel kennel with igloo outside and small plywwod box inside heated garage.

He spends 99% of time OUTSIDE only comes in on the really cold windy days.. INSIDE meaning he utilizes is small indoor entry..

So when he in out in the 6x10 I made it outa treated 1x4?? kinda like a dock. offf ground and spaced 1x4's a bit. He loves it and he doesn't get the calase looking rubs on the elbows like cement will do.

I hear ya on the pads and shiX my dog rips EVERYTHING to shreads, nickname CAPTAIN CHEW.

So, toughen up the hunting dogs unless your going to the show!!!!!

[MNpurple]

I've lost numerous beds too and have quit with them. Right now my dog has 3 flannel sheets in her house. If she is in her house, she leaves the sheets in there and if she lays outside, she brings the sheets with to lay on. I have found that anything that is "stuffed" is doomed. The flannel sheets she doesnt tear at, I think, because its just a sheet. Maybe worth a try for you. You can probably pick up flannel sheets at a garage sale.

[tealitup]

Take some flannel sheets - 2 of them. Then put and old blanket in the middle. Get your wife or girlfriend to sew them together.

[Bryce]

I know some people that have used cattle pads and been happy. You can get these at farm supply stores like FF. Where my dogs are trained, they use the little beds that sit up off the floor 6 inches or so. Never asked how well they hold up but have never noticed one chewed up.

[cw642]

Bryce the beds you are thinking of are Kuranda Chew proof. I have some for my dogs they love them. This is my second set of fabric on them. I ordered the cheeper kind the first time and my dogs dug at them enough to get a hole started and tore them apart. Kuranda replaced the cover for free with an upgraded fabric and I haven't had any other problems.

CW

[SpringerGuy]

I have two of the Kuranda beds. My springers use them all the time. I have one male named Chewy, & even he can't chew them up. Expense, but worth it. Cheaper than replacing normal beds.

[French Spaniel]

I use big ice fishing sleds and put wood chips in it. The dogs love it. We have six dogs and they all use them. Some chips will come out occasionally and I simply sweep them up. Try to get the kind of chips that don't have a lot of scent. You can simply get a big bag at your garden center. The shifting of the chips makes for a very soft bed.

I tried the Kuranda beds. My dogs destroyed three of them in no time. I was disappointed. Like a previous poster stated once they got a hole in them they quickly torn it to shreads. I'm not sure about a better quality fabric that was mentioned. I know the ones I purchased were expensive.