Does anyone have any advice about size, material to use, ect when putting up a kennel? I am preparing to put one up and would like any information that I can get. What size works best for a female who will be having puppies. I am breeding Australian Shepherds. I have unlimited space for the kennel so that isnt a problem. I have a pretty good idea about what I want but am looking for more advice from all the experts. ;)
Thanks!
QT

Hi QT

It might be better if you tell us what you have in mind and then we can comment on that - gives us something to start with :)

Christine

I am planning on putting up a long solid building, that will be divided into 10x10 sections. Each dog will have a section. The building will be well insulated since we have very cold winters here. There will be a door out the front of each section. There will be a door for people to go through with a doggie door built into each one. The door will go out into a run for each dog. And a fence will run from the sides of the building and around all runs to enclose the whole thing, (just in case). I am hoping the fence around it all will help to keep out 'undesirables' since the neighbor that lives 4 miles away has two male dogs. There will be only one entrance to the larger fence and that will be padlocked so only my husband or I will be able to enter the area.

Well what do ya think?
Hope that all was understandable.

QT

Hi QT, I used to breed Aussies, ( dont now though) and have a very similar set up to the one you are describing.My kennels are made from breeze blocks, (with insulation) and have wooden doors and internal gates. However, the internal gates are never shut, the dogs are always allowed to go in and out as they please. Attatched, I have two thirty foot x sixteen foot concrete runs, and a big grass run, about 60 x 30 foot, which I always keep the grass quite long in, so they have a cool place under the trees in hot weather.
Aussie pups are beautiful, and most Aussies whelp very well, and are excellent mothers. The pups can be very vocal as they get a bit bigger, but you should be fine as you have no near neighbours. Wishing you all the best with your litter.Make sure your fences are at least 6 ft high!!!

QT, one of the most important things to consider when designing a kennel block is the drainage system. You really need to do your homework on this, because if you get it wrong, you will get all sorts of problems.

How true! When we moved here we got a gentleman called Archibald to build a kennel block. Apart from a few other small faux pas like putting the doors in the wrong place, then having to brick up the holes and cut new ones with a stillsaw, Archibald apparently thought the best place for drainage was interior corners. Despite many revisions, digging of soak aways, skimming of floors etc, the kennels are now mostly occupied by Ian's inanimate junk. The only good thing to be said is that the word 'archiballs' is now part of the local vocabulary :-).

Concrete flooring with, as Leigh and Sharon say, appropriate drainage and soakaways.

Lighting? You could put in light activated energy saving bulbs and switch to heat bulbs in winter.

Plus. A self watering system would be useful but could be pricey.

Hi QT

If you have a passageway within the building you will be able to see into each kennel without going outside again - might be useful if you have, say one lot of pups and another dog recovering from an operation then you can sleep in the passage and keep an eye on both.

Put as much insulation in as possible - to retain heat in winter and keep it out in summer. Have windows and curtains (again, retain heat in winter and try to keep it out in summer) in the passage so you have some natural light. I would probably quarry tile the floor rather than use concrete and would put doors in the corners rather than the middle of the individual kennels. A covered area over the first part of the runs could be useful so that feet dry off fractionally before coming inside when wet as well as somewhere dry outside when raining.

Christine