Kennel floor...cement or dirt?

[Guest]

What are your opinions on dog kennel flooring?
Which is better, cement or dirt...pros/cons of each.
My personal opinion would be dirt is better...
not as hot/cold in summer/winter
prolonged standing on cement is hard on feet, ankles & knees(at least it is for people,not sure about dogs)

[Rainman]

Your opinion is correct. As long as you give the dog something to lay on instead of laying on the bare concrete you will be just fine. I like concrete because it is easier to clean up, doesn't get muddy, and keeps the toenails short! Just my 2 cents

[delmuts]

i agree with rainman. the dirt can be a big mess with rain etc. give the dogs some type of cover from teh rain and some shade. my $.o2 worth del

[Surface Tension]

Dirt could look like a pig pen in time, plus pretty hard to clean. Theres another alternitive. Treated Plywood. After it has aged prime and paint it to keep the slivers down. Use bleach water to clean and disinfect then hose it off. Also keep your fence panels an inch and a half off the floor. It'll be eaier to clean and hose dog hair out.
If you can pick a location that is shaded by trees in the summer and sunny in the winter is best I believe for kennel location. This isnt always possible so a tarp works but you need large overhangs to shade the kennel. Without the overhang it is only shaded from the sun a couple hours during the day.
Prolly said more then you wanted to know or allready knew.

[waterwolff]

concrete much easier to clean and when shaded it will stay cool my friend laid down heat mats in his poured kennel floor keeps the concrete dry and warm all winter

[Benny]

There is a product out there just for this type of use.It is made out of rubber and has holes through it, kind of like the anti stress mats we use at work to help the feet while standing on concret floor.
I am not sure where I saw it, maybe Cabelas or Bass Pro?Check with a local Kennel, they should know about it.
Or do a search using a couple different search engines.
Benny

[Guest]

The answer is a very definite neither. Build your kennel on stilts. The floor being 3 feet off the ground and the top being 51/2 feet off the ground. Make the box 4 by 4 for two, maybe 3,(depending on how they get along), dogs. Make the run 10 feet long out of kennel wire. The dogs will poop away from the box. What poop does'nt dry and fall through can be worked through with a garden rake or flushed with a hose. Spread lime underneath the wire run area to eliminate flies. Clean the run as often as possible to prevent the dogs from eating their feces. Compost the fecal matter. It has no soil nutritional valus but serves as a decent soil conditioner. This beats the expense and trouble of bagging it for the curb. Hindge the roof of the box to enable feeding and watering. Hindge and ramp the end of the wire run so the dogs can get in and out without lifting them out of the box. Once they learn that the food is in the box they'll run up the ramped end after a day on the trail. The young dogs will learn from the older dogs. You'll have no trouble getting them out. Yes the pups paws will go through the wire mesh. Don't worry, they'll adjust. The wire kennel run floor will toughen the feet of the dogs, eventually they won't even notice the wire floor. Pay attention to sun esposure,(or lack of), in the summer and winter.

[Guest]

I forgot to add that the box is all plywood with plenty of, and frequently changed, hay. Keep the opening from the box to the wire kennel run about a foot or so square and covered with cloth stapled to the top of the opening to reduce heat loss during cold weather.

[Bryce]

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