Kennel surface

onyx'girl · 02-06-2009, 09:37 PM

I didn't know which forum to place this, please move if needed. I figured breeders would be more knowledgable than general pet owners as breeders have kennel/runs and know what is best for the ground.
We are thinking of building an outdoor run/kennel for the dogs when the weather turns to mud instead of this clean snow we are so use to! The place we have chosen is an area that is completely shaded/NW corner and in an L of our house. There would be a door to access it from inside the house. They would only be out there for a short time to do their business early am. and late pm or if we had to put them somewhere, because of company, ect.
Right now, there is river rock in this area. Would we remove it or could we put down a thick layer of pea gravel to cover the 2 inch size river rock. It has been there at least 15 yrs and is pretty deep/embedded. Opinions are appreciated!

xwildman138x · 02-06-2009, 09:45 PM

I don't know from experience or anything but that sounds to me like the perfect base to put the gravel over. I would think it would pack down very nicely

**Chris Wild** · 02-06-2009, 09:52 PM

Pea gravel doesn't pack. It remains loose and sifty permanently. Which makes for good drainage, but is a bit trickier to sanitize, and also likely to scatter all over the place as the dogs run around and dig in it.

IMO, sealed concrete or patio pavers are the best in terms of keeping dogs clean and being easy clean up. But pea gravel is a great 2nd choice.

xwildman138x · 02-06-2009, 10:52 PM

Is it true that dogs kept on concrete causes problems with their joints or is that a urban legend

onyx'girl · 02-07-2009, 07:48 AM

My dogs wouldn't be out there long enough to get a joint problem! I think if a dog had a cot to lay on and weren't kenneled at long stretches there should be no problems w/joints.
I think we may go w/ the pea gravel as removing the river rock would be so time consuming maybe put a screen around the outsidebottom of the fencing to keep in the small stuff. And then there would be river rock around the outside of the fence before it blends in w/ the lawn.

TRITON · 02-07-2009, 09:06 AM

I definitely think concrete is worth it. I have pea gravel, hate it! I have to bleach/water spray it, rake it. If you get a digger, they will dig down through it. I even had put wire deep under the run itself, still pulled it up. Plus if they get running, it sprays all over. I didn't kennel my dogs on it fulltime at all and they still did some damage to it.

Concrete is easy to clean and maintain.

onyx'girl · 02-07-2009, 09:48 AM

Maybe we'll go that route, my DH great friend drives a concrete truck, we could get some leftovers!

xwildman138x · 02-07-2009, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted By: onyx'girlMy dogs wouldn't be out there long enough to get a joint problem!

Oh I understand that but I was wondering if you guys ever heard about a conection to keeping dogs on concrete and arthritus. I mean it would be super easy to clean but I never considered it because I had always heard about the joint thing. Not just with Sheps but any dog. Maybe its just a myth.

alaman · 02-09-2009, 10:35 PM

I use fake wood like the kind used on piers. Easy to clean and easy on the dogs.

Smithie86 · 02-09-2009, 10:48 PM

We have wood as a base in the barn/kennel building.

02-06-2009, 09:37 PM	#1 (permalink)
onyx'girl Crowned Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: SW, MI Posts: 17,605	Kennel surface I didn't know which forum to place this, please move if needed. I figured breeders would be more knowledgable than general pet owners as breeders have kennel/runs and know what is best for the ground. We are thinking of building an outdoor run/kennel for the dogs when the weather turns to mud instead of this clean snow we are so use to! The place we have chosen is an area that is completely shaded/NW corner and in an L of our house. There would be a door to access it from inside the house. They would only be out there for a short time to do their business early am. and late pm or if we had to put them somewhere, because of company, ect. Right now, there is river rock in this area. Would we remove it or could we put down a thick layer of pea gravel to cover the 2 inch size river rock. It has been there at least 15 yrs and is pretty deep/embedded. Opinions are appreciated! __________________ Jane~ Kept by Onyx, Kacie and Gideon v Wildhaus aka Karlo

02-06-2009, 09:45 PM	#2 (permalink)
xwildman138x Master Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: south jersey Posts: 622	Re: Kennel surface I don't know from experience or anything but that sounds to me like the perfect base to put the gravel over. I would think it would pack down very nicely __________________ Rambo the annihilator (Chihuahua) Born 11/28/2008 RIP Lord Baron von Stowcreek (GSD) 12/3/07-5/30/10 Murphy (chocolate lab) Champ (black lab) Trixie (shep mix) Princess (malamute/shep mix) Ponch (white GSD) Mork (Daschund mix) Shane (shep mix)

02-06-2009, 09:52 PM	#3 (permalink)
Chris Wild Administrator & Alpha Bitch of the Wild Bunch Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Michigan, USA Posts: 12,604	Re: Kennel surface Pea gravel doesn't pack. It remains loose and sifty permanently. Which makes for good drainage, but is a bit trickier to sanitize, and also likely to scatter all over the place as the dogs run around and dig in it. IMO, sealed concrete or patio pavers are the best in terms of keeping dogs clean and being easy clean up. But pea gravel is a great 2nd choice. __________________ *Wildhaus Kennels* Kaiser ~ SchH3 CGC TDI (HOT) Raven ~ SchH3 AWD2 PD1 P1 PA T1 UCD URO2 CGC TT (B/HOT) Della ~ SchHA TR1 PD1 P1 PA T1 URO2 CGC TT (B/HOT) Wulf ~ SchH1 PD1 P1 T1 URO2 CGC TT (B/HOT) Heidi ~ BH CD UCD RN URO1 (B/HOT) Jazz ~ Superpup In Training

02-06-2009, 10:52 PM	#4 (permalink)
xwildman138x Master Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: south jersey Posts: 622	Re: Kennel surface Is it true that dogs kept on concrete causes problems with their joints or is that a urban legend __________________ Rambo the annihilator (Chihuahua) Born 11/28/2008 RIP Lord Baron von Stowcreek (GSD) 12/3/07-5/30/10 Murphy (chocolate lab) Champ (black lab) Trixie (shep mix) Princess (malamute/shep mix) Ponch (white GSD) Mork (Daschund mix) Shane (shep mix)

02-07-2009, 07:48 AM	#5 (permalink)
onyx'girl Crowned Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: SW, MI Posts: 17,605	Re: Kennel surface My dogs wouldn't be out there long enough to get a joint problem! I think if a dog had a cot to lay on and weren't kenneled at long stretches there should be no problems w/joints. I think we may go w/ the pea gravel as removing the river rock would be so time consuming maybe put a screen around the outsidebottom of the fencing to keep in the small stuff. And then there would be river rock around the outside of the fence before it blends in w/ the lawn. __________________ Jane~ Kept by Onyx, Kacie and Gideon v Wildhaus aka Karlo

02-07-2009, 09:06 AM	#6 (permalink)
TRITON Knighted Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Northern IL Posts: 2,099	Re: Kennel surface I definitely think concrete is worth it. I have pea gravel, hate it! I have to bleach/water spray it, rake it. If you get a digger, they will dig down through it. I even had put wire deep under the run itself, still pulled it up. Plus if they get running, it sprays all over. I didn't kennel my dogs on it fulltime at all and they still did some damage to it. Concrete is easy to clean and maintain. __________________ Trish Campbell http://www.tritonkennel.com SG Harley v Triton BH,AD,T-1,RN,CGC,HIC,HOT VP Myth v Triton BH,TT, CGC, Branka SchH3, KKL-2

02-07-2009, 09:48 AM	#7 (permalink)
onyx'girl Crowned Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: SW, MI Posts: 17,605	Re: Kennel surface Maybe we'll go that route, my DH great friend drives a concrete truck, we could get some leftovers! __________________ Jane~ Kept by Onyx, Kacie and Gideon v Wildhaus aka Karlo

02-09-2009, 10:35 PM	#9 (permalink)
alaman Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 399	Re: Kennel surface I use fake wood like the kind used on piers. Easy to clean and easy on the dogs. __________________ Pack leader for Heide, Chazz, Izabella, and Ivan. At the Bridge: Chico and Atja

02-09-2009, 10:48 PM	#10 (permalink)
Smithie86 Crowned Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Nashville, TN and Budapest HU Posts: 3,807	Re: Kennel surface We have wood as a base in the barn/kennel building. __________________ Sue www.k9imports.com V KK1 Molinari Enzo SCH3,IPO3,VK3,FH(WUSVx3, FCIx4) HOT KK1 Frodo v Biezenhoeve SCH3,IPO3,HPO3 (WUSVx2, FCIx2)HOT KK1 Tarnoki-Felvigyazo Quamatz SCH3 (HOT), KK1 Griff v Tajgetosz SCH3(BHOT)

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