Dog Kennel Guide

If you are searching the internet for dog crates then one name that you will encounter time and again is Vari Kennel by Petmate.  These crates are extremely durable being made from heavy duty plastic and so will last you and your pet a very long time.  This style of dog kennel has 3 main uses:

House Training

If you have a new puppy who is not yet house trained then vari kennels are a great option.  A dog will always try to keep the place where it sleeps and rests clean and so by making the kennel a fun place to be, by adding interesting toys, your puppy will want to spend time there but will try and hold on.  You do need to make sure that you take him outside regularly to allow him to go to the toilet somewhere suitable but he should gradually be able to go for longer and longer periods between going out.  The great thing about these kennels is that they are plastic and so very easy to clean and anti-bacterial and many versions have a gutter running round the edge of the floor so that if the puppy does happen to urinate he won’t have to sit in the wet.

Transporting

Most people need to put their dog in the car at some point or another.  Either to take him to the vets or a dog boarding kennels or when visiting friends and family.  A vari kennel is ideal for car travel as it has a handle on the top (up to medium sized kennels) for carrying it and a hole to pass a seat belt through which will make the journey much safer.  Strong wire mesh doors have easy opening latches for easy access to your pet.

Airline Travel

A petmate vari kennel is one of the few kennels which is airline approved.  This means that, unlike with many kennels, the kennel is allowed to transport dogs on a plane.  This is because it has plenty of ventilation so that the dog can breathe easily in the hold and special side bars which ensure that the kennel cannot lie flat against a wall reducing ventilation.  It is also possible to clip a water bowl to the door or floor in a deluxe vari kennel so there is no risk of your dog going thirsty on a long journey.   The final advantage is that they are one of the few kennels that vary in size from very small to large enough for a Doberman or Great Dane.

Many people would argue that dogs are made for walking and that the phrase ‘walkies’ brings about a huge amount of excitement and bouncing around.  However, for some dog walking isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  It may be that your dog is old and arthritic and, though he still loves to be outdoors, he can’t walk any distance any more.  Or it may be that you have a smaller dog but often go for very long walks which he can’t manage with his little legs.  In these cases you would be well advised to look into buying a dog carrier.

Believe it or not there is actually a large and varied range of dog carriers on the market today.  Most people are well aware of the dog crates which are used when carrying a dog to the vets or a boarding kennel.  These are made from plastic with a grate at the front to stop the dog from getting out.  If you are proud of your green credentials then a cardboard eco-carrier made from mostly re-cycled materials will stop you panicking about the amount of plastic you are using.

If you have a particularly petite pet then a small dog carrier in the form of a hand bag is all you will need.  These specially designed bags have reinforced handles which are slightly longer than those on a normal handbag so that the dog can sit up and poke his head out.  The bag is also well ventilated so that your pet is able to breathe even if the bag is done up.

Modes of transport for babies have also been used as a model for various types of dog carrier.  It is possible to get a front pouch style carrier for dogs up to about 20lbs.  These have padded bottoms and a lead and collar fastener at the top to stop the dog from escaping.  They also have lots of useful pockets for the dog owner to stash his or her belongings.  The other type of carrier is in the form of a stroller only the seat is completely flat and padded with a mesh front to stop the dog from jumping out.

The final type of dog carrier to discuss is a collapsible carrier.  These are made from a light metal frame which has a nylon cover stretched over it.  These are incredibly light weight and fold down very small and so don’t take up much space.  This type of carrier is ideal for journeys in the car.

So, next time you think that you will have to leave your pet at home in his dog kennel while you go out for a walk, think again!

Amidst the excitement of thinking about the arrival of a new puppy you will also be considering the puppy accessories that you will need to buy to make his new life as comfortable and fun as possible.  One of the accessories that is thoroughly recommended by dog experts is a puppy play pen.  Here we will discuss the different types which you could buy and the benefits of owning one.

There are three main construction materials used for making puppy play pens: metal, plastic and fabric.  The type of puppy pen that you decide to buy will depend on what you will mainly be using it for.  Most people use them to help keep their newest family member confined to one place so that he can’t get himself into dangerous situations, say by chewing wires, or inadvertently destroy household objects.  By using a pen he can be in the same room as everyone else, feeling like a member of the family, without getting into mischief.

A lot of people also put a dog kennel into their puppy pens so that their pet has somewhere comfortable to go for all the naps that a young dog needs.  A kennel will also help with house training as a dog will not want to soil an area that it considers its own territory and so will try his best to wait until you take him out of the pen and kennel.  Make sure that you take him outside frequently and give him lots of praise for going to the toilet in the right place.

If you will be taking your puppy to visit lots of friends and relatives then your best option is a fabric puppy play pen, which will weigh very little and can be collapsed down to fit into a car or when it’s not in use.

A plastic dog pen will probably suit someone who doesn’t have a lot of space or who only intends their puppy to be in it for short periods of time, say when they leave the room.  They tend to be a lot smaller than metal pens and to have special carpet protecting corners.

A metal puppy play pen is likely to be larger and more sturdy and you can also use it as a room divider or door gate to keep the puppy in a certain area.  They are still very light and easy to move from room to room but take up more space.  The advantage of a metal pen is that as the puppy grows older you will be able to put it in the garden to make a run for his outdoor dog kennel.

If you have to be away from home for any length of time each day then one of your main considerations should be the comfort and happiness of your dog while you’re not there.  There are numerous things that you can do to keep him entertained, safe and exercised from employing a dog walker to investing in a dog exercise pen.  Here we will discuss the uses of a dog pen to stop boredom.

Dogs are energetic animals which need plenty of exercise each day.  If they are cooped up all the time then they will start to display unwanted behaviour such as whining and barking or damaging furniture and other belongings.

Dog exercise pens are large, generally metal, structures which safely keep your dog in one place while allowing him to run around and play.  They will also protect your garden from being dug up and save you from having to block every hole and gap in your fence.  If your dog is a bit of an escape artist then you may want to invest in a pen with a roof and many people also put a dog kennel within the pen so that their dog has somewhere comfortable to sleep or just relax.

You can train a dog to use one of these from a very young age and many people invest in a puppy exercise pen so that their dog becomes accustomed to playing in it right from day one.

There are several important dog accessories which you will need to add to your dog exercise pen to ensure that your dog enjoys his time there.  One is a large water bowl which can’t easily be knocked over.  This way he will always remain well hydrated even in hot weather.  The other is a range of dog toys.  These should include toys that can exercise his jaws, such as hard, chewy toys, toys for running around with, such as balls and interactive toys.

Do remember though that a dog exercise pen is not supposed to replace proper exercise such as a long daily walk. So if you find that you are working such long hours that you can’t take him out daily then you might want to employ a dog walker or alternatively look into doggie day care.  This way your dog won’t come to view his pen as a cage as he can look forward to going out for a walk.

When you first start to think about buying equipment for the time when your puppy is ready to come home you should seriously consider a dog pen.  Dog pens are versatile and extremely useful for a variety of reasons and you will still find use for it once your dog is fully grown.

When your puppy is young you will use it mainly as a dog play pen.  A place where your puppy can run, play and be part of the family.  You can move it to whichever room the family is in so that the puppy feels like he’s joining in while not actually having access to things which he could damage, such as wires.  The pens are made of very lightweight metal so that they are easy to move around without risking hurting your back.

Another use is for house training your puppy.  If you place a small dog kennel within the dog pen then your puppy will consider all this area to be his ‘patch’.  He will, therefore, do his best not to do his business in the pen or kennel.  You will need to take him outside very regularly and give him lots of praise whenever he goes to the toilet in an appropriate place.  Always make sure that he is taken out of his pen about half an hour after a meal or else you’re just asking for trouble!

Dog play pens can also be used in slightly different ways.  Some people use them as a gateway across a door opening so that the dog is kept within a certain room but has free access to the room itself.  Once your dog gets bigger the pens can double up as outdoor dog exercise pens.  This will allow your pet to enjoy the sounds and sights of the outdoors without risk of escaping or digging up the garden.  Of course, unless it is a galvanised dog run it will need bringing indoors during bad weather or overnight as otherwise it could rust.  The galvanising process helps to protect metal from corrosion and so if the metal has been treated then the pen is safe to leave outside in all weathers.

If your dog is to spend any length of time in his pen then it is best to keep a dog kennel in it.  This way he can escape bad weather and also has somewhere to go when he just wants to lie down and relax.

There are so many varieties of dog kennel that when you first start to look for one you could start to feel totally overwhelmed.  There are dog homes for a huge variety of uses from a collapsible travel kennels to a chain link dog kennel which you would keep in the garden.  To help you decide which type of home to buy for your dog you will first need to consider the main uses that you need the kennel for.  It may be that you even decide that you will need more than one.  If your dog is to be kept outside during the day but you will bring him in at night time then some form of metal dog cage would probably be most suited to you.

These can be subdivided into modular or chain link dog kennels.  Here we will discuss the merits of a chain link dog kennel.

Firstly, they are incredibly easy to assemble yourself even if you are relatively unskilled at building things.  They come flat packed in a box for ease of transportation and you start by putting posts where you would like the four corners of the cage to be.  These can either be set into concrete or hammered securely into the ground.  Make sure that the dog kennel has enough space for the dog to be able to run a short distance and that it is at least partly shaded so that your dog doesn’t boil in the heat.  If there is no shade available then you can purchase run covers relatively cheaply.

Once the posts are securely in place then you simply unroll the chain link dog run and wrap it from post to post, attaching it firmly to each post.  Just remember to leave space for the gate, which will come ready made.  If your dog is likely to try and escape then you may wish to add a roof.

Many people decide to build a dog kennel and run combination so that their dog can play and exercise in the run but also has access to a place to rest or sleep.  The kennel should be built into one corner of the run so that it doesn’t prevent the dog from picking up speed when he runs around.

As well as being easy to construct and relatively cheap a chain link dog kennel is also quite lightweight and so if you find that you do need to move it you will be able to do so with little trouble.

The first recorded use of a dog kennel was in Egypt 5000 years BC.  These kennels were made from mud bricks for dogs who were both used as hunting companions and as pets (some people even thought that they were messengers of the gods).  Over the course of history dogs have always been popular pets for humans, often living within the home as part of the family or used as guard dogs of for hunting.  The Victorians started the trend for the traditional pitched roofed wooden kennels which are still popular today.

In the 1960’s the invention of plastic made it possible to mass produce plastic dog kennels.  These come in a variety of forms from folding crates, which can be collapsed for easy storage to kennels to transport dogs in cars.  The most recent addition to this market is the igloo dog house.

Igloo dog houses have been designed with certain specifications in mind to make your dog’s life more comfortable.  They are basically an igloo style dog house with a long porch leading onto a large living area.  The design shape allows good air circulation while the special foam insulation means that an igloo dog house remains nice and warm in the winter but refreshingly cool in the summer.  Most of these houses have a channel which runs all the way round the inside edge which any unwanted fluids will run into.

It is also possible to buy added extras to put onto your kennel such as a door for the entrance or a bowl holder which fixes to the outside of the dog igloo.  A washable floor pad made will also help to keep the kennel clean though the plastic dog house is actually very easy to clean and won’t harbour fleas or mites as a wooden kennel might.

Other advantages of an igloo dog house include the fact that they are incredibly easy to put together, only involving the clipping together of the top and base, and there is no chance of it rotting like a wooden kennel or rusting like a metal dog cage.  The rim of the door has been specially designed to help keep rain out and the inner floor is slightly raised to stop the cold from passing up from the ground and into your dog.  Of course though these are really designed for dogs there is no reason that you could not use a small one as a cat kennel.

If you are looking to buy a dog kennel then you are in luck as the market is huge and so there is a kennel available in every size, shape and colour as well as being made from a variety of materials.  In fact you might find that you just have so much choice that a decision is even harder to make.  One variety is plastic dog kennels.  These are great for small to medium sized dogs but if you have a large dog then you would probably be better off with a wooden or metal kennel.

Thought there are different types of plastic dog crates they do all have some advantages in common.   The main one is that they are very light making them easy to carry and, therefore, easy to transport from room to room or into a car.  The smooth, impermeable surfaces in a plastic dog crate also make them incredibly easy to clean.  You can simply wash larger particles of dirt and hair out and then wipe down the crate with some anti-bacterial cleaner.

There are different varieties of plastic dog kennels made with different purposes in mind.  One type is made from rigid plastic with an easily removable grate at the front.  These are usually used for transporting a dog short journeys in a car, say to the vets or a boarding kennels.  You can buy these for medium sized dogs but for small dogs a cat kennel will work just as well.

A plastic dog house comes into its own when you want to house train a new puppy as dogs are naturally reluctant to go to the toilet in their own bed.  You can use this to your advantage by taking him out to the garden to do his business as soon as he comes out of his dog kennel and, even if he does have an accident, it won’t really matter as it’ll be an easy job to clean it up.

As well as rigid plastic dog kennels you can buy kennels with plastic frames that have nylon stretched over them.  These are made to be easy to fold up so that they don’t take up much space when not in use.  The nylon can also be removed and put into the washing machine when it gets dirty.  These are quite often used by people who take their dogs to shows as they only need them at certain times.

Some people would suggest that dog crates are cruel, cage like structures which remove an animal’s freedom.  However, dogs don’t see it this way.  In their wild, undomesticated past dogs found dens where they had a safe place to go and watch the world go by.  Today’s dogs will still generally find some sort of hidey hole in their owner’s house where they can rest or sleep undisturbed.  By providing them with a dog kennel or crate you are giving them their own little den.  There are several different types of crate available.

Plastic dog crates

These crates are mainly used for transporting small to medium sized dogs, either on visits to the vet or on car journeys.  They are hardwearing and easy to clean and generally have a grate like door, which can be totally removed, at the front.  These are the cheapest type of crate available.

Folding dog crates

These crates are slightly more expensive as they have a frame with fabric stretched over it.  These collapsible dog crates are great for people who want to save space as they can be easily hidden away when not in use.  The nylon covers of soft dog crates can also be put into a washing machine, making them very hygienic.

Metal crates

These are much sturdier and make a great large dog kennel.  They will last much longer than a plastic crate and tend to be a more permanent structure as they aren’t very easy to move once put into place.  Being large they will allow your dog more freedom to play and exercise while still being a safe, secure environment.

Car crates

These are specially designed to fit into the boot of a car and represent a safe, clean way to transport dogs.  The dogs can’t escape into the front of the car where they could cause an accident by paying the driver a visit and, should an accident occur it will prevent them from being thrown across the car.

In short, crates are a form of dog kennel to be used for keeping your dog safe, either while in transport or in your home or garden.  They represent somewhere that a dog can sleep or relax without worrying about any noise or chaos going on around him.  They come in all different sizes and the material from which they are constructed will vary depending on the main use that the crate is for.

Everyone knows that dogs need walking.  Their age, size and breed will determine how much walking they need but all dogs will need to be taken out at least once per day (unless they are ill or extremely elderly).  Of course for many people part of the attraction of owning a dog is to take it on lovely long walks in the countryside but in the modern age of everyone in a family working, often long hours, it is not always practical or possible to do this.  If you are someone who finds it hard to fit in dog walks on the days that they work then you should consider paying someone for their dog walking services.

Leaving your pet in his dog kennel all day is not just boring for him, it is also unkind.  Dogs like to run around and sniff at new and interesting discoveries.  If you leave him in the same place all day he is likely to develop behaviour problems and to become unhappy.  Even an outdoor dog kennel, which gives him access to outside space will soon become tiresome for him if he doesn’t get to go out as well.  Luckily there are many people up and down the country who are advertising their dog walking services.

Look on the internet or in the local papers for people advertising as dog walkers and then ask for references from some other people who are using them.  These people will come to your home as many times in a day as you would like, collect your dog and take him out for a walk for however long you have specified.  Often they will have more than one dog to walk and so your pet will be getting some social interaction and company as well as some much needed exercise.

You will need to make sure that they have specific instructions such as whether he can be let off the lead, any fears he may have and whether he should be returned to the house or his dog kennel.  It is also very important that they know whether he is disturbed by other dog or children as you won’t want them to get him into a situation where he ends up in trouble.

You may also find that someone advertising dog walking services is also willing to do some pet sitting for you if you need to go away for a night or maybe even longer.