When you get your first dog you may be overwhelmed by the range of kennels available to house them. You can get everything from portable kennels used to transport your dog or to use when travelling to whelping kennels for people who breed dogs. However, by far the most popular style is the traditional outdoor dog kennel.
An outdoor kennel is nearly always constructed of wood and generally has either one or two rooms. The number of rooms is usually dependent on how much of the day the dog spends in it. For a dog who sleeps outside at night then an outdoor dog kennel with 2 rooms is preferable as then he can have a room which is not exposed to the elements to sleep in and another to rest and chew a toy or bone in during the day where he can see what is going on around him. Sometimes galvanised metal cages are advertised as kennels though in reality they are somewhere between a kennel and a run. They tend to be big enough to move around quite freely but don’t have the comfort factor of a nice confined kennel.
If your garden is not particularly secure or there are lots of lovely flower beds which could be destroyed then you might want to have a dog kennel and run formation so that he can exercise in safety. The dog house should be put into one corner so that it doesn’t impede your dog from running the length of the run and should be under cover of shade so that he doesn’t overheat in warmer weather.
If you are going to leave your dog in an outdoor dog kennel for any length of time during the day or night then there are certain dog kennel accessories which you should buy. The first is a good heavy water bowl which cannot be easily tipped up. Regular drinks of fresh water are essential for the wellbeing of any animal and you wouldn’t want your dog to get thirsty. Another thing that will be appreciated by your dog is a nice, comfortable bed to rest and sleep on. If he spends the night in the kennel and you live in an area where the temperatures can drop quite low then you might consider a heated dog bed.
The last vital ingredient to make your pet love his dog kennel is a range of different toys. Balls to chase, rubber toys to chew and a bit of old rope to carry around or play tug ‘o’ war with when you are home.
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