When building a kennel, it is important to think of everything so that it is comfortable in summer and winter, secure, healthy, sufficiently spacious, and of course very resistant. Choice of materials, and area, are among the points to be studied beforehand as well as the location of this enclosure. Review of details.
Composition of a kennel
The kennel is an enclosure intended to accommodate one or more dogs. It consists :
- Of a rectangular, square, or even octagonal structure which includes nested tubes fitted with hinges or posts as well as panels,
- One or more doors must be able to be closed with a lock,
- A floor ideally suited to the exterior knowing that the concrete allows the canines to have a healthy enclosure. A gutter or drain grate must be added. It is also possible to opt for a ground covered with pallets of excellent quality, without splinters, or even for the meadow this last solution however forces the dogs to evolve in a muddy space on rainy days.
- A shelter that protects against bad weather and the sun.
The kennel should contain dedicated space for movement and an elevated resting place. It is possible to install for example a niche in the kennel allowing the animal to isolate itself if it wishes.
Kit kennels are available on the market with high-quality mesh panels that are installed on a concrete base after some earthworks.
Materials of a kennel
For the construction of a kennel, one can use:
- solid wood,
- Plywood or CRPS,
- Galvanized steel, this last solution is very strong and weather resistant.
If you opt for steel mesh panels, it is essential that the latter are spaced no more than 35 mm to prevent dogs from getting their paws caught in the gaps.
The larger the kennel, the more equipment is needed. If it is located in the center of the field, it is necessary to build the four sides of this enclosure. If possible, it is therefore more economical to lean it against a building or to install it in a corner of a wall. We thus gain one or two partitions. It is also possible to fit out the kennel in an existing outbuilding which can further reduce the budget to devote to it.
Kennel size
The regulatory size of a kennel is at least 5 m² per dog. Three elements must be taken into account when defining the surface of the kennel:
- The type of dog it must accommodate, namely:
- A small dog needs an enclosure of about 3 x 2 m,
- A large dog must have a space measuring at least 4 x 2 m,
- A giant-sized dog needs a minimum of 8 x 12m.
- The number of dogs,
- The number of hours spent in the kennel on a daily basis, knowing that the more time dogs spend in their kennels, the more space they need to exercise.
It is assumed that the kennel should be more or less the size of the dog x 10. If it does not have a roof, it should be high enough that the animals cannot jump over it. A height of 2 meters is a good size.
Once the kennel is completed, it is imperative to carefully check its finishes. Nails and screws must not protrude or even splinter or, if a mesh fence has been chosen, care must be taken that the dogs do not injure themselves. But before starting to build a kennel for your dogs, it is recommended to go to the town hall of your municipality to know your rights and obligations.
Private kennel for his dogs: what do the regulations say?
Before embarking on the construction and installation of a kennel on your land, it is essential to be aware of the health rules for animal protection. It is the decree of April 3, 2014, which defines the development standards currently in force. These rules vary according to the number of dogs that one wishes to install in the kennel. Thereby :
- From 1 to 9 dogs, the RSD must be applied, i.e. the Departmental Health Regulations,
- For 10 dogs or more, we imperatively rely on the regulations of the Ministry of Ecology. This is much more drastic than the RSD.
In addition, you must go to the town hall to find out the rules:
- Of construction,
- development,
- noise pollution,
- Non-collective sanitation.
It is indeed the mayor of the municipality who has authority in terms of kennels.
Location of the kennel
The ideal is to place it sheltered from the wind, in a cool and shaded area. Its place of the establishment must be judiciously chosen so that the dogs are there as comfortably as possible. But it must also be placed at a good distance from the neighbour’s fence so as not to impose certain bad smells on it or disturb its peace of mind. Dogs in kennels are likely to bark frequently. Let’s not forget that noise is part of neighborhood disturbances.
Building a kennel out of rigid mesh panels: the procedure
Take for example the construction of a kennel made of mesh panels. Here are the main steps to follow.
- Carry out the tracing on the ground,
- Excavate the ground in order to obtain a flat surface,
- Drill the ground with an auger or a pickaxe and a shovel to dig the holes that will accommodate the uprights of the panels,
- Put the posts in place and check that they are well-anchored,
- Seal the posts by placing concrete dosed at 340 or 360 kg/m3 at their base and take care to respect the plumb,
- Let the concrete set well,
- Install the rigid mesh panels by monitoring the levels and fixing them well to the posts using securing clips,
- Install the kennel doors and adjust them correctly,
- Place a geotextile on the raw floor of the kennel,
- Cover the geotextile with a bed of sand,
- Lay a welded mesh,
- Install drain grid or gutter,
- Pour a clean slab with a thickness of at least equal to 10 cm, respecting a sufficient slope to allow the flow of water.
Once the work is completed and the slab is completely dry, all that remains is to clean everything to accommodate the dogs. Thereafter, it will be essential to maintain the kennel on a daily basis so that the dogs evolve in a healthy and pleasant universe. In this field, regularity is a sine qua non. If you are not a DIY pro, you can quite easily build a dog kennel – preferably with the help of one or two people – as long as you opt for a model in a kit form consisting of mesh panels or galvanized steel bars. The starting price is $250. It increases of course in proportion to its dimensions.