When you’re looking to provide your family’s four-legged friend (or friends) with an outdoor living space all their own, premium pre-built outdoor dog kennels are an excellent solution. Keep Fluffy and Fido safe when you’re busy and cannot supervise them without locking them away in a cramped crate in your spare bedroom!
Here at Backyard Escapes, our outdoor dog kennels are ready to be customized with a host of high-quality options that both you and your pooch will appreciate. But, how do you sort between the features that are “nice to have” and those you actually need in order to keep your dog comfortable and safe outdoors? And how big of a kennel does your pup require?
Today’s blog post offers a few of our biggest tips on how to shop for outdoor dog kennels. We’ll also take a look at considerations you’ll want to make when thinking about a dog kennel’s placement on your property.
First Things First, Why Buy an Outdoor Dog Kennel?
There are a lot of great reasons to own an outdoor kennel, and though the main reason to purchase one may be a convenience for humans, your dog or dog will also enjoy plenty of the advantages kennels have to offer. Here are three of the most significant benefits an outdoor dog kennel brings to your property—for both you and your dog.
Safety for Your Dog Outdoors
While it is outdoors instead of inside your home, a kennel may be likened to your dog’s own personal bedroom. When he or she needs a place to get away from the busy pace of family life, an outdoor kennel can be the perfect private resting (or playing) space. And you don’t have to worry about your pooch running away or getting into trouble while securely locked in the kennel. Simply give him or her a favorite toy, cozy bed, food, and water, and your dog can enjoy the space and some calm “downtime.”
More Affordable than Fencing a Large Yard
If your property encompasses many acres, fencing in even a portion to create a dog-safe exercise yard can be a huge investment. An outdoor dog kennel with a secure interior area and a roofed outdoor run will provide your dog with a safe outside space for a fraction of the cost. Note that you will have to exercise your dog on a leash or with supervision in an unfenced yard, but those experiences can be great for bonding.
May Help Ease Separation Anxiety
Do you and your family spend many hours away from home at work and school each week? If so, your dog may have trouble spending time alone and could become destructive while you’re away. An outdoor dog kennel can be a great alternative to crating your dog inside for hours. Instead of being cramped into a small cage indoors, your dog can enjoy sunlight, fresh air, and changing scenery from the comfort of an outdoor dog kennel instead.
Choose the Right Size Dog Kennel and Run
All of our premium outdoor kennels are well-sized for even the largest dog breeds so they can have playtime, sleeping hours, and more on a regular basis. If you consider the sizing requirements for an indoor crate, you’ll see that the indoor/outdoor space our kennels provide is much more generous.
For example, our 4′ x 8′ single box dog kennel provides adequate space in both the inside and outdoor run sections for even giant breeds like Rottweilers, Mastiffs, and Bernese Mountain Dogs. (Most XXL indoor crates measure only about 46″L x 30″W x 33″H.)
Don’t Forget to Think About Kennel and Run Flooring
You’ve probably noticed in your outdoor dog kennel shopping experience that many DIY kit options do not provide a fully floored run. This keeps costs low on these often low-quality kits, and it doesn’t consider your dog’s comfort or safety either. Filling your dog’s kennel run with gravel or a concrete base can be hard on paw pads. And planting grass turns into an outdoor maintenance issue very quickly.
Our premium outdoor dog kennels all feature composite decking in the run area that is both easy to clean and comfortable on dogs’ feet. Standard interior flooring is 5/8″ LP flooring with a 10-year warranty. And, if you step up to a fully finished interior for your dog kennel, that flooring will be polyurea-coated for easier cleaning.
Where’s the Best Place to Put an Outdoor Dog Kennel?
While it may seem like a good idea to group your outdoor dog kennel with other outdoor structures on your property, like playsets and sheds, you’ll need to consider both weather exposure and your dog’s tendency to bark when kids are playing outside or you’re working in your yard.
All of our Backyard Escapes durable and high-quality outdoor dog kennels provide a roof over the outdoor run area, which means shade from the sun is less of an issue for most dogs during the day—even if the indoor kennel section is closed off. You’ll still want to ensure that your kennel is located in an area on your property that doesn’t get whipped by the wind and driving rain.
You’ll also want to consider sightlines from neighbors and/or roads around your property. If you plan to allow your dog access to the kennel when you’re not home, you need to think about whether he or she will bark at neighbors or pass traffic and cause a disturbance. If your property is very rural, you likely don’t need to worry about this as much.
Backyard Escapes the Amish-built dog kennels you’re looking for
When you’re ready to purchase an outdoor dog kennel for your canine companion, Backyard Escapes is your best resource in Maryland. Each outside dog kennel we sell is hand-crafted in the United States by expert Amish woodworkers and finished to order with your choice of siding color, trim color, and roof shingle color or optional metal roof.
We invite you to come out and browse our dog kennel selection at our outdoor showroom right off Ocean Highway in Pocomoke City, MD. Or, start customizing right here on our website now!
