Monday, January 10, 2011

Dog Kennels

Dog kennels have become more and more difficult to easily make the choice of what type you need. A short while back, you simply walked into a pet store, came home with a roll of chain link fencing and some metal pipes and the nightmare began! Those times have changed for the better as dog kennels have evolved into a much more user friendly product than they were.

To understand the difference between the different types of kennels, let's look at the two main types: Self assembled or "kit" kennels and "modular" kennels.

Most chain link dog kennels fall into the kit category. You assemble the frame of the kennel and attempt to stretch the chain link to fit into the frame. This quickly can become a multiple person job with several spousal arguments developing very quickly. In the past several years, the chain link kennel manufacturers have begun to offer modular panels. These kennels have the wall panels already assembled and ready to bolt together, which is a major improvement over the kit style, but being made of chain link is still a problem in itself. Chain link is a soft metal that many dogs can actually chew their way through! The weave of the link has to  be left soft to allow the wire weaving process, so if your dog has a aggressive personality, I do not recommend chain link. Another problem with chain link dog kennels is the ends of the wires are not closed. This can allow your dog to get caught on the ends and get cut very easily, resulting in expensive Vet bills.

Modular dog kennels have many advantages to dog owners as all the walls, gate panels, doors are prefabricated. Simply setup the panels in the configuration you need and fasten them together. This makes the kennel very easy to move if needed or expanded if you acquire a second or third dog.
Modular dog kennels come in many different types and strengths. The gauge number of the kennel wire is an indication as to the kennels ability to contain larger and more aggressive breeds of dogs. An 8 gauge kennel is much stronger than a 11 gauge kennel, so keep this in mind when purchasing. A dog kennel of a lighter gauge material may work fine for keeping your pet contained within the area you wish, but consider what may be in your area that you want to keep out. If you have predators in your area, wolves, mountain lions, coyotes and many others, you would want to go with the strongest kennel available to keep your pet safe.

I encourage people to call the manufacturer of the kennel and discuss your individual needs with them. Many communities are now placing restrictions on the types of dog kennels you may have on your property, so speaking directly to the manufacturer can save many problems later.

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