dog houses main features

Dog kennels

The arrival of a cane between family members is often preceded by a period of home preparation to make it welcoming and ready to meet the needs of the newcomer. In addition to bowls and a leash, the kennel is one of the fundamental purchases to make our four-legged friend feel right at home and set up a place of his own where he can relax.

The choice can fall on various models on the market, which differ primarily in their indoor or outdoor function, depending on the dog’s lifestyle, and on the characteristics of shape, material and particular needs.

Characteristics of dog houses

The kennel represents for the dog the safe place in which he can calmly rest, without worrying about what is happening around him. It is the place where he can take refuge if something alarms him, if he feels afraid or if he only has to wait for the master to return home. Being a private piece of the house, he usually tends to bring his favorite toys inside to make sure that no one takes them from him, including other dogs in the family.

Precisely because it becomes an important space for the dog, the choice must be careful to ensure a good level of safety and adaptability to its needs.

• Among the characteristics that must be taken into consideration we find first of all the material with which they are composed: whether it is an indoor or outdoor kennel, it must be resistant to external agents, but above all to bites and scratches, thus avoiding trips to the vet for the ingestion of foreign bodies by our four-legged friend. In particular, if you think of soft kennels, the cover should be resistant enough not to let the padding come out, but also easily removable to guarantee the wash necessary to maintain a good level of hygiene. The choice can also fall on a totally waterproof material, suitable for puppies or older dogs, and natural and hypoallergenic materials for the most sensitive subjects.
• The other characteristics to pay attention to are given by shape and size of the kennel. If for outdoor kennels the shape is relatively standard, for indoor ones there is a great variability that can also respond to dogs who want to feel more protected. In general, the possibilities to be considered must include the size of the animal, which will vary over time if purchased when the dog is still a puppy, and the possibility of sharing it with cohabiting dogs or with a litter in the case of bitches that could reproduce. In the event of pregnancies, the dog will in fact tend to want to bring her own puppies to her kennel, considered a safe place where she can breastfeed them with complete peace of mind.
• Finally must be considered the ease of access by the dog: puppies and older dogs will need a lower side to enter the kennel, thus facilitating movements whether they are very small or have joint pathologies that make it difficult to overcome an obstacle.

Indoor kennels

For dogs that live in an apartment or who only have the possibility of access inside the house, the kennel must be considered as the resting place. However, there are numerous types of purchases, which meet all needs and differ in material and ease of movement.

On the market we can find:

• the plastic kennel, preferred by many owners for its ease of disinfection and routine cleaning. The most common has an oval shape and is often filled with pillows and blankets to make it more comfortable and soft. Being made up of a single piece, the dimensions must be chosen according to the growth of the dog, if you do not want to change over time, and it is not very transportable.
• the sofa, is the softest kennel and generally consists of external waterproof material that can be removed for washing and can be equipped with a non-slip bottom. Unfortunately, being made up of fabric and padding, it deforms much more easily, adapting to the usual position of the animal.
• the cot, is more uncomfortable than the previous ones but is chosen above all for families who usually move often and who also need to easily transport their dog’s kennel by closing it. The fabric with which they are made still retains the smells, despite the movements.
• the carrier or kennel, also left available at home can have a positive effect on the dog so that he does not associate the object with transport to the vet or a stressful situation. These are types of kennels that are more protective and can be useful for dogs that prefer this type of cover.

To know more:
How to protect your dog in cold weather

The outdoor kennels

The dog that lives outside instead it needs a shelter suitable for every season, which therefore can be refreshing during the summer, but which also manages to insulate it from the cold and rain in winter.

• The classic outdoor kennel consists of a real house with a sloping roof, which therefore guarantees the descent of water and snow, and a rise from the ground useful for maintaining the insulation from the humidity of the ground on which it rests. The choice of material is influenced by the climatic conditions in which you live. The wooden kennels they are the most insulating ones, both from the summer heat and from the winter cold; they also receive adequate treatments against atmospheric agents even if they may not be entirely suitable for very rainy climates and without additional coverage of a canopy.
• They follow by level of isolation from the outside plastic kennelsmore washable than those in wood, and finally those in metallo.
• A further means of protection is given by kennels with a layer of insulation, made up of particular substances capable of maintaining a suitable temperature for the well-being of the dog inside the kennel in all seasons. The effect is greater if every part of the kennel is insulated, even if the purchase costs rise.

Finally, even in the case of outdoor kennels, the key feature is the comfort: the dog should have the space necessary to move around inside, sit and lie down and the supply of cushions and, to maintain a soft and comfortable floor for rest.