# Base material for outdoor kennel?



## spiritsmom (Mar 1, 2003)

I have been using straw out there over the winter but I hate it, it sticks to the fur, smells bad quickly and they track it into the shed and the house. My idea was to get rid of the straw and put down pea gravel and then throw down some heavy stall mats in a shady area so they are not always walking on pea gravel when outside. Now I am rethinking that. What else could be used that would allow for no mud, no clinging to the fur or tracking in the house/shed and easy poop pickup? Pea gravel seems to suit all of the above except that I have a house of poop eaters (so they would likely ingest some pea gravel too) and it's harder on their paw pads. Can't do concrete due to the slope and the expense. Any ideas?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Horse stall mats would be my choice....


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

How big of an area are we talking?

Would large paver stones work?


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Our kennel is almost 30 x 18, and concrete base except for 6 x 18 ft at one end that is sand on bottom and topped with mulch. underneath all that was grass/dirt.

I wouldn't hesitate to do this combo for a full sized kennel, but not sand alone because it began to STINK quickly with just the sand over the summer. However, it was a good amount of sand and mulch just for that area so you'd be moving a lot of sand (heavy!!) to do an whole kennel with it.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Pavers may catch a nail, and break it, I would be leary to use them, especially if they shift with sand underneath.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

We did poured concrete on half and then pea stone on the other half surrounded by the poured concrete.

Beau really only used her kennel to potty in (on the pea stone) and on the rare occassion she wanted to be outdoors and we were busy doing something. We also used a sun shield over the top and down one side.


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## Lin (Jul 3, 2007)

Rerun said:


> but not sand alone because it began to STINK quickly with just the sand over the summer.


Sand really does stink fast... My aunt lives on Lake Michigan and has a kennel in the back for her lab. I remember that smell SOOOO well, and she always kept the kennel clean. But the urine in the sand is really bad and impssible to do anything about.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I have used Cedar Chips. I have never had any reaction to them in any of my dogs. They do suck up the mud. Dogs smell good. And cedar naturally repels bugs. 

It does cost some money -- not as much initially as concrete, but in a few years, the cost might be significant. And you have to clean poo daily, and switch out the chips every 4-6 weeks. 

I currently use concrete base and straw in the houses. I agree straw is not cool, but it does keep the critters warmest. 

This is before I cut the kennels in half. the kennel was 14' wide by 23' long. the wood chips section was 14'x4'. The dogs figured it out right away and only pooped in that area.


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## spiritsmom (Mar 1, 2003)

It's about 20x18 feet that we are talking about here. And it has a definite downhill grade to it so I think pavers would not sit level enough.


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## racer (Nov 5, 2010)

you might check into decomposed granite compact it down it'll let the water pass thru


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