The American Beagler Forum

I see a lot of people have above ground kennels. What is the advantage of them vs a regular kennels?

here is some reading for you from a post off the hunted hare website

http://norwester.proboards.com/thread/3 ... ennel-idea

I have one above ground kennel that is the quarantine kennel for pups I get until they finish all shots, then they go in regular kennels.

Simplest answer I have is cleanliness.

I just built above ground kennels this fall and i cound'nt be happier. I think the number one advantage is hygiene, all excrement just passes through the wire. I have also heard that it helps with fleas and other parasitic nuisances. The wire floor does a very nice job keeping their feet conditioned as well. I live in upstate n.y. so it is very nice to be 4 ft above ground when the snow sets in. I would never go back to being on the ground.

Don't it make more work cleaning up after them?

Not at all, just rake it up. If you miss a couple days its no big deal because your dogs are not wallowing around in their own excrement.

Richie57 wrote:Simplest answer I have is cleanliness.

X2 (clean and dry)

Richie57 wrote:Simplest answer I have is cleanliness.

This and if you live in a cold climate there is more....in Maine the winters are cold. Originally I built a great concrete slab and it was awesome all summer and fall after I laid it because you could just hose it off and keep everything clean/odor free. Then along came winter, now you can't spray it down because the water freezes and makes it dangerous. Then again dog urine does the same thing so when you go in to scoop the crap up you about break your neck on urine ice ponds.


The above ground kennel is a far better cold climate kennel system in my opinion.

What kind of wire did you use for floor?

tobyyellott wrote:What kind of wire did you use for floor?

well I'm going to start this post of with my opinion on this matter wasn't very popular on the hunted hare site either, as I totally agree with getting your dogs off the ground , I also have my dogs off the ground. BUT in my opinion having your dog live over half his life walking on wire is going to be bad for his feet and frankly in humane. best above floor system is to rip composite deck boards down to 2" and space them 1and1/2" apart. solid footing for your dogs and enough space for $hit to fall through. any wire you buy smaller than 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 will not let the poop fall through

I used 1" x 2" fencing everything passes through well and it does not seem to bother the dogs feet. I also think that it is much more humane when it is -20 outside to be up on the fence as opposed to concrete with excrement frozen on it. I felt as though it was much easier on the dogs this winter. In the late winter when every thing is freezing and thawing and you get that nasty rough ice, that is the stuff my dogs hate walking on, fence does not bother them one bit.

I think I'm going to start building one. How big would you make it for 2 dogs

My runs are 3' x 8', and then i have boxes built inside the shed that are 3' x 4'. Shed is fully insulated and i run a small electric oil filled radiator in there set on low, even at -20 outside it still stays above freezing in there. No more freezing water. I can very comfortably fit 2 dogs in each kennel, and could probably fit three tightly.