Design Your Own Dog Kennel

Designing a dog kennel is a fairly simple process, and here we will consider primary issues with kennel building and cover the basic steps to implement your own kennel design.

Step 1 – Plan Your Design

Consider what your dog needs, both now (if he’s a puppy) and later as an adult. Don’t build a 4 foot tall kennel if he’s going to be standing 4 feet tall in a year or so. You should have plenty of room for him to run around and exercise, as well as shade if you don’t plan to add a roof.

Step 2 – Plant Posts

Start with 2x4 wooden posts, spaced 4 to 6 feet apart. Cut them however tall you need, but add an extra foot and a half to be planted in the ground. You can opt to go with metal posts, but wood typically looks nicer and is easier to build onto later if you like.

Dig your posts about 2 feet deep. Fill 5 or 6 inches with gravel or sand for water drainage, then insert your posts. Fill small amounts at a time with your concrete mixture, continually checking the level to be sure it stays plumb. Let concrete set over night.

Step 3 – The Floor

This is an optional step. You may leave the dirt ground as-is, but you run the risk of your dog digging out. Your dog may also be pestered by ground bugs, and it is harder to keep the kennel and your dog clean.

A common fix here is to pour a concrete slab. Attach 2x4 runners from post to post, to hold your concrete in. Pour it, and let it set at least a full day or more.

Step 4 – The Door

The door design is simple; build yourself a square frame from 2x4’s, with a diagonal 2x4 from corner to corner, sized so that the frame fits just inside two posts with about a ¼ to a ½ inch space on each side. This space will allow it to swing freely without binding. Attach with metal hinges and attach the latch to the outside.

Step 5 – Fencing

Make sure to find fencing that is as tall as your posts, and is long enough to cover all sides to the kennel. For metal posts, you’ll need to use at least 3 metal ties on each post, but for wooden posts you can use a heavy duty staple gun. Don’t be afraid to put too many staples in. Install fencing on your door as well.

Step 6 – Protection From The Elements

For the roof, cut a section of plywood to fit square on top of all your posts, and simply nail or drill it in.
For extra weather protection on the sides, especially from a cold wind, you can attach simple nylon panels to your chain link fencing.