Dog Kennel and Run Flooring

It can be a little bit daunting when you are trying to determine what the best dog run flooring is for your pooch, especially if you are building the dog kennel and run. Although there are a lot of things to consider when deciding how to build a dog run, here we will cover first the kind of questions that you need to consider in selecting a material to make the floor out of, and then the different options that are available to you and your dog.

First of all, I think it’s important to think about the comfort of your dog when building a dog run. For example, you may want to provide more than just concrete for your pup to laze out in the mid-day sun upon. (More about concrete later.)

You also have to think about the weather. How do different materials deal with alterations in the temperature, for example? You want your dog to be able to lie down outside on his run, and not just inside. Even if it’s cold, he should be able to lie down on either the dog kennel flooring or else something which is placed upon it.

I also believe it’s very important to think about the “plumbing” of your dog run flooring. You need to make sure that whatever flooring is used, it has very good drainage and as important is easy to clean. So you should think about the drainage of different floor types, their absorbency or lack of it, and how easily the whole thing can be thoroughly rinsed out with a hose.

So now that you know what to look for, let’s examine some different types of flooring for your dog’s run.

Instant flooring is a popular choice for kennels and runs these days. It's quick and easy to install, and not terribly expensive either. It's also very nice and comfortable for the dog to lay on, and is fairly durable. It's not that easy to use if you're covering a large run, and you might find other options better, but it's definitely good for the smaller pen or run. And it's portable--a definite plus over concrete.

One that I have used quite a lot in my dog pens is cement. You may think that it is too hard and cold in the winter, but those are both elements that can be taken care of by throwing some mats down for the pup. Give him some sort of an outdoor “bed” and just make sure he knows where to go to the bathroom and where not to! The good thing about concrete dog run flooring is that if you seal it properly, it will not absorb any urine.

An alternative to concrete is high density plastic flooring. This has many of the same drainage benefits of concrete, but it is much lighter weight. It can be easily installed because of this. I'm not so fond of this, as plastic gets brittle easily, scratches, breaks and can be chewed on by over-eager puppies.

After those options, I would recommend gravel flooring as a distant fourth place. It's fairly sanitary, can be changed if it gets dirty, and it's easy to clean up. Unfortunately dogs both adult and puppies have been known to chew and swallow the gravel. So you wouldn't want to use it if your dog was a chewer or if you'll be putting puppies in the run.

Try to avoid just simply letting your dog run on a contained area of grass, as he will quickly kill it all off and then he will just be hanging out in a potential mud and dust pit, which is not so ideal.