Outdoor Dog kennel flooring advice

[bonecollector23]

I am planning to install outdoor dog kennel/run in my backyard. Need advise on the flooring. I don't really want to install a concrete pad or patio stones because I heard it is back for joints. What do you guys suggest for an alternative flooring- I was thinking pea gravel.

Bc23


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[MikePal]

You need something that you can hose off....gravel of any sort is horrible for cleaning.

Cement pads work great....barring that, you can get 3/4" rubber stall mats (4x6) at most feed stores (TSC) for around $50 each. They will give you a good surface; comfortable for the dogs and easy to clean. Put down some chip stone /stone dust for drainage under them.

edit add: I see in the TSC flyer this week that the 5x7 stall mats are on sale for $50.

[dutchhunter]

I agree with the above. Concrete will keep them from digging and keep the nails wore down .easy to wash .... lots of good reason to use concrete. And a Matt may help with other concerns. Dutch

[Tim Tufts]

For the large outdoor runs here at the kennel we use asphalt. Frost cracks and heaves both concrete and asphalt but the asphalt is easy to fix and hoses off just fine.

[Dakota Creek]

Should you put in a concrete pad .... be sure to seal it! Makes keeping clean much easier!

[Ugo]

I like concrete - broom finish - for sanitation, nail and pad maintenance, odour control, long life, drainage, speedy/low maintenance, aesthetics and SECURITY.
You can cut a rubber pad, conveyor belting, etc. of approx. 2 1/2' X 3' to put down on the concrete as a preferred area for your dog to rest on, if you like (as long as your dog is not going to chew/ingest it!).
I like to spray my runs with a dedicated pet-friendly cleaner that both sanitizes and helps with odour control. I also clear out the kennels cyclically, prepare a mixture of dish soap and bleach which I scrub into the concrete with a wide broom. I let this sit for a few hours (while the dogs are worked) and then hose it all down before returning dogs onto it. Try that with pea gravel.
I do not cover my outside runs as the sun's UV rays actually play a huge part in sanitation. That said, my out-building runs east/west with the 6 runs being on the north side only. This affords a small area of shade from the hot sun provided by the building itself. Early morning, the sun starts on the complete area, then swings around to the back of the building mid-to-latter-part-of-the-day providing shade, then shines near the building wall again from the west side in the early evening again - very efficient.
The periphery of my runs has a border of 3/4 clear gravel to support drainage/hygiene. I have replaced this peripheral gravel a number of times just for added sanitation, aesthetics and odour control. Perhaps not necessary but.........I feel better.
In my case, the dogs can select the outside floor, inside on the building floor, inside the building on top of their wooden dog box, inside the building in their dog box. The wide spectrum allows them a number of choices more-often-than-not dictated by the weather.
One detractor of a hard surface like concrete is that it can - over time - splay a dog's pads somewhat. When you weigh in all the +s, that's hardly a deterrent, in my opinion.

[terrym]

Should you put in a concrete pad .... be sure to seal it! Makes keeping clean much easier!

if you end up pouring new concrete you need to wait 28 days to get a complete cure before applying a sealer.