Building the Dog Kennel and Run

Depending on your location, and the climate of the area you live in, you may find it’s needful to insulate your dog kennel and run. This holds true especially for dogs who live mainly outdoors. If your dog is primarily and indoor dog, who is only put outside occasionally for shorter periods of time then it may not be necessary to insulate your dog kennel.

There are two main reasons for insulating a dog kennel and run, one is to keep the heat in and the cold out, the other is to keep the heat out and to shade and protect your dog from excessive sun and heat.

One of the first things to look into when positioning your kennel is to make sure that it’s not located where it is in direct sunlight for the entire day. It’s great if your kennel can move, as that way you can position it to catch the sun during winter, and then remove it to a nice shady, breezy location during the hot summer months. During winter, position it also so that it is sheltered from any winds or where snow could blow in through the door.

Materials that can be used for insulation: Just as in insulating your home, there are several options for insulating your dog kennel and run. You can base your decisions on what is the most cost effective, easy to purchase, or what you are comfortable working with.

One of the more common materials used for insulating is fiberglass sheets. Fiberglass is an irritant if it comes in contact with your skin, and it can also irritate your dog’s eyes or exposed areas of skin, so you may or may not want to use this for the kennel, particularly if your dog is likely a “chewer”.

Other materials that can be used for insulation include cork board, other soft fibrous boards. In most cases, as with the fiberglass sheets, you will want to cover the insulation material with a second lining of hardboard or gypsum board. Although it is an extra step to line the kennel, it is needed to protect the dog from chewing on the insulation material and it adds yet another layer which also provides additional insulation.

Asbestos has been used for insulation, but that is not recommended for insulating a dog kennel and run.

If you would prefer, you could also consider adding external insulation. The advantage of this is that it doesn’t require re-building, or re-modeling, and it can be done pretty quickly and cheaply. Items that can be used for external insulation include foiled tar paper, or external insulation with pre-colored plaster. If you are interested in external insulation, it would be best for you to check out your local building supply store to see what’s available and cheap, in your area.

It is possible to purchase a kennel complete with insulation too, though these are often quite a bit more expensive than the non-insulated pre-built dog kennel and run.

If you are planning on installing a heater in your dog kennel it is essential to first insulate the kennel. Otherwise you will lose a lot of heat, and the heater will be far less effective.

Other pointers to consider:

• If insulating to keep the heat in, paint your kennel with a dark color, or use dark wood or paneling for the outside.
• If insulating to keep the heat out, paint your kennel with a light colored paint.
• Don’t use lead based paint for painting your kennel, it could poison your dog if he ingested it accidentally.
• Position your dog house so the wind and rain or snow can’t enter.
• Don’t make the door to the kennel too big, just make it big enough for the dog to get through. This will also help in insulating the kennel.
• Build a floor into the kennel to help keep it insulated and to keep your dog up off the cold or damp ground.

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