How to Build a Kennel With Wood and Wire

If you're going to buy a larger breed dog for your house, occasionally you will need to leave it outside. The vast majority of large simply need more room for exercise than the inside of your house can provide. Even if you have a fenced back yard, you may need to install a wood and wire kennel to dedicate a part of your yard for your dogs' use, particularly if your dogs are diggers or just won't stay out of your more elaborate landscaping.

Things You'll Need

  • Tape measure
  • Stakes
  • Posthole digger
  • 4-inch by 4-inch lumber posts, 4 feet high
  • Heavy-gauge wire fencing
  • Metal gate with hinges and latch
  • Drill
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure out the area for your kennel. For a large dog, a 6-foot by 12-foot area would be enough, but you would want to enlarge it if you have more animals you plan to keep there. Put down stakes to indicate the corners and other post locations (at least every 3 feet).

    • 2

      Use the posthole digger to make a hole at least 2 feet deep for your 4-inch by 4-inch (4x4) beams. You want an above-ground height of at least 4 feet, so your beams should be 6 feet long each.

    • 3

      Place the posts into the holes. Add dirt back into the holes, if needed, to support the posts and keep them level.

    • 4

      Unwrap the fencing and connect it to each of the posts. Leave one of the shorter ends of the kennel uncovered so you can install the gate on that end. The process may vary, but it's likely that you'll need to use fencing staples to secure the fence to the wooden posts. For the gate, the hinge hardware may differ by manufacturer, but you'll be using bolts to install the hinges in one of the wooden post and the latch holder on the other post.