Outdoor Kennel Flooring Alternatives

The flooring in a dog kennel can have an impact on the health and happiness of both the dog and the owner. Dirt or sod is the traditional kennel flooring. It's cheap, but it tends to turn muddy when it rains, especially if the dogs frequent certain parts of the kennel and churn up the ground.

  1. Concrete

    • The main advantages of concrete is that it's the most durable and easiest surface to clean. Once the concrete is poured, it requires minimal care. Cleaning and occasional resealing are the only things you need to worry about. Concrete can be cleaned with a hose or pressure washer. You can use a slab of poured concrete, or concrete paving stones. If you use paving stones, grass can grow in the cracks between the stones. Concrete can be cold in the winter, and hot in the summer, so you'll need to provide an area insulated by a rubber mat on which the dogs can rest.

    Pea Gravel

    • Pea gravel is made up of small, rounded stones about the size of a marble. Pea gravel can be laid directly on top of dirt, and prevents the kennel from turning into a mud hole when it rains. The gravel is easy on the dogs' feet, and simple to clean. Scoop up any dog poop with a shovel and place the waste in the garbage. Hose off the remaining gravel, and you're done. Pea gravel is also cheap and easy to replace. You can replace any gravel lost by just by dumping a new bag of gravel on the ground and smoothing it over with a rake. You can purchase pea gravel at just about any hardware store.

    Wood Chips

    • Wood chips are made of ground chunks of scrap wood. Wood chips are functionally similar to pea gravel, but look nicer and are biodegradable. Some dogs chew on wood, which may cause splinters in the dog's mouth. Like pea gravel, cleaning is simply a matter of scooping up waste and hosing down the area.

    Mats

    • Mats are usually made of plastic or rubber. They can be solid or woven. Mats can be laid over dirt or concrete, and they allow water to drain. Scoop up the waste, and hose down the mat to clean it.They are softer than concrete, but don't allow the dog to dig holes like pea gravel or wood chips. They can be expensive, depending on how much area you need to cover. Some mats are cut to fit an existing area, while others are made of interlocking tiles so you can customize the fit.