Recommended Sizes for a Dog Kennel
Tips on how to make the right choice when buying a dog kennel and run
Obviously the first thing you should think about, when deciding on what type of dog kennel and run to purchase, or build, is how big your full grown dog is going to be. If your dog is not full grown, make sure you find out how big he will get before finalizing your purchase and base your decision on that.Secondly, you will probably need to measure up how much space you can afford to set aside for your kennel and run. If you're only building a dog kennel the space can be quite a bit smaller, but if you are planning on keeping your dog outdoors often you may also need to provide space for a dog run as well, so that your dog can get plenty of exercise.
By common standards, a kennel should be tall enough for your dog to stand up. He can lower his head a bit, of course, but when standing his head should not drop below his shoulders. If it does, then your kennel is too small. For comfort's sake he should also be able to lay down and preferably stretch out. My dog loves to sleep on her side, she's a Retriever so we had to allow plenty of space for her to sleep. If it is tall enough and wide enough, following the above requirements, then your dog should not have problems turning around either. Dog's love to turn round in circles before settling down to sleep, so make sure there's room for him to do that.
Dogs don't like being penned up in small, confined spaces. If your dog is going to spend a minimal amount of time in a kennel, then it is probably fine if he does not have a lot of extra space. But, if you intend on keeping your dog in a kennel for hours at a time, say while you are away at work, for example, then you really do need to make sure they have ample room. Keeping a dog in a cramped kennel for hours can end up causing behavioral problems in your pet, and you mind find they get anxious and whine or bark a lot.
In fact, if you intend keeping your dog in a kennel while you are away at work, I'd suggest that you make the kennel larger than the minimum recommendation and also provide him with a run and an area to exercise as well. Providing him with a dog kennel and run will keep him happy. If you limit the space your dog has he will end up being bored and unhappy. Bored and unhappy dogs do things like bark a lot, or dig holes, or end up going crazy when you finally let them off to run around.
Some more practical matters regarding kennels: Make sure that the kennel flooring is comfortable, as that's also an important ingredient in keeping a dog happy. It goes without saying that the kennel should provide your dog with shelter from the elements, make sure rain can't come in through the door, and keep it away from too much direct sunlight also.
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