Kennel Design Elements
Our home is our castle.
At least that’s what our pets think. If yours are anything like mine, they’ll defend it to their dying breath and sometimes, it feels like that may happen.
- Oh, look a lady walking an evil dog.
- Oh, that terrible squirrel again.
- Was that lightning?
- Thunder.
- Ooh, I like barking at the wind.
Protecting the home comes naturally, but sometimes that reaction carries over to other locations such as doggie daycare and even on walks as dogs become reactive to others. Whether from fear, separation, or aggression, anxiety can manifest in many ways.
While many kennel owners inherit the kennel as is, not all buildings are built the same. Here are 5 kennel design elements that can help anxious dogs.
1. Personal Space
While a crate needs enough room for a dog to stand up and turn around, leaving your pups in a crate for three weeks on end isn’t a viable solution. You want a space that’s large enough for them to feel safe and comfortable. More importantly, you want a space they can call their own, especially if you send toys or if they graze on their food instead of inhaling it immediately. Large communal rooms can be complex if a dog becomes possessive of food or toys. In fact, some animals, especially those who are anxious or reactive, will wake from slumber and lash out unknowingly if they aren’t familiar with their surroundings.
With each having a large patio, our kennels offer the feeling of an even larger room even if our guests don’t have access during intemperate climates.
2. Closed in Rooms
Does your dog have a room or a wire crate? Some kennels only have wire panels leaving no separation between kennels. This can lead to very loud kennels as dogs bark every time a dog or kennel employee moves. It also leads to fence fighting and other aggressive behaviours from reactive dogs.
Interesting Fact: Did you know that a dog’s bark can be 120dB? Hearing damage to the human ear can occur at 85dB.
Some kennels try to solve this with walls up to the four-foot mark and kennel bars above. Unfortunately, these kennel design elements don’t consider larger dogs and still don’t offer a very good sound barrier.
In a system like ours with floor to ceiling walls, dogs cannot see each other through the doors and the windows are set high enough that only our two-legged employees can see through. Of course, this doesn’t elude the super sniffers that dogs have and some reactive animals still chew at the doors in an attempt to get at our other guests. Thankfully, we have a second building for more reactive dogs.
3. Temperature Controlled
While some dogs like labs love to sit by the fire and others, like huskies like to run around in the snow, a kennel should aim for a moderate temperature of 70F or 21C. There are several ways to achieve this, either through forced air or in-floor heating. We use the former, while the latter can be just as effective.
Kennels without an HVAC system run the risk of having the dogs always aroused from the improper temperature, not to mention the health risk from the heat in the summer and cold in the winter. On the other hand, comfortable dogs lay down and rest.
4. Segregation
Have you tried to have a conversation while your dog is barking? In a kennel with 20 or more animals, having a conversation can be impossible.
Is the grooming facility in with the general area or does it have its own location?
Do the employees eat near the dogs?
Is the office close to kennels?
Having a facility that’s large enough that you can separate particularly loud dogs or have a door between sections is an effective way to keep guests calm.
5. White noise
Some dogs just bark. If the number of bark-aversion solutions is any indication then there are a lot. Whether it’s from separation anxiety or reactivity, white noise can be an effective tool to combat the barking. Not only does the white noise help calm a dog, but it can conceal some of the barking coming from other dogs.
Of course, you need to be mindful of what you’re using for white noise. If it’s the radio, some dogs may not like the people talking. You also have to be careful with the volume. Some kennels have even gone so far as to install televisions for their guests to enjoy. If those guests are anything like my dogs however, the first time you play Cruella, you’re going to have some howlers.
The original kennel design for the Loyalist Barkway didn’t include radios, but we ran speakers throughout both buildings. We periodically experiment with the music to get the most calming results.
The design matters
Whether you’re building your own facility or trying to choose the best one for your fur-family, the design of a kennel matters. Look around for signs of loud, anxious dogs. Do the employees need ear plugs? For certain portions of the day perhaps, but for how long?
When you tour the facility, are dogs laying comfortably or barking obnoxiously. Look for signs like scratching at the doors, barking, fence chewing, and whining as well as design elements that would help set the dogs at ease.
Wondering what you can do to help a dog with anxiety? Check out our article here on preparing an anxious dog for the kennel.
Do you want to take a tour? Schedule one here. In the meantime, check out our virtual tour.
LOYALIST BARKWAY
Where your dog gets the loyal treatment
9675 HWY 33, BATH, ON K0H 1G0
info@dogboardingkennels.ca
613-777-5024