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Hey guys.. I am thinking of getting me a new lab. I have had about 3 or 4 in my life but they have always lived on my folks farm. I now live in Memphis and just got a new house and I am itching to get a new lab. I am thinking that the dog will be in the house a good part of the time but in a pen during work. Question is how large does the pen need to be to fit the dog properly. Also how how does the fence need to be?
Thanks,
Mike

I use a 5x10 kennel. If you get the kennel too large, it is just wasted space. Your pup will mostly be using the kennel to await your arrival and if it is too large, then all you have done is spent too much money in concrete and kennel space that will not be used. The exercise will come once you are home and take the pup out and do some training.

I use a 6' X 12' kennel with a bottom of concrete. I believe this size gives the dog room on one end to take care of their business and to live on the other end. If your dog is an outside kennel dog all the time I believe this to be a minimum space they need. If they are in the kennel only part time you might could get by with a smaller space. Just my .02 worth.

I have a 10 x 10 pen and have a slab poured as the pad. I have about $200 in the pen and about $75 in the pad. Hope this helps.

MMBD

I have a 6x12x6 portable chainlink kennel divided into 2 runs, 6x6 each. The floor is 18" concrete paving stones (2" thick) laid on a bed of sand. This way I can move the whole thing when I move. Plastic barrels for houses hang on the center partition and allow me to hose everthing off. Works good for me.

h2o_dog,

Where did you get your plastic barrels?

I would not build an outside kennel. I would keep my dog inside in a vari-kennel when no one was there. Especially if I had a fenced backyard.

5 X 10. I don't remember the brand name, but the ones that are weleded wire, and powder coated, are the cheese man. No repairs, and will last forever, and add on to each other (labs are like chips, hard to stop at one!). Pour ya a concrete slab.

Join a local retevier club. Best thing ya can do for your pooch. travis

Those welded wire, powder coated kennels are Priefert brand. Lifetime kennels. Dogs do tear up the cyclone wire kennels.

If you pour a slab get is on a gradiant. That way when you hose it off or it rains the water runs off. You can then dig a ditch to move the waste away and remove the waste.

i leave mine in a kennel, its just a lean too on the back of my shop, its very nice! i have a 55 gallon drum, with a platform on top of it, she loves laying up there. but i take her everywhere with me, im in college, so i have alot of time for her, she stays in the house most of the time and sleeps in the bed with me.

and the best part about it, is that i have not had to pick up a single duck this year!

Drakeshead wrote:h2o_dog,

Where did you get your plastic barrels?

My barrels are pickle barrels that a family member gave me, and I'd love to know how to get some more. Someone told me that CocaCola gets syrup in large plastic barrels that work well. Good Luck.

My dog is outside 90% of the time so I wound up building a 12'X12' pen. He's got plenty of room to move around and get a little bit of exercise before I get home