One of the main concerns many dog owners have is regarding dog kennel flooring. Should they opt for laying cement, or invest in some kind of portable kennel flooring? What about kennel decking? If they lay concrete, should it be sealed and if so, what is a good sealant to use in dog pens? There are many different options for dog kennel flooring and over the years of breeding dogs I’ve probably used them all at one time or another.
Your main considerations when deciding on what type of dog kennel flooring to use is comfort for your pet, and ease of cleaning. Sanitation and comfort should be your two main concerns, and no matter what type of flooring you eventually decide on it should be both comfortable and enhance your dog’s health. Anything that would be remotely discomforting for your dog, or that could potentially lead to sickness should be avoided at all costs.
One thing that I do not recommend is not putting any flooring in your dog pen. Grass and dirt are not good for your dog to lie on if they’re going to be spending any amount of time in their kennel. It is also very easy for a dog to dig himself out of a pen when he only has dirt to dig through, believe me!
Concrete flooring is definitely an option, and I’ve used it many times. The main problems I’ve had with it is that it is actually extremely porous and it absorbs water very easily. This means that it can become very smelly and it is also very damp and can lead to sickness if your dog is on damp concrete a lot. There are, however, very good concrete sealants around these days, so I would suggest if you are going to use concrete that you take it one step further and seal the concrete with something suitable. (Note: Paint is not a sealant.)
Instant kennel flooring is also pretty commonly used these days, and it is fairly cheap. It is easy to install, portable and it usually looks presentable too. Some of it is not extremely hardy, and if you have more than one dog, or a litter of puppies, or dogs that like to chew and play around a lot, you may find yourself having to replace your instant flooring on a fairly regular basis. It all depends on your dog or dogs, and the needs you have too.
My favorite recommendation at the moment is raised kennel decking. It is very hardy, durable, easy to clean and the dogs love it. It also looks really nice in the kennel. It is a bit more expensive than the instant kennel flooring, but I think it is well worth the investment. Another pro to using this is that it is portable, yet solid enough to use as permanent flooring as well.
Remember though, whatever you choose, your dog’s comfort and health should always come first!