# Smelly Kennel



## Buck Rabbit (Sep 7, 2008)

what do yall do to keep your kennels from smelling bad? Is there any tricks? i have a wood chip floor. Thanks


----------



## english setter (Sep 7, 2008)

*smell*

LIME, HYDRATED LIME WILL DO THE TRICK


----------



## tuffdawg (Sep 7, 2008)

Ditto the lime under the chips. I use woodshavings and mulch at the moment. Mine dont smell, but I pick out poop at least once a day. Sometimes two or three times. And the more dogs you have in a kennel, the worse it will be.


----------



## Jack Ryan (Sep 7, 2008)

Use 6 inches to a foot of pea gravel on the ground inside a kennel.

They can dig in all they want and it falls right back in the hole. Keeps their nails short. Urine goes right through so they don't lay in it and make the dog stink. Feces are easy to pick out with a garden rake. The gravel last forever so you only pay for it once. It's easy on their feet.

Just dig up any sod when putting in a kenel and fill to ground level with pea gravel. Put railroad ties at the bottom of the fence to nail the fence down. They can't dig under because the gravel falls right back in the hole. Leave the fence loose, not banjo string tight, and climbers won't be able to get over it.


----------



## discounthunter (Sep 8, 2008)

clean them out. your statement would also make sense if you asked how do i keep my toilet from smelling after i use it.
waste material smells no matter what bedding material you use. you simply must keep it clean.


----------



## Buck Rabbit (Sep 8, 2008)

Thanks alot for the tips yall, and another question, if i already have the chips down do i need to take them out, put lime down and then put them back or can i mix the lime in with the chips,

Discounthunter ,i do keep it clean by the way but it still smells some, i asked for advice, not smart remarks


----------



## tuffdawg (Sep 8, 2008)

Buck Rabbit said:


> Thanks alot for the tips yall, and another question, if i already have the chips down do i need to take them out, put lime down and then put them back or can i mix the lime in with the chips,
> 
> Discounthunter ,i do keep it clean by the way but it still smells some, i asked for advice, not smart remarks



In all honesty, you should completely change out the chips at least once a month. But to answer your question, yes, rake up the chips, put the lime down then spread them back out. 

But just to help you out, even thought you scoop out poop from the chips......... The urine still soaks into them. And especially if they get wet from rain, the ammonia can get really over powering. However, the lime will extend your chips lifespan.


----------



## JuliaH (Sep 8, 2008)

Buck.... I would remove the chips, put the lime down and then put the best of the chips back down and get some fresh to mix in it too...  Be sure to have enough bedding down so that the lime does not contact the dogs 

The best option is cement floor that can be hosed and bleached, but that is not always possible...

Julia


----------



## dunmoving again (Sep 8, 2008)

I am sure we all care about our dawgs,,,so we try to do the best we can for then,,,,concret,,,and clean daily,,,bleech weekly.Have a good sloop to the concret pad and a concret gutter.


----------



## dunmoving again (Sep 8, 2008)

I am sure we all care about our dawgs,,,so we try to do the best we can for then,,,,concret,,,and clean daily,,,bleech weekly.Have a good sloop to the concret pad and a concret gutter.


----------



## tuffdawg (Sep 8, 2008)

JuliaH said:


> Buck.... I would remove the chips, put the lime down and then put the best of the chips back down and get some fresh to mix in it too...  Be sure to have enough bedding down so that the lime does not contact the dogs
> 
> The best option is cement floor that can be hosed and bleached, but that is not always possible...
> 
> Julia




I agree, and have been trying to get that done for three months now.  always rains when we get it ready and trucks cant come down.  after paying for shavings and chips for all my dogs, I could have paid for slab twice over. Makes me sick to think about it.


----------



## OkieHunter (Sep 8, 2008)

Odormute is a good spray that you can mix from a powder of course frequent cleaning helps also


----------



## carabrook (Sep 8, 2008)

If you aren't going to go the cement route (which is the best) then remove all the chips and the grass if there is any under it, pour the lime to it heavy, put fencing on the ground flat (stops digging), then put gravel over it about 4-6 inches deep. The rail ties mentioned are also a good idea. With the gravel down then once a week mix 1 part bleach to 3 parts water in a garden sprayer and spray it down when your dogs are not there, let it sit 1 hr then wash it down throughly. You can also spread lime on it monthly, wait an hour and wash it into the gravel. JMO and we have tried just about every different way over the years and our best luck has been cement


----------



## Jack Ryan (Sep 9, 2008)

...or you could just skip all the bleach, hosing, spraying, concrete and while you have the stinky absorbant wood out of there, did it out like you would for concrete any way and fill it with pea gravel and be done with it. 

Then all you need to do is dip out the feces if it stinks. The urine will soad in to the dirt right through the gravel and not stink. No will the dog like they do when they wind up laying in their own pee like they do on concrete.

But it ain't my dog. Do what ever ya think is best but I'd think it over pretty good.


----------



## tuffdawg (Sep 9, 2008)

Jack Ryan said:


> ...or you could just skip all the bleach, hosing, spraying, concrete and while you have the stinky absorbant wood out of there, did it out like you would for concrete any way and fill it with pea gravel and be done with it.
> 
> Then all you need to do is dip out the feces if it stinks. The urine will soad in to the dirt right through the gravel and not stink. No will the dog like they do when they wind up laying in their own pee like they do on concrete.
> 
> But it ain't my dog. Do what ever ya think is best but I'd think it over pretty good.



Your idea is a great one. I have a friend that is a breeder of King charles caveliers (i cant spell that) and the area where those dogs stay during the day, is done just the way you have described. Her area doesnt smell. She uses the nifty dust pan on the pole, a scraper.... and thats that. 

I would rather have concrete because its easier to keep clean. And if you wash the kennels down twice a day like your suppose to, the dogs dont lay in pee. 

Now I use the mulch because the area where my kennels are is temporary. I am waiting on my slab, and dont want to do the pea gravel thing. BUT, the 29' x 17' area out the back door that is zoned the "Dawg pen" Will definately be done the pea gravel way. Because that setup actually looks really nice. 

Only if i can stop my one rock eater i have.


----------



## Buck Rabbit (Sep 9, 2008)

Thanks alot yall for the tips



OkieHunter said:


> Odormute is a good spray that you can mix from a powder of course frequent cleaning helps also



how exactly do you apply it, will it hurt the dogs if they come in contact with it


----------



## jonkayak (Sep 11, 2008)

I do the chips and lime as well. I also put cedar shavings in their house and it helps them smell well also.


----------



## Jody Hawk (Sep 12, 2008)

Jack Ryan said:


> ...or you could just skip all the bleach, hosing, spraying, concrete and while you have the stinky absorbant wood out of there, did it out like you would for concrete any way and fill it with pea gravel and be done with it.
> 
> Then all you need to do is dip out the feces if it stinks. The urine will soad in to the dirt right through the gravel and not stink. No will the dog like they do when they wind up laying in their own pee like they do on concrete.



This sounds like a great idea. I think I'll try this instead of concrete myself. I've got to get my dogs off that bare dirt, they stay filthy.


----------



## Beagle Boy (Oct 2, 2008)

Jack Ryan said:


> Use 6 inches to a foot of pea gravel on the ground inside a kennel.
> 
> They can dig in all they want and it falls right back in the hole. Keeps their nails short. Urine goes right through so they don't lay in it and make the dog stink. Feces are easy to pick out with a garden rake. The gravel last forever so you only pay for it once. It's easy on their feet.
> 
> Just dig up any sod when putting in a kenel and fill to ground level with pea gravel. Put railroad ties at the bottom of the fence to nail the fence down. They can't dig under because the gravel falls right back in the hole. Leave the fence loose, not banjo string tight, and climbers won't be able to get over it.



This is a great idea, Jack. I'm trying it out tomorrow on one of my kennels, see how i like it.


----------



## curdogsforhogs (Oct 2, 2008)

*kennels*

I am in the process of building a kennel to put my new litters of catahoula pups in once they are taken out of the whelping boxes. I am building a kennel 15'L x 8' W x6' H. I am building it from 4x4 post and decking it with deck boards 2' high on the post. Each bay is 5'x8' 6'h. Covered with tin and on the backs of the kennel is a metal gutter set to drain itno a bucket of lime on one end. Plan is to spray out daily and bleach decking once a week as required. once it is complete i will post pictures.


----------



## dawg2 (Oct 2, 2008)

CONCRETE!  I hose it out and it is the BEST route to go!


----------

