HI Stephanie! Some advice:
For kennels in medical areas, metal bars are most practical because you can hang IV poles on them. For kennels that are back of house where dogs don't face dogs, metal bars are completely fine. Metal bar gates are also great outside. You CAN use chain link gates outside as well if you like- just use the ones made for Animals by Mason Company, not regular chain link. Metal bars are always higher quality though.
For kennels where you want a retail look where dogs don't face dogs, you can use glass but we don't recommend full glass gate anymore- shelter behavior experts tend to agree with this. Full glass seals the dogs, frustrates them, and makes it hard to use training rewards. However, We do use glass on top of gate and bars at bottom. This is nice because it's a combination that works well to give a kennel both that nice retail look plus practicality for the dogs, easy training, and better ventilation.
For dogs that face each other and get too aroused, or for dogs that have a lot of traffic in front of the kennel, this is where some solid fronts are helpful. However, our current thinking is the solid piece should be either 1) flexible- meaning that you can take it on or off depending on the dogs' needs, and or 2) should provide a small vertical slice of visual access to one side so dog doesn't feel motivated to jump to see out. I like the barrier you can put on or take off- gives the most flexibility.
Finally, remember kennels should be solid side to side up to 4'-6" or more to prevent nose to nose contact/disease spread. And, kennels should be double compartment for the dogs. All the other basics apply- lots of access to outside time and enrichment is good for happy dogs.
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Heather Lewis
Animal Arts
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-27-2021 03:10 PM
From: Stephanie Cohen
Subject: Dog Kennel Design- Seeking Advice
Hi, My organization is building a new facility and I would love feedback on dog kennel doors! Chain link/metal vs. solid glass? Or a combination of the two? Thank you!!
#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
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Stephanie Cohen
Humane Society of Pinellas
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