HOME KENNELS

The ideal situation would be to enclose the entire property with a four- or five-foot chain-link fence. You would keep other dogs out and your dog would have the freedom of the place. When you are too busy to take him for a walk, you simply turn him outdoors in the enclosure. Later, you can put on his leash and take him for a walk or romp in the fields or woods. But erecting a chain-link fence around a quarter-or half-acre plot is a costly project. Not many suburbanites can afford this kind of a luxury.

Wood-and-wire kennel

There are some satisfactory substitutes, however. One is to build a wood-and-wire kennel area. By using wood and galvanized or other treated heavy-gauge wire, you can construct a sturdy and roomy kennel for your dog. Poultry or livestock wire fencing will make a good enclosure when fastened to wooden posts and top and base boards. Most fence or lumber companies carry this type of heavy-gauge wire fencing. Or you can order it from Sears Roebuck and Company or Montgomery Ward.

The wood-and-wire kennel needn't take up much space. An area measuring six by twelve feet (and four or five feet high) is adequate. Set the kennel up in a spot that will not be too hot in summer. If you can locate it where it will be partially shaded by trees, so much the better. Also, take care that the kennel is not exposed to the wintry winds. When equipped with a snug doghouse, this wood-and-wire kennel makes an excellent place to keep the suburban dog. You can turn him out for short periods, all day or leave him out overnight. When he's in the kennel, you know that he's out of mischief.

Snow-fence kennel

If you are not handy with took or don't want to spend the time and money in building the wood-and-wire kennel, you can use snow fencing and studded-steel posts. A fifty-foot roll of snow fencing (it usually comes in this size) will make a kennel ten by fifteen feet, or any variation limited to the fifty feet of fencing. This will give your dog one hundred and fifty square feet of space, which is ample room for him. If you use the side of the house or other building as one side of the kennel, you can make the kennel larger. But ten by fifteen feet will do.

Snow fencing, composed of pre-fabricated wood and wire, is relatively inexpensive, costing from $10 on up for a 50-foot roll. Steel posts are available at extra cost. They come in six-, seven- and eight-foot lengths. The snow fencing is made of rough wooden slats fastened together by strands of twisted wire. "Farm" red is the standard color, but white is available at a higher cost. While it is not as sightly as a chain-link or wood- and-wire kennel, the snow fence has the advantage of being semi-permanent or portable. When you want to move the kennel, just unhook the snow fence from the posts, pull up the posts and relocate the kennel.

You can make a gate into the snow-fence kennel by placing two posts about three feet apart and using the fence material that will span this space as a gate. One post is used as a hinge post, the other as the latch post. The three-foot piece of snow fence serving as the gate will swing open or closed on its own wires. It will not work as easily as a gate on hinges and you will have to fasten the bottom of the gate with wire when closed, else the dog can push under it.

Setting up a kennel area may seem like a lot of trouble. But in the long run, it will keep you and the dog out of trouble. A kennel will come in handy if you have a female dog, especially during her heat periods. When she is in heat, put her out in the kennel. While it is true that some desirous and enterprising male may leap over the kennel fence, you will at least know where your female dog is at all times. Keeping a female in heat in the house until she gets over her period can be a trying and frustrating experience. You have to watch her all the time and you never know when someone will leave the door open. Once she gets out, she'll be gone. The main problem, then, in raising a dog in the suburbs is the matter of proper control. Granted, it's a big temptation to just turn the dog out when he gives you that "I've got to go" look. But turn your back on this temptation. Take him out on the leash or build him a kennel. By doing this you will avoid ending up with a problem dog and hostile neighbors.

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