Benefits of Instant Kennel Flooring

I was recently really wow'd by something I saw, that looked terrifically handy to me. Instant kennel flooring. Yup, it is great for sitting down on the lawn inside of a chain mail fence for example, as it not only keeps the dogs away from direct contact with grass or dirt, but it also prevents them from digging around and trying to get out under the fence.

It is very simple to use, there are grommet holes along each side and you simply push a peg through those, one that looks just like a tent peg, and it anchors the kennel flooring to the ground. The nice thing about this type of flooring is that it's sturdy enough to use in a kennel even with pretty hefty or tough wearing dogs, and yet it is super lightweight and easy to manipulate and work with.

The other type of portable kennel flooring I have used is thick rubber mat squares, similar to the type of rubber matting you often see used for exercise. The main problem that I had with this type of flooring, however, was when I put it in a kennel with some young puppies. Unfortunately, the sides weren't all flat down and in the space of about an hour two of the pups got ahold of the square and chewed it up, then started on the other adjacent squares. I suppose if you were sure of laying them flat and you used them in a cage without chewers they would also be fine too.

Dog Cage, Anyone?

Wondering whether or not you need to invest in a dog cage for your pet dog, even though you have a kennel? Well, believe it or not, dog cages are actually mighty good things to have on hand for all types of reasons.

One of their first uses, is to house train a pup not to do its business inside the house. I have very successfully house trained a couple of pups using this method, and have found that it worked really well. In fact, my pup was pretty much full trained within a week, though I was home all day at the time and I was really into it, making sure I took her outside often and kept her in view or in her cage if I couldn't be around for some reason.

Other good reasons for investing in a dog cage or dog crate are if you plan on traveling with your pup a lot, even in the car, it is really good to be able to temporarily restrain them inside their crate as opposed to having a young pup jumping all over you when you are driving.

They also provide your pup with a place he can call his own, a little refuge spot where he can run and hide from the busy world, and rest and relax. Pups generally end up really liking their dog crates, they love the security it gives them.

It's also great to have a place you can pop your puppy when you have to leave them in a room alone for a while, when you're going to the shop, or taking a shower or something like that. You really don't want to leave a young puppy unattended in a room, it's incredible the amount of damage they can do in a very short time! Believe me.

Blue Green Algae Hazard for Dogs

Just read recently in an article by Robert Imrie, titled, "What's ugly, smells, kills dogs? Blue-green algae" about a current health hazard for dogs.

Apparently blue-gree algae that grows predominantly in waterways across the upper Midwest is responsible for not only sickening many people who come in contact with it, but also for killing dozens of dogs.

If you live in that area, beware of the potential problems you may have if you let your dog swim in or drink, or come in contact with this algae. It is especially serious if you let your dog drink from this water, but even swimming in it should be avoided. If your dog does end up coming in contact with it, be sure to rinse him off with clean, fresh water immediately!