JMO but I think dogs should be home raised not in a kennel ..these are pets not live stock.

Mine are also raised underfoot and run the house 90% of the time
but when mom needs some peace and quite they go to their own room.

what i am trying to learn is what should an ideal kennel look like. if you were to design a kennel that is dog friendly, what should it look like? something reasonable of course. like WalnutHill pointed out that there used to be more good large kennels, but not anymore because it was too expensive.

so it obviously has to be something sustainable. not too expensive but still be very doggy friendly.

I can't answer that because it is not something that I have ever looked into...or plan to look into. I have no interest in even having a kennel. Are you planning to build one?

i really like some of the points you made. specifically, i like what you said about why they produce their dogs.

i think it's reasonable what you said about ppl waiting a long time to get their puppy, like the person who waited 2 years to get a dog from you. but i also think it's reasonable for people not to wait so long. there are good reasons you might want to bring a dog into your life at a specific time. i think of bringing a new pet to my home as family planning. i consider when i have the most available time to devote energy and care for my pet. different things happen during different stages of your life. so i like to try to plan as best as i can.:)

no, i am not planning to build a kennel. but i might be interested in building a no-kill shelter later on in life if i have the resources. and this info. of what a dog-friendly kennel should look like would definitely be VERY VERY useful if i ever am able to do that!!!:):animal36

but for right now, i am just a dog lover who is interested in this topic and want to learn more. like i mentioned in my first post. i am interested to find out the difference between a good kennel and a puppy mill. i know the question sounds almost retarded because we've all watched on TV what a puppy mill looks like, BUT i have never seen on TV what a GOOD dog friendly kennel should look like. so i am hoping to learn from you guys.

thanks. :)

Ya know, Yen, this is a really good point...bc I too have seen my share, sadly, of the worst of the worst in terms of puppy mills :(...but now that I think of it...I'm not sure that I can picture what might be "acceptable" or even "good" (?) in terms of a kennel.

I know I've seen pics of Best Friends Animal Society's (who I really respect) kennels a bunch of times...but now I can't picture the actual kennel spaces in my mind....would that be a good place to start? Maybe later I will try to look for pics on their site.

As far as home-based breeders though...I'm not really sure...

I don't think dogs are live stock either, i don't think it's bad if they are raised in kennels especially if there are many dogs which breeders typically have (of course not always) i am trying to learn what a good, ideal kennel should look like.

i think it's ok that they stay in a kennel as long as the kennels are dog friendly and the dogs have access to outside everyday.

they have a cute little room :)

how many dogs do you own? what type of arrangement would you have if say you have 15-20 adult dogs? what are some of the realistic possibilities?

thanks! :)

I know several well known yorkie breeder/exhibitors that have wonderful kennels, attached to their homes, but still kennels. They do have a grooming room, a training room (set up with rings), a nursery, whelping room (with TV and bed for those endless nights), sick room and kitchen.....Dogs are kept in x-pens and have a wonderful backyard to play in.

thank you for the info. :)

are there resources where i can look up info. regarding this? i tried google, and it usually just show dog cages for sell.

i am curious because i saw a kennel at a breeders house for the first time last weekend, and i was surprised at first only because i have never seen one before. after thinking more about it. i became really interested to find out what would be an ideal way for a breeder to house so many dogs.

i feel a little bit like kennel is a dirty word or something at this moment since i don't get ppl very willing to share info. with me. and it seems that some reaction i am getting is negative, which i understand, because when i first saw a kennel, i was a little bit uncomfortable. but then i had some time to think about it. i think it's very reasonable for a breeder with so many dogs to have a kennel.

i love dogs, i am not actually considering breeding or building a kennel, i was just hoping to learn about it, and am a little surprised at not being able to hear from more breeders.

i hope more breeders will be willing to share their knowledge, i am currently looking for a puppy, and i have been trying to do everything i was told by ppl and breeder from this forum. but sometimes it's hard to find info. beyond just the very basic.

i was told to "go visit the breeders" and make sure you meet the parents, ...etc.

but nobody said anything about kennels? and what are the things i should look for to make sure everything is looking good.

Having gotten one of my studs from a well known breeder who keeps her dogs in well kept kennel he would run in circles when i first got him ,he still tends to do it but has gotten much better.I believe they miss out on the social aspect also running with other dogs ,meeting new people,training.Making sure they enjoy their lives is vital to me.

Kennel does give of some negative vibes. However, most don't realize those well known reputable breeders didn't get there by breeding 1 or 2 dogs. The do have kennels. How else would they have produced the multitude of Champions they do.

But, most of these kennels have been designed by the Kennel owner to fit their needs. Some have added onto their house. Some have turned their entire basement into a kennel. Plus added on. Now keep in mind their basements have windows on one side and open up to their back yardm so the dogs have benefit of the sun.....These exhibitor/breeders spend countless hours with their dogs and do have part time help come in. Their space is immaculate and so are the dogs....very well socialized and trained. And of course their dogs are allowed into the living quarters, just not all at once. Their dogs aren't kept crated, only at night for sleeping.

In the olden days, there were huge detached kennels, with hired help.

i agree with you that they need to be able to socialize with people and be able to run around outside. :)

i was really hesitant to share what the kennel i saw in person look like, not because it was bad, but because i didn't want to let out any info about any breeder when people might view it negatively for one reason or another.

but for discussion sake and for the sake of learning. i would like to describe what the kennel i visited look like, just so maybe it can start a conversation.
(and i feel ok doing so because i am not revealing the breeders name.)

the living room of the house was converted into a kennel, and the breeder's bedroom/office kitchen is next to the kennel (since her kennel is in her living room) so the dogs are definitely not isolated without human interaction.

the dogs are kept in different ex-pens, in fact, all the adult dogs each had an ex-pen. (i was a little confused as to why the dogs aren't in one big ex-pen instead of individual expens? so that was my only confusion) the expens are not very big, but they are also not very small.

there were 2 large expens outside her house on her deck. and the deck also has a little gate to stop the dogs from running out side of the house (my assumption) and there is a fenced in grassy area for the dogs as well.

the dogs were inside the house when i visited, but she told me that when the weather is nice, the dogs gets to go outside twice a day. (when i asked if the dogs get to go outside)

there are a few cages against the wall in the living room. i didn't ask, but i assume it's for grooming/drying the dogs? there were 2 dogs in the cages, one of them was scared when i approached it. so maybe that is why it's in a cage not an exp-pen?

all the other dogs seem friendly when i walk up to them, no dogs seemed scared when i approach them (except for one that look a little mean, so i didn't approach him)

like i said, i was uncomfortable when i first saw the set up. but now having some time to think about it. i think this is probably a VERY nice kennel. :) and my initial feeling was just basically my ignorance. :rolleyes:

and i was surprised at how clean the breeder was able to keep all the dogs and the kennel. there was no smell at all when i walked in, which is pretty surprising given the number of dogs in there.

please give me some feedback breeders! was the kennel i visited a nice one? i think it is, but i have nothing to compare it to. :)

If the breeder kept the dogs clean and the looked healthy and well cared for that is the most important thing.

The reason for x-pens could be many. Keeping boys seperated from girls (no oops). Her keeping them more confined helps keep the area cleaner.

When I feed my kids they are seperated.....in x-pens and kennels. It allows me to monitor who is eating what and how much. Mine aren't all on the same food, some need to lose a bit of weight and others need to gain. So keeping them in x-pens gives you a bit more control.....

In my home in Texas, I had a bonus room upstairs. I had x-pens set up, with rubber flooring and floor protection. In each pen there was a little tent, a cozy bed, toys, pee pad, water and food. Now mind you my dogs are show dogs, so to protect their coats I don't allow them to spend all day together....
Down stairs I had a puppy room where their night crates were set up and my grooming area. Pups were whelped in my bedroom (they still are) and stayed there until they went home or old enough to go play upstairs with the big kids