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A pet kennel is simply a chain link enclosure with a gate set on a concrete slab. You can purchase a kennel kit with mesh that is thinner and lighter than standard mesh, complete with the suitable-sized connectors. Obviously, the size of your kennel depends on your dog. An 8x16 foot enclosure is a typical size. Large dogs may need a 16x16 foot kennel, while small dogs might rest easy in a 10x10 or even an 8x8 foot kennel. Because the kennel is meant for dogs, gate width generally is 2 feet. This is the bare bones kennel. If Spot will spend lots of time here, install a dog house before you add mesh around the frame.
The pet kennel is set on a concrete slab. Posts set in concrete support the rails. Together the posts and rails provide a frame that supports the chain link mesh, along with the help of tension bands, tie wires, and tension wires. Lay out the pad following the kennel manufacturer’s directions. Excavate to a depth of about half the thickness of the pad if pouring the concrete directly onto soil, deeper by an amount equal to any layer of gravel needed for drainage. Dig postholes about 6 inches from the edges of the pad 6 inches deeper than the frost line.
Assemble forms for the pad by laying down 2-bys aligned with mason’s lines. Drive 2x4 stakes along the outside edges of the forms and fasten them with duplex nails. Nail the corners together. Sink the posts into place and add 6 inches of gravel into the postholes. Plumb the posts with a level and brace them with 2x2 stakes nailed to 1x6 braces. Use duct tape to fasten the braces to the posts.
Build a ramp to get to the center of the pad, resting it on concrete blocks so the forms won’t move. Dump each load of concrete against the preceding one. Work a shovel up and down in the concrete to release trapped air, then level it with a 2x4 screed. Smooth with a darby, broom finishes are too hard on a dog’s feet.
After the concrete has cured for a few days, add the tension bands, brace bands, and post caps. Install the rail caps to the corner posts with brace bands. Level the rails at the height of the chain link mesh, then tighten the bolts on the brace bands. Thread a tension bar through the end of the mesh and attach it to the tension bands on a corner post. Stretch the mesh to the next corner post with a fence puller and pull bar. Thread another tension bar through the mesh near this corner post and secure it to the tension bands. To remove excess mesh, twist open a strand at the top and bottom and pull the wire out.
Once the chain link mesh is taut and attached in place to the corner posts, tie it at 12 to 16 inch intervals to the rails and line posts with tie wires. Thread a tension wire along the bottom loops and wrap it around the corner posts securely. Tie lengths of rebar to the bottom of the mesh, if desired, to be sure it’s weighted down. Assemble the gate, then align the hinges, and hang the gate. Attach the latch to the outside of the kennel.
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