# Stall mats for outside kennel?



## Chase Mika (May 2, 2008)

I'm looking for input about the use of stall mats in outdoor kennels. The ones I'm looking at are the thick black rubber ones. If I go that route, I plan to arrange them so that the sides of the mat will extend outside the kennel, to hopefully make it that my dog doesn't have an opportunity to chew on corners.

So far the benefits I see are that it will provide some padding for joints and the floor won't be quite so cold in the winter, as it would be with just the cement pad.

The only real downside I've heard of is that they might get really hot in the summer if the sun hits them. I do plan to construct a new roof for the kennel that will be somewhat permanent (wood w/ some roofing material), but there will likely be some area of the kennel that will get hit by hot sun in the summer. Especially towards late afternoon/evening, the sun will likely be covering much of the kennel run.

Any thoughts/suggestions about these issues or others that I haven't thought of? I'm trying to weigh the pros/cons and any insight is much appreciated.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

They don't get ungodly hot, but the black residue is a PITA, IMO. They do seem to break down with bleach solution cleaners and the grooved ones are impossible to keep clean.

Some dogs can dig and chew them, but that's an exception, not the norm.


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## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

I'm still finding chunks in my yard from last year. My dog ate more mat than food some days I think. Used to find it in his poop, so I'm not really exageraiting. It is hard to clean, heat wasn't much of an issue, I used UV shades ove rthe top of the kennels and on the west side, plus the kennels are under a huge tree. I wont do mats again.


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## Gary Garner (Jun 30, 2007)

I looked into the subject a while back and the best products are the equestrian ones... horse matting.. Stronger than most other things on the market..


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## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

4 pallets covered with plywood with a house on it, the rest is dirt. It's cheap and it works.


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## Jack Martin (Feb 12, 2008)

Had to take mine out when my at the time 6 month old pup completely flipped over the 60 plus lb mats and chewed the corners.They are hard to clean on the grove side (need power washer)but the smooth side was not so bad.I have 4 now that I can use so I might use them in the puppy kennel.


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## Chase Mika (May 2, 2008)

Thanks for the input! It really helps to hear about the issues now versus after putting in some mats.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

They are good for elbow and hip issues. The big down side is keeping them clean and the heat in the summer. My dog ate his. The other thing is to look for a truck bed mat, much thinner and cheaper. A used one might be $10.


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## Mike Talkington (May 13, 2008)

had the same problem with chewing as most others have had, I did put in some of those plastic kennel deck platforms in the runs which did help somewhat, I use dog beds by Kuranda in the kennels which I absolutely love, the dogs love them too!



> I do plan to construct a new roof for the kennel that will be somewhat permanent (wood w/ some roofing material),










be careful how you build it, especially if you get snow#-o


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## David Leavitt (Jun 8, 2008)

See Textured Slip Resistant Flooring Systems at http://www.sanitred.com/.

In my own kennels I tried dirt, limestone chips, riverstone, wood chips and conc. The only one that was hygenic and lasts is conc. i worried about damage to dogs joints and feet but found no way around using conc. I have seen rubber tile systems that are excellent and cushion more than what I rec. above, but the cost was exorbitant.

I designed and built kennels from 6 run to 120 run and the biggest design problem is improperly laid and designed concrete slabs. Second biggest problem is manure handling, and yes I learned from a zoo how to flush a 5 gallon bucket down a drain (think industrial food disposal and custom stainless steel sink with spray hose). If there is demand I will do consulting work on design. I'm David Leaviitt at 410 7454048 if you want to talk about it.

PS- I've only seen one properly designed kennel. Every other one has major problems for the operator. Probably NIH is designed well too, but who wants to see a kennel turning out 10,000 Beagles a year for research?

DL


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