Dogs are a huge commitment.
I have an adorable pooch which I didn’t intend on having. My oldest (adult) son wanted a black lab. I’m getting ready to tell on myself as a parent because yes, I tried to bribe him into doing the right thing. Don’t ever do this because it usually backfires which it did in this case.
You probably already gathered, I let him have the dog in hopes it would keep him home more, give him a little more responsibility, and keep him from running with the wrong lady friend.
Long story short: he got the dog, still didn’t stay home to take care of his responsibility, and dear-old mom ended up adopting the dog. The cute little pup he brought home is now 110 pounds and has made herself right at home.
We live on a farm which allows me to give her a radial fence and let her run, but when we have company over, I needed a way to contain her because she still has puppy-tendencies, and though she’s making great strides with training, we aren’t totally there yet.
I came up with a simple solution that wouldn’t take up any of my yard and keep our fur-princess happy when she must be contained.
Here’s how I turned the area under my porch into a safe dog kennel for my dog in a couple of hours:
Materials:
1. Dig a Trench
When you’re trying to add a fence beneath your porch or deck, it’s important to dig a trench around the base of the porch.
This gives the fence a place to sit level on the ground. You should also use the earth to tuck in around the fencing to discourage your pup from trying to dig out.
The space underneath our back deck is already mulched, which made it easier for us to dig the trench with a garden hoe.
However, if your ground is hard you may wish to consider using a mattock. Dig the line where you want the fence to line up under your porch.
After the trench is dug out, take a breather because it will certainly get your heart pumping.
2. Apply the Fencing
I love chain link fencing because it’s easy to install. You roll it out, apply the staples to the first corner, and walk it over to the next corner.
Pull the fencing tight at each corner post. The great thing about installing a kennel under your porch is all the posts are already in place.
There’s no digging and putting posts in the ground. You use what you have and enclose the space. Be sure to staple the fence to each post when pulled tightly.
Add staples to the top of the fence too by stapling the chain link fence to the top of your deck or porch. Don’t fence the area where you want the gate to go.
Carry on with this process until the entire area (except for the gate area) is fenced in. If there’s any area where the ground isn’t level, and you’re afraid there’s too big of a gap which your dog can fit between, add pieces of wood to block the gaps.
When cutting the fence to avoid fencing where the gate will go, use bolt cutters.
3. Create the Gate
If you have a smaller breed of dog which has no desire to escape, you may be able to make your own gate out of pallets to save money on this project.
However, if you have a large dog that could dig to China, given the opportunity, you should invest in a sturdy gate.
I chose the chain link fence gate because it’s durable and easy to install. You’ll use the 2 metal posts to serve as the doorway.
One will hold the door and the other is where the door will latch. Make sure the metal posts are snug against the gate to make sure there’s no room for the dog to force its way between the gate and post.
Use post hole diggers to put the posts in the ground and apply quick-drying concrete at the base, if needed.
If you use concrete, give it time to dry before attaching the gate. When ready, attach the gate to the post with hinges and apply the durable latch.
Make sure the gate is level and slides over the ground easily. If it doesn’t, dig out space in front of the gate to where it can open properly.
4. Apply Signage
You should check the rules in your area but in our area, you should have a sign warning visitors of your dog in case anything happens, you cannot be held liable.
Our dog isn’t aggressive, but she does love her family. My husband worked a job for 8 years where he went to people’s homes to install a service.
He learned over those 8 years, every dog will bite. It’s only a matter of when. I’ve kept this information at the forefront of my mind; I realize I have a large breed dog, and I want to be a responsible pet owner.
Therefore, I have multiple signs on my property letting those who enter the property know I have a large dog, she’s on a radial fence, and you should probably honk to allow me to introduce you to her.
I didn’t miss putting a sign on her kennel area either. I didn’t want someone to stick their fingers through her fence and risk it becoming dog fodder.
If you want people to respect your dog’s space, I encourage you to add a sign.
5. Give Puppy a Place to Lay
I had grand plans of giving my dog this awesome pallet dog bed, but remember, I have a 110-pound puppy.
We’ve gone through multiple dog beds because she treats them as though they’re toys instead of places to sleep.
Since my dog doesn’t spend long periods of time in this kennel, I wanted to give her a place to get off the ground in case it becomes wet, but I wasn’t concerned about it being a luxurious place to sleep.
Let’s be honest, this dog rules the roost in my house. She normally spends her hot summer days sprawled out on my leather sofa where the air conditioning and fan keep her cool.
If your dog will spend more time in this kennel, please give it a nice place to sleep or lay. My dog spends only a couple of hours at a time there when we have guests.
Therefore, I gave her a pallet with a solid top, and she sits on it like she’s the queen of the hill.
6. Landscaping is Optional
I haven’t gotten this far in the process yet. I’ve been a little busy remodeling inside my house, but I have purchased the plants and hope to get them in the ground this weekend.
If you want this dog kennel to be as charming as possible, consider mulching around the base of the fence and planting a few flowers or shrubs.
I’m going with hostas because they’ll return year after year. Plus, they’re easy to grow with little to no fuss.
This is an optional step, but why not add a little charm around the dog kennel?
You now know how to create a dog kennel under your porch or deck. It takes little effort and depending upon the size of your porch, it should be feasible on most budgets.
Hopefully, your dog will love its space as much as my dog loves her area. It’s convenient, functional, and I’m thrilled I could turn an unused space into a functional area for our 4-legged family member.
