The inside of my kennel. I think of a kennel as a place for the dogs to sleep, not live full time. I try to make it a warm and comfortable place to come home to. It also needs to be easy to keep clean and dry.

You can see a ceiling fan, that was something I thought to try to use to dry things out after cleaning and to help move air through in summer. It doesn’t work very well, don’t do it. There are much better alternatives out there.

I’ve tried about every kind of bedding for the dogs, blankets, wood shavings, straw. Tried different kinds of dog beds in the past and didn’t like them. I finally decided to try these Kuranda beds and I really like them so far. They are easy to move and clean, they are designed to be indestructible and so far they have been. They don’t look that comfortable to me but the dogs love them. I still put a blanket down for the older dogs but it really isn’t needed. If you’re looking for a good dog bed that can’t be chewed up I would recommend these.

I don’t like dogs that are “needy”. Kid and his brother Luke were shy as puppies. They weren’t afraid, just not bold and aggressive. This is hereditary and is common in many of my dogs. Some people can’t deal with dogs that are shy and “hard to catch”. It definitely takes a light touch to get along with them, you need to earn their trust. People that are loud and busy put them off. I understand these dogs because we have a lot in common. I don’t want to be pawed and clawed, I like dogs that don’t ask for anything other than just to spend some time with you.

Kid is that kind of dog. You can see intelligence in his eyes. He can read your mood and gets all the feedback he needs from you that way. I can be mad or bored with other dogs and put on a happy face, give them a treat and tell them what a good dog they are and they will believe it. That stuff won’t work with dogs like Kid, he sees right through you. It has to be real.