The steps for securing an outdoor dog kennel are:
- Select a level spot with soil that isn’t too hard or soft
- Drill or hammer an anchor into the ground
- Secure the kennel to the anchor using wire or hardware cloth mesh
The rest of this article will provide more detail about how to secure a dog kennel to the ground.
Table of Contents
Why Is It Important to Make Sure a Dog Kennel Is Secure?
Pet Safety
The primary concern with failing to properly secure a dog kennel is that your pooch could potentially tip or push the unit over while the dog is still inside of it, especially if your dog is on the larger side.
Even if your dog isn’t big enough to push its kennel over by itself, it could still be a cause for concern if you live in a high-wind area or an area with large animals, which may try to get into an outdoor kennel. Whether caused by your dog, another animal, or the weather, a kennel getting knocked over is nothing but bad news.
At best, this would be disorienting or confusing for your pup and could give them the chance to escape. At worst, your dog could be exposed to potential dangers that you erected the kennel to keep your pet safe from, or a falling kennel could even hypothetically lead to a medical emergency if your dog were to suffer a sprain or fracture during the tumble.
Potential for Dog Escape
Your dog may also have an easier time digging out from underneath an unsecured dog kennel, whereas a secured kennel will provide a firmer barrier that will be tougher for the dog to dig under. The same principle holds true with a dog trying to chew through the bottom of a kennel, which will be harder to do if the bottom is securely fastened to the ground.
Kennel Theft
As unusual as it sounds, someone sneaking into your yard may try to swipe your dog kennel if it isn’t already fastened into place. You know how much you paid for your kennel, and a prowler may decide it’s worth it to grab it if the kennel isn’t solidly in place. He probably won’t be interested if he finds out the kennel is anchored to the ground.
Choosing the Right Spot to Secure Your Dog Kennel
Soil Type
You may be tempted to pick out a random spot in your yard to place the kennel, but this choice requires care. For one thing, you need to find a patch of ground that is neither so soft that the anchors you install for the kennel lose their grip in the earth, nor so hard that you can’t make headway installing the hardware into the soil.
Shade and Safety
Apart from choosing the right ground type, you should also find a relatively level spot so that the kennel can be evenly balanced on the ground. The chosen spot should also give your dog access to the comfort of soft, nice-smelling grass, and it should protect your pet from the elements with some pleasant shade. You want your backyard dog to be both safe and comfortable.
Securing the Dog Kennel to the Ground
Selecting a Ground Anchor
Affixing the bottom of a dog kennel to the ground outside requires some form of anchor, which works similarly to a tent stake. Just like with a tent, a stake or anchor will hold down the material of the kennel so that it doesn’t blow over in the wind or get knocked over or uprooted by your dog or another animal.
Some anchors can be pounded into the ground with a hammer, while others need to be screwed in with a drill or other tool. Whichever option you prefer, you will need to find an option that can be attached to your specific kennel’s set-up.
Installing Anchors and Attaching Them to the Kennel
One method is to attach hardware wire cloth mesh to the bottom of the kennel, then bury it about half a foot down and use screw-in anchors to secure the mesh into the ground. This will both fasten the bottom of the kennel in place and serve as a barrier to your dog digging out from under the kennel.
Another way to hold a kennel in place is to order an anchor kit that includes an underground anchor and drive rod. You use the drive rod to force the anchor vertically down below the dirt, then you pull the attached cable above ground, which turns the anchor horizontal. Finally, you can tie the above-ground end of the cable to the frame of the kennel.
There is nothing wrong with an old-fashioned stake that is pounded directly into the ground, either. A J-hook rebar anchor can be hammered into the ground, with the hook looping into the bottom frame of the kennel or being tied to the kennel with cable. As long as the rebar anchor is hammered deep enough into the ground to get a grip, the anchor should hold the kennel in place.
If you would prefer to use a screw stake anchor, you can install those into the ground using either a power drill or, depending on which brand you purchase, the unique twisting tool that was included with your purchase. Once you have screwed the anchors into the ground, you can use cable or wire to tie the kennel firmly to the stakes.
How Does a Ground Anchor Work?
The reason that any of these different types of anchors can work is that all ground anchors rely on the same principles of physics, which are the same principles that allow larger-scale ground anchors to support retaining walls and utility poles, and even hold small aircraft in place.
After you drive an anchor into the ground, either by hammering or by screwing it downward, the ground anchor puts pressure on the soil directly above it. The soil responds by providing an equal amount of pressure downward, holding the anchor and anything attached to it down. The laws of physics that keep a retaining wall standing can keep Fido safe in his kennel!
My name is Ken and I’m one of the staff writers at Petloverguy.com. I’ve cared for pets most of my life starting with hamsters, turtles, and snakes. Then moving up to parakeets, guinea pigs, and even ducks.
I currently live with two yorkies and a chihuahua mix.