I'm in a similar boat and building a new kennel block this spring. been thinking about it for quite a while but still open to any ideas.
So far planning to have outdoor roofed runs with metal 5cm bars with a corridoor at end so only have to lock/unlock 1 door if ever decide to lock them. Could not be bothered having to lock each individual run door.
Think main thing is plenty of slope, i'm planning on runing a course of brick inbetween runs so water/pee doesnae spread from 1 run to next
Not sure how to make my sleeping boxes thou, at moment i've made them out a ext ply and insulated, but meaning to build a block shed with internal sleping boxes.
Just not sure how/if i should heat them.
Planning to raise them up 9" so plenty room for insulation below, ot sure wether to put some electric UFH in each sleeping box or leave a space for a bar type heater? But where would u place the bar heater back/front or along a side or even up the middle.
The heating is esp for after a shoot day/duck flight if dogs are going out damp (even after towel drying) but my spaniel usually sleeps ontop of his sleeping box in all but the coldest weather, would hate to heat the box to make it more comfortable and force him to sleep out in the cold.
Also is concrete too hard a surface for dogs to sleep on? Thought of a timber floor to boxes.
Know a mate of mine has a nice kennel built and puts all his dogs in the whelping box he has with a heat lamp on them or has a roughly made pen in an outhouse next to a log burner and fires it up to get them all dry first. Which work well
