Rubber mats for kennel?

baords dyslexic

We've two large (40kgs ish) dogs that sleep outside and as one is getting old and probably has stiffened up a bit and the other is responcible for many blanket massacers so I was wondering about making the kennels more confortable with rubber mats?

Thinking is that they are warmer than the bare boards, have a bit of give and can't easily be chewed up (we'll keep putting in blankets).

The rubber mats I am thinking about are the ones that are used for childrens play areas made of particles of rubber and about an inch or more thick, in fact these are the very ones http://www.abbeylawn.net/2011/06/rubber-playground-mats/

Is this a sencible idea or have I missed something obvious.

Edit> Another point is that older dog is a rescue with some massive hang ups and won't go near anything she doesn't like, if she sees a dog bean bag type thingy or thick foam mat in the kennel she won't use it. The play mats can be introduced indoors one at a time in her in door spot to get her used to them first.

nala2012

If you go to a carpet shop they usually have the end of a roll of carpet for cheap. I got loads for 5 euro. I cut it to size and replace it every couple of weeks

baords dyslexic

nala2012 wrote: »

If you go to a carpet shop they usually have the end of a roll of carpet for cheap. I got loads for 5 euro. I cut it to size and replace it every couple of weeks

I've tried carpet and it ends up in smaller bits than the blankets do, I'm not bothered about them being chewed up its just that it takes ages picking up all the bits

Sigma Force

You could give the rubber mats a go but if one is a chewer then they can be chewed up but maybe try it with just a couple of mats to see how you go.

Have you tried vet bed before if you get just one piece first and see how you go with it, dogs generally don't chew it because it's too comfy to ruin.

If the dogs are together in a run maybe seperating the run into two so that the one that likes to wreck things doesn't wreck the other dogs bedding but keeping them side by side for company. Dogs wrecking bedding can be a sign of boredom but some dogs can also get into the habit and find it hard to break. Extra walks, kongs and things like that can help distract from bed wrecking.

Vet bed is brilliant stuff and you can even get thicker stuff for arthritic and older dogs. I've gotten vet bed from bronteglen.ie it lasts years and the dogs love it.

Green lipped muscle powder can help dogs with stiff joints, I'm not sure of the right amount to give so but you could try the Dental chews for joints, they have green lipped muscle powder in them and they can help.

Kamili

You could try getting your hands on the rubber matting used for stabling horses, it's about an inch thick and is made to take all sorts of abuse.

Something along the lines of http://www.triequestrian.ie/tri-equestrian-product-categories/for-the-horse/browse/62-rubber-matting.html?sef=hc

baords dyslexic

The "stock mats" were one of my ideas but all the standard sizes mean I have a big chunk to cut off otherwise I would have used "cattle mats" from the local Glambia.

I can get the play area mats a good bit reduced locally and I've checked dimensions and 6 should fit one kennel wall to wall with very little waste and cutting, I was going to put a wooden strip along the door edge.

The dogs are both in the same run with 2 kennels, there was a division to keep them apart but new dog would dig under to get company so it was easier to take the division out. Strange that the blanket chewer doesn't really chew anything else and he's be perfectly safe to leave in the house (would not normally leave any of them beyond 3 hours).

tbh given half a chance they'd both sleep out on the grass or on the concrete where they have a good view of the garden and any night time intruders (foxes) rather than anywhere else so sometimes you start to wonder why you bother (apart from the fact you then to be there in the morning)?

transit260

consider old conveyer belt on top of the white insulation foam(the stuff you scrape as a kid to make snow)it can be cut with a stanley to any size you want and is fairly chew proof.I had bull terriers and they would eat anything but this seemed to last a long time.worked for me anyway and usually free.

baords dyslexic

I have some stuff that people call conveyor belting (10mm thick) its great, I have a couple of mats I use for working under the car made of it, but don't have a supplier anywhere, stuff I had was washed up on the beach a few years back.

From the part number stamped in one of the bits I have it turned out to be a geotextile membrane that is used to seal the ground on waste dumps to prevent chemicals seeping into the surrounding area. Two nearby tips were sealed a few years back and both are near/on the sea. If I could get a few more bits I'd be delighted but I know the guys that do the work don't give the stuff away.