Getting a dog kennel is not a must for all dogs, however having one can be beneficial if the dog are not enclosed in a fenced yard. Buying a dog kennel is less expensive than the cost of fencing an entire yard, making these structures invaluable to people who would like to permit their dogs to run outside, but who can not afford the expense of an entire fence.

Other than being a less expensive method of providing an area for the dog to run, a dog kennel can also be a part of responsible dog ownership that provides benefits to the dog, to the owner, and to their neighborhood as well. The outdoor dog kennel can be used to:

- Provide protection to "intact" (unspayed) bitches,
- To prevent fights between the owner's dogs and neighborhood dogs, and to
- Protect the neighbors and other people from dog aggression

Although it is a responsible act to spay or neuter your intact pets, some people purposefully do not do so. These people are often breeders of dogs for conformation shows or are people that exhibit dogs in such shows. Because it is not permissible to spay or neuter dogs that are entered in such shows, these individuals must find a way to contain their intact dogs, particularly in the case of a bitch in heat.

It is important to note, however, that the dog owner still must maintain awareness of the bitch in question. Even kennels with six-foot tall walls are not entirely safe when a bitch is in heat; dogs have been known to scale fences that high, particularly when chain link provides footholds for the climb.

In addition to providing protection for intact bitches, a dog kennel can prevent fights between the owner's dogs and the neighborhood dogs. This feat is accomplished by preventing the owner's dogs from roaming into other dog's territory by virtue of them being confined.

In addition, neighborhood dogs that are free to roam can not start fights on the dog owner's property if his or her own dogs are confined. This confinement has an added benefit: if neighborhood dogs are targeted by animal control, either for roaming or for aggression, the dog owner with a kennel is freed of concern over his or her dog being picked up as a transgressor.

Finally, not every dog is a friendly one when strangers come onto "his" (or "her") property. Dogs are by nature territorial. For this reason, if a dog does not know someone coming up the walk, then that person might be in danger of being attacked if the dog is running loose. An outdoor kennel also goes a long way to preventing the family dog from coming to harm from, or from being stolen by, passing strangers.

Moses Wright is the webmaster of Dog Habitat Home. More useful guide on Dog House and Dog Door can be found online at his website. You are welcome to reprint this article if the content and live links are keep intact.