When you first decide to buy a dog kennel you may be overwhelmed by the huge variety in style, size and composition that are available to you.  Before you take the plunge and buy one think carefully about how and where you are likely to use it as this will help you to determine which kennel would be best suited to you and your dog.  If you are planning on letting your dog stay in the house then a portable plastic kennel which can be moved around from room to room will probably suit you best while if you want your dog to stay and sleep outside most of the time then a well insulated traditional wooden dog house would be ideal.  The third type that you will commonly find is a metal kennel.

Steel kennels have several advantages over the other 2 types.  They are incredibly strong, making a secure home for large dogs or dogs who like to chew things or escape!  A chain link dog kennel will also double as a run, allowing your dog somewhere where he can exercise or rest as he wishes, without being able to dig up or destroy the garden.  You generally buy the panels and then construct the dog cage to suit your dog, making it as large or small as you wish.  They are easy to put together and you can even put roofs on them if you have the type of dog who might attempt to jump out!  The disadvantages are that they are quite difficult to move once they have been constructed and they don’t provide any protection from the elements (though you can get covers which will help provide some shade).

Dog car cages are also made of metal but they are specially designed to fit into the boot of the car.  These cages prevent your dog from roaming around the car while you are driving, which could be a safety issue if they decide that they’d like to join you in the front!