Best Outside Dog Kennels (Jan 2023 Update)

Got this for a large dog to recover from surgery. Not as strong as a large welded wire portable kennel. It does allow more room to stretch out than the large portable kennel. If your animal needs room to move around, this may be a good kennel. Not super sturdy. Walls will moved out since they are connected with brackets (two each panel). May not be escape proof. No attached floor. Fitted tarp cover is nice. There are no cheap kennels out there. This one was priced okay and shipped free to my door. It was packaged well.CheapTX Guy

This is an extremely sturdy kennel and of high quality. Very easy to assemble. I assembled it myself and completely finished it took me about an hour and a half. The only downside is this kennel doesn't come with anchors that go in the ground to give it that extra firm support, however it doesn't appear to need it, as the kennel is extremely sturdy without them. Highly recommend!Tyler

I bought the medium sized kennel for my Shih Tzu. The size is perfect with plenty of room for him to play. The kennel is sturdy with an easy to operate door. The total time to assemble this kennel was about (1) hour (my husband put it together by himself). You will need something to cut the excess wire (the screws on the door need to be cut back before you can cap them off and the wires that connect the fence to the structure need to be twisted and trimmed to avoid injury). The sunshade DOES NOT cover the entire kennel. which I knew about from other reviews. I left the 2 inch gap near the door so I can stick my arm into the kennel and pet my dog while I walk by. Overall this is a great product! I highly recommend it!22Mommie22

This was simple to assemble, and sturdy. The only issues were small: two spots in the chain link fence, the wires didn't weave correctly so there were holes; and the locking mechanism on the gate is very cheap. I don't think I will use the gate mechanism because my dog could easily push it up and open the gate. All things considered, I recommend this kennel to someone who wants decent quality, and wants to save some money.Austin

I purchased the 4X6X4 Chain Link Kennel for my Flat Coated Retriever. I received it on the day it was supposed to arrive. It was packaged well. All the pieces parts were there and it is a very easy to assemble product. Myself and a friend actually had it assembled in 1/2 hour with the exception of the ties to secure the fencing. I took my time with those. *I am 67 and my friend is 68 two women* Instructions were clear and it really was a joy to put together.Jean

Ordered 2 different kennels. One missing door. Other one missing all the hardware. Saves money if you know what you are doing. Worked fine for me. Dad is pretty clever. Would not recommend for anything strong.tanyaal

The lack of specs on the product description was unfortunate. Compared to other kennels of the same cost, it’s smaller, which is also unfortunate- I compared by cost and height to hopefully get what I believed would be a 10×15 or 10×10 (again, no specs so I was going with a similar product for the same cost and hoping theyd be the same size). Based on the pictures without measurements, it LOOKED like MAYBE it was what I was looking for. Sadly, it’s smaller, but not so small that I can’t make it work. Disappointed I’m missing out on 25 square feet of room for my doggo for the price I paid.Linasaurus

Cheaper quality fencing and poles but only wanted to add on to my existing kennel. I was short approx. 5' of fencing. This isn't the first kennel I've constructed (so I know what I am doing). Some poles were bent slightly. Not happy I was shorted the fencing. I won't buy from this seller or this brand again.B

Absolutely Horrible! It looks very nice, went together very easy. The gauge of the chain link wire is so soft that I can easily bend it by hand. Then, there are ALUMINUM ties that connect the bottom of the chain link to the pipes. The aluminum tires are softer than solder material!! My well mannered, smaller size dogs were able to get out within 10 minutes of building it and ruined the chain link!Megan K.

Kennel was delivered to my house. I could see the wire in some places already coming undone. Was hoping to use this kennel for my large dogs but looks like it'll only hold up to chickens or small dogs.Dog Lady

"I bought 7 4 x 10 kennels and love them! Very well built and easy to put up!!!! We train labs for gun dogs and hunt test at Otter Creek Retrievers and wouldn't buy any other brand! Hopefully we are going to purchase 4 more this spring to add to our runs!!!"Ryan W.

These are great kennels. My dogs have not been able to get out, infact they seem very comfortable and safe inside. It's been a couple months now and there is no sign of wear or rust. The dip galvanized panels don’t seem like they're going to be damaged anytime soon.Louise E.

This kennel is a must have especially if you have an energetic puppy like I do. We use it when she gets overstimulated from playing. It’s a nice safe retreat for her. We also use it when she’s a little too enthusiastic with my senior dachshund. It gives him a little break. She loves going into her kennel for a rest.dina.h

The perfect size for our needs. Sets up easily and constructed well. We could not find the same brand of cushion to fit, but another brand fit perfectly. Would fold down to transport easily.3pines

We have a powerfully built 40 pound mutt who can muscle her way out of her old crate by popping the single latched door open. We had to add an extra clip to the door to keep her in the crate, which is a pain getting the clip on and off to let her in and out. She can’t gorse the door on this crate open due to the double latches AND the extra “hook” on the tip that holds the latches in place. My little bulldozer can’t open this crate by force and go counter surfing, much to her dismay.TKettle

I love Hayneedle, but the company that made this fence should have sent instructions; and the gate should have been assembled instead of coming in different strands of wire. We never did get it together, the wires were different sizes and bent. We finally made our on wire to put on the gate. Hayneedle was very understanding about the way we received this product.Ruby

Overall good product that meets the needs of our pup. It is helpful to have more then two people to apply the chain link to the frame. Also the wire pieces provided to secure the chainlink to the frame are a heavy gauge wire, very hard to bend. We used heavy zip ties , made the job much easier /faster.SRS7503

The picture is very false. Expected it to be in panels to put together. EZ it says EZ it's not. Came in pieces including having to put frame together then wrap chain link around like putting a fence up. So it is not EZ when there is one person and a 10x 10×5 comes in a 5 by 15×12 inch box. Very, very disappointed. To return I would have to pay for $50-$100 shipping. Had to paid someone to put together. Very deceiving. Would never recommend.Linda

This is perfect for my purpose. I needed a tall fence outside to keep my dogs out of a certain area. The 16 foot length is perfect. My dogs are pretty respectful of fences, so I didn't need anything heavy duty. It isn't clear from the picture nor the description, but there is a door. I have it upside down on purpose so that I can walk through instead of crawl through the opening. This was a much cheaper option than anything for the garden, and much taller than any garden fencing.HappyDogMom

Good product. It is a little lightweight, but I zip tied it to a table and it keeps my dog from pushing it over. My dog weights about 43 pounds. It works well while I'm here to monitor her. I have to lock her in her kennel when I leave. Overall I am happy with my purchase.Maggie

I purchased this product to put my new puppy in for short periods of time when I needed to do something. It was so flimsy my 3.5 lb puppy was able to drag it all over and my adult daughter bent over to pick him up barely touching the fence and it caved in with her falling hard to the floor just missing the pup. So for my particular purpose it did not work. Its a great idea and Im sure would work for another idea but I would not recommend for puppies or any dogs to be placed in this fence.Tina

Bought this for our 7 month old Pyrador puppy, who has already outgrown one house. It was easy to put together, and the sturdist dog house we've ever seen. Plus being insulated is perfect for a cold Indiana winter. She's huge and still growing and loves it. The first night she slept in front of it despite dog treats inside. Second night was cooler, she decided to check it out so the head and front paws went thru the swinging door first, and after she had stood that way for about 5 minutes, walked all the way in, and has loved it ever since. From the size if it unless she grows as much as Clifford the big red dog, she'll get to enjoy for a lifetime.PJ

We got this house for a new Boxador puppy so that it can spend most of its time outside. We found it to be a good product. It was easy to put together and does stay much warmer than the outside air. In rainy weather, it stays dry. It is a very large house which would work for a lab or other large dog. No problems with the dog using the door. Only suggestion: add nuts and bolts for the 6 screws. Screwing metal into plastic is not a real good plan. I'm assuming the company will have replacement parts (door, window, etc…) available for my investment!Y Robinson

We have tried many Kennels/Crates for our dog, she suffers from Anxiety and nothing has kept her as safe as this kennel. Any metal kennel, regardless of how indestructible it has advertised to be, we have come home to a scraped up bleeding dog that is out in the house and destroying things. She is a pitbull and she chews through anything. The kennels that are plastic with the metal grates on the side she chews on the door and breaks the metal on the sides and at this point has ruined her teeth. We have put her in the Ruff Land Performance kennel twice, once for two hours, great success and once for an entire day. She was calmer, and no blood or destruction to the crate. Wish I had seen this crate 9 years ago. Another feature we like is that it has a flat floor, rather than one that is either metal grating or has a few round circles protruding to allow stacking of kennels. We are amazed and so thankful to have this crate. I would recommend this crate to any dog owner. I can't say enough good about it.Diana B

We tried the reinforced wire crates with no success. If he could get out, he would. The next step was possibly getting those ultra reinforced crates that cost almost a thousand dollars and almost require financing. This has been the perfect compromise. It’s sturdy and durable. It obviously has a little weight to it, but it’s definitely manageable. Hands down if something happens to this crate that isn’t caused by our dog, I’ll buy it again and again.Jennahboo92

My chabrador (chow-labrador mix) has plenty of space to turn around and lay down in this kennel. He is kenneled while I'm working, and he easily goes to lay down when it's time for me to leave in the morning. At night and on the weekends, my rat terrier likes to claim this kennel as her own spot. Very sturdy and fairly light weight. Not too wide, so it's easy to find a place to make space for this kennel.Shane

I receive the item and the box was in good condition. Upon opening the item there were 8 pieces. 4 walls, the top and 3 pieces that make up the floor. 3 of the 4 walls were split by screws that were inserted on the pre-fabricated panels. I took pieces and sent them to customer service. I believe this was done before being boxed up to ship. Although I was offered a discount for the damaged item I don't believe it would last as the floor did not attach but rested on the ledge of the sides. When my dog stepped into the dog house the first time 1 of the 3 pieces that make up the floor flipped up. It is nice looking but the wood is very cheap. I would not recommend buying.Unhappy Customer

I expected better of this outdoor doghouse, especially for the price. It is made of "fir wood" which isn't a hardwood at all. Pine would have been sturdier. Assembly was easy but the house itself flimsy, with several of the pre-fab section not even nailed or glued together, and some pieces with parts of the wood broken off. Even in the "giant" size it was barely large enough for a 90lb GSD. The feet were plastic and the floor slated wood were the elements can creep through. This house is advertised as ideal for outdoor use – but I wouldn't trust it during a New England winter. It was sent back immediately. I would NOT recommend this manufacturer for outdoor dog houses. For less money you could build a better one out of more durable wood.Razor

I just opened my Small size Precision Pet Extreme Log Cabin doghouse today to assemble. It looks like it will assemble pretty well, although one of the sides is 3/16" out of square. Because the panels are firmly glued and screwed together it will require some adjustment/trimming to assemble correctly instead of attempting to break the glue joints and true it up. Obviously a rush job by the factory in Wuhan. The roof shingles do appear to be very well sealed and bonded together, however there are a few spots on the edges of the composition shingles on the roof where bare wood can be seen at the edges, which would allow water to get into the roof frame, so those spots will have to be sealed. The three piece floor has 1/8" gaps between the slats, so if you want the animal occupying the box to be comfortable when it is cold and windy, you will have to do some modification to the floor, which I plan on doing. The statement that the box is waterproof and weather resistant is a stretch. The stain/preservative used on all of the wood surface is so thin that pouring any water at all on the wood surface disappears as the wood instantly absorbs it. I will not put the box in service until at least 2 coats of a high quality exterior grade paint/stain is applied. If you try and use this box without putting a proper preservative coat on it, you might get one year of use out of it before it rots or suffers UV damage and cracks and splits. This doghouse is being re-purposed by me to be a Barn Owl nest box; the dimensions are almost perfect and as soon as I saw it I realized that it could be used for quick installation during the brief annual window between December to January during which Barn Owls are NOT in their box. All I really have to do is put an insert into the door to reduce the opening size, add a perch/balcony outside the opening, fix the floor, and of course, properly seal the wood so that it will last more than one season. My primary reason for paying the extra money for the "EXTREME" model was the feature description that said: Its stainless steel hardware also adds to its sturdiness. THIS IS A LIE! THE HARDWARE SUPPLIED IS NOT STAINLESS STEEL, so this is my major gripe. My guess is that China figures that most Americans can't tell the difference between stainless and non-stainless steel. I'm a retired engineer, and you can almost always identify stainless/non-stainless steel by its color and appearance, although the surefire test is with a magnet. Regular steel will be strongly attracted by a magnet, if it is stainless steel, you might get a very slight attraction. This stuff is definitely normal steel with maybe a thin coat of zinc – not stainless steel. Weight Correction: Specifications say 25.6 pounds (Actual Weight = 31.7 pounds; 44% of that is the roof)KestrelCamMan

The crate had obviously been used and returned. The metal was rusted in places and the plastic bottom tray was dirty. When I decided to return it, It was a challenge to get it back in the box. When I took it back to the store, I asked about a discount and received 15% off (the tax). I had previously bought one that was marked down by 50% because the box was damaged. I was quite disappointed in the whole experience. Apparently the merchandise was supposed to be checked if the box was damaged and that wasn’t done in this case.Janice

I've owned dogs for the last 40 years. I've used MidWest wire crates for my last 4 dogs. This iCrate didn't disappoint. It's sturdy and and easy to put up and take down. I use them when I travel with my dogs too. My dogs only use their crates for sleeping in at night or napping in during the day. During the day, their crate doors are left open. I close the dogs in at night. I don't have an issue with my dogs trying to escape from their crates, so I can't speak to whether or not this would be sturdy enough for a dog that's determined to get out of their crate. These crates are more than sturdy enough for my miniature Schnauzer, Havanese, and Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. All three of my dogs love their MidWest iCrates, as did my previous dog! They go in them voluntarily and when told to "crate up". My only concern with the current crate I ordered is that that one of the latches isn't lined up quite right so it's a bit tight when closing the crate door. I bent it slightly and it works much better. I haven't had that issue with any of the previous MidWest crates I've used. I'm a MidWest crate fan.Eddie09

We bought this in April 2022 for our Rhodesian Ridgeback mix puppy. He was weeks old when we rescued him. He was a Parvo pup and barely survived, so rest and his own quiet space was highly recommended for recovery. We first used the divider which was great. However, as he grew, so did his strength. It definitely is not strong enough for large dogs. Even for short amounts of time. At the moment he is 6 months and 60 pounds. Thankfully he did not get out nor hurt himself! I wish I could share photos of how bent up this crate is and the cracked floor liner. IWifeMomLove

Putting this together – I would say that the plastic is a good construction, the clasps and screws are great, and the metal bars for the windows look to be a decent quality. They ship you extra clips and screws in case you have a problem. I personally don't like the wheels (on any crate), so I'll leave those off and the pet bowl might be okay if I was sending the dog via airplane. The Large size isn't very large in my opinion. A dog should be able to stand up, turn around and lay down. I think this crate is more like a 50 pound max than 75. My 10 week old Golden Female Retriever will likely outgrow this kennel in 6 months and be in that weight range. In a way I'd like to exchange it for a bigger one.RichH

We needed a larger kennel to ship our 45 lb dog on an American Eagle flight. They have size restrictions and this kennel provided the space our border collie needed and fit the airline size. Held up perfectly to a two flights and 9 hours of flying.WaterHog

Besides the occasional chewing on the exterior, my German Shepherd loves it. It's a perfect size for our loved one and it's quite stylish.webuser_97856027

Love this one, thought it wasn't going to be big enough, but it has more than enough room. So easy to put together. Will definitely be ordering another one soon!Shay

This is a good quality, sturdy plastic dog house. We have a medium sized German Shepherd and he easily fits in the large dog kennel and has room to curl up and sleep. It does a pretty good job keeping the rain out, only a little splattering of water gets in in the front but not too bad. Overall, quite happy with the purchase!angelnadie

We have tried many Kennels/Crates for our dog, she suffers from Anxiety and nothing has kept her as safe as this kennel. Any metal kennel, regardless of how indestructible it has advertised to be, we have come home to a scraped up bleeding dog that is out in the house and destroying things. She is a pitbull and she chews through anything. The kennels that are plastic with the metal grates on the side she chews on the door and breaks the metal on the sides and at this point has ruined her teeth. We have put her in the Ruff Land Performance kennel twice, once for two hours, great success and once for an entire day. She was calmer, and no blood or destruction to the crate. Wish I had seen this crate 9 years ago. Another feature we like is that it has a flat floor, rather than one that is either metal grating or has a few round circles protruding to allow stacking of kennels. We are amazed and so thankful to have this crate. I would recommend this crate to any dog owner. I can't say enough good about it.Diana B

I purchased this kennel about a month ago for a new pup. As a young dog in the back seat of the truck with two full grown Retreivers, I wanted to ensure she was safe and secure. The kennel is made of top notch materials, fits nicely on the back seat and is tied down to the child seat anchors. Best of all, this is the first travel kennel I've ever owned that the door doesn't rattle. Over a long day of travel, it makes a big difference. Well done, Ruffland.Mark 390

We tried the reinforced wire crates with no success. If he could get out, he would. The next step was possibly getting those ultra reinforced crates that cost almost a thousand dollars and almost require financing. This has been the perfect compromise. It’s sturdy and durable. It obviously has a little weight to it, but it’s definitely manageable. Hands down if something happens to this crate that isn’t caused by our dog, I’ll buy it again and again.Jennahboo92

Dog house was very easy to put together. My daughter I had had it up in 30 minutes. Very sturdy It rained the next day and is very dry.Barbara

This is not as pictured! Poor quality!!! Didn't fit to get properly and my 80 pound Dog would tear this up in less than a week 🙁Dale

Finally put together our dogs love it so far! When putting you have to keep everything straight more than 2 people to put together.Beverly

This is exactly what I wanted. It was easy to put together. I have 5 small dogs and they all have plenty of room. I use it for short periods of time when they need to be contained.Danielle

It wasn’t as wide as I thought but my dog who always find away to escape has not so far. It was a quick and easy set up. The wire isn’t chicken wire like most I seen. I love it.Darlesha

Better quality than our sun gazebo. Eas.y to set up. I have it on a outdoor carpet and use that to move it if needed. Very sturdy and does do move in the strong winds we've had. I remove the canvas top at night and easily replade it daily. Excelent buy!A