I am in the middle of covering a dog run as of now I am using the cheap blue tarps the dog run has an option of a cover but it is black and black sucks in the heat and was made of nothing but trampoline material I am thinking of a white cover made of aqualon that is completly water proof and is very durable white also doesn't absorb heat the whole run will not be coverd the front will be open about four feet back for some sun along with the very front of the run half of the run is a hard material and the other is dirt whitch he digs and lays in the holes are there any other sugestions on dog runs thanks

While the mesh run covers you speak of ARE black and black attacts heat- it is not hot where the dog is at all. The cover would get warm to the touch, but it does not make the run hot. It simply adds shade. That is like saying it is hot under a tree because trees are dark green.... doesn't work that way


Tarps never last. Maybe if you are someplace with no wind it will, but I doubt it.

Waterproof doesn't work well either. Unless you build a frame to make a peak- the cover will sag and rip at stress points.

Howard Knauf, can you please email me a picture of your kennel setup so I can get a better picture of what it looks like, sounds like a great idea. Please email me a picture at laslavens@yahoo.com<br />
Thanks in advance.

No problem

Since we're on the kennel roofing subject...

On my kennels (6' x 12' each) I just used an additional 6x12 kennel panel for the roof of each one. We're in the desert so I'm not worried about rain, I'm worried about WIND, and bad wind. A friend of mine was talking about how just about no matter what she used for a roof, she couldn't keep it from getting torn up from the wind (she's about 15 min away from me). Anyway, I was thinking about using those strips of metal that people use for adding some privacy to their already-there chain link fence, the ones that weave through the links.

I know there is going to be a little space there and it's not going to be a totally solid roof, but it seems like a good idea to me. Wind can't blow it off too easy, and it should provide enough shade to keep the hot sun off the dogs and the dirt/gravel that their kennel sits on (which gets horribly hot). As of right now I can't even put them in their runs more than for about an hour early in the morning and an hour before dark.

Has anyone done something like that or similar for a roof?

(if I end up trying it, I'll post pictures lol <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> )