Spring Cleaning Tips for Kennels By Stacy Mason Published: Mar 19, 2025
I can hardly wait for warm weather to get here and stay here. This winter in my area has been a long hard one. In my last spring cleaning article, we covered several tasks that are helpful for breeders and kennel owners to do before spring springs! I will cover them again here and add a few more tips. Proper gear – Be sure to wear proper gear and to use caution. Wear long sleeves, long pants, boots and gloves, because if you meet up with any snakes you want to be properly prepared. Yard work – Pick up or mulch leaf litter before temperatures reach 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Use extra caution picking up sticks and downed branches. Lift with your legs and raise the item with it facing away from you. Weed control and lagoons – Use proper safety equipment and follow manufacturer guidelines when weed
eating fence lines and applying weed and grass killers or treatments. Treat your sewage lagoon and yards. This is the perfect time of year for those treatments and a great time to get ahead of the summer chores. Dog shelters – Remove and replace any shade tarps as they degrade quickly in the winter weather. Make sure to clean and disinfect your dog houses and use a pet-safe insect repellant as spiders sure do like dog houses. Concrete Care – Clean, degrease, fill any cracks and re-seal your concrete with a good concrete sealer. You want to have a water-resistant surface that shows a good water bead when you are done. Air filters and safety checks – Check and clean all air filters and plugs on air conditioners, fans and de-humidifiers. Besides the above-mentioned items,
let’s add a few more items that will keep you and your dog’s safe.
Medications and treatments – Go through your medicine cabinets. Make sure all medications, vitamins, and treatments are still in date. Properly document and dispose of any items that are out of date. Dog food storage – Did you know you should never pour your feed into a large barrel or can? You should always put the bag of food into an airtight barrel, can or container. This will keep your food fresher and prevent an oily build up on the side on your container that can go rancid and make your dogs ill. Batteries – Make sure your smoke detector batteries are new and ready to go. If you have power equipment like drills, saws or blowers that use re- chargeable batteries, make sure they are charged and ready to go.
Missouri Pet Breeders Association | Page 25
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog