A kennel is a shelter or housing for dogs. If your family goes on vacation, you might board your dog at a kennel where trained staff feed, exercise, and care for dogs while their owners are away. Some people build kennels in their own backyards: simple structures that give dogs a safe, comfortable outdoor space.

The word can also mean a business that breeds or trains dogs. A person who runs a kennel might raise golden retrievers, training puppies and finding good homes for them.

As a verb, kennel means to put a dog in a kennel. When someone says a dog is kenneled, they mean it's staying in a kennel rather than roaming free. Police dogs and hunting dogs often live in kennels at their handler's home or at a training facility.

A kennel is simply a dog's house, whether it's a small doghouse in a backyard or a large facility caring for dozens of animals.