I don't have a fenced yard, so my dogs are pretty much never outside alone. Sometimes I feel bad because Bus will drag his feet coming in on nice days, or lay down and stretch out while we're walking like, "NO, I don't wanna go in!", and I've had other dogs that have really enjoyed just hanging out outside, too. One nice days when Bus wants to linger, I'll gate him on my porch with the door open so I can see/hear him, and when the gates on our deck still latched, I'd sometimes leave him out there, again, only with me nearby and doors open. Annie could squeeze out through the railings of the deck, and hated being left outside without a person, so even when she was younger, I rarely left her out there. Even if we had a fence, I'd be reluctant to leave Bus outside, as he's a digger, and could be under a fence in minutes if he wanted to, though I don't know that he would. The cost to fence our yard with suitable "dog proof" fence (dig proof for Bus, solid and at least 6' for eventual future APBT) would be impossible for me, and even then, I still wouldn't want to leave a dog out for fear someone coming or going would leave a gate open or the dog might find a way out.
I've been wanting a welded wire kennel for forever (since I had the bigger dogs) so I could leave a dog or my cats out on nice days if they preferred, rather than in the house. It's probably the most secure way to keep a dog outside for any length of time, since you can add a wire top, set it on a concrete pad, and chain/lock the gate, and they're much more sturdy than comparable weight/gauge chain link. I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving a dog out with no one home to check in on them all day, but my parents' house is on the same lot as ours, and my mom is pretty much always home- she could take them inside if the weather got bad or they were unhappy. We live in a decent area, but there are still lots of thefts of dogs, and many of those are never recovered. That's another reason I wouldn't want them outside in just a fence.
Regarding that specific kennel, it doesn't look particularly large (6' or less in diameter?), but it's hard to get an idea of scale in that photo. If I were going to spring for a kennel, I'd want at least 40 square feet of space, with preference for a rectangular over square shape to allow more room along the "long" side to allow the dog to stretch their legs a little. A square kennel would offer slightly more room than that one, and probably not be more difficult to fit into most yards. My other preferred breed tend to be escape artists and destructive, so the wood(? Composite?) would make me wary, as would the gaps at the top between the wire and wood- most small to medium dogs could probably squeeze through it. I would also be a bit concerned that over time, urine would cause the wood to rot more quickly, it would probably be better if it were slightly raised to allow air to get under and keep urine soaking to a minimum.
It is definitely nicer looking than most backyard kennels, and looks like it would be sturdy enough for many dogs, so it would just depend on what an individual needed.
