Monday, January 2, 2012

Build a Dog Run in Your Backyard

Gain peace of mind when you build a dog run.

Reasons you may want to build a dog pen include:

Door Bottom

Keeping your dog confined to one section of your asset without putting him on a chain Allowing your dog to be unsupervised while getting fresh air Keeping your dog from digging up plants or chewing on them Keeping your dog away from surface tool or electrical gear Providing an outdoor area for an incontinent dog or one that is not housebroken that can be authentically cleaned
Important to note: A dog run is not supposed to be a substitute for bathroom walks and exercise sessions with your dog.

Some things to think before you build a dog run include:

Where should you put the run? Will you need a building permit? Will it contribute protection from environmental extremes? Will your dog bark excessively and disturb the neighbors? How many hours a day will the dog be using the run? Will it be near enough to a water faucet so you can hose it down?
Floor Of The Dog Run

You can build a dog run yourself using a variety of materials. Many runs have a sealed concrete floor about 4 inches thick. The most desirable type of concrete is plane but not too slippery. It is best to have a itsybitsy slope built in for drainage, between ¼ and ½ inch per foot, for those occasions when your dog has to go potty before you can take him out.

Dog runs attached to large-scale kennels are at least 50 quadrate feet, either 4 x 12 or 5 x 10 feet. For a single dog run in a backyard, a greater width and length is desirable, such as 6 x 20 feet, especially if your dog is active.

If you want a dog run that can be moved from place to place, and your dog is not inclined to dig his way out, you can use the ground as your base. You can buy modular chain link units for this purpose. Note that it may be more difficult to clean if your dog poops in the run and may also become muddy in rainy areas.

Sides Of The Pen

Steel chain link fence (9 gauge) is used for the sides and roof in many cases, since this is very durable and the most difficult for a dog to chew through. A concrete block base filled with sand and topped with concrete makes for a good start for the first consolidate of feet. The height you build it is up to you - 6 or 8 feet should be sufficient.

If chicken wire or someone else type of wire fencing is all you have at hand, by all means use it. It may be best to reinforce the bottom consolidate of feet of the run with thick boards, then staple the wire mesh over the boards. To preclude a dog from digging under the boards, think extending the wire mesh about a foot or so into the ground.

Wood lattice is someone else possibility, but is best fine for a small dog that will be using the dog run infrequently for short periods of time and is not inclined to chew wood.

Roof Of The Run

Since some dogs are climbers, it may be best to cover the overhead area with fencing as well. In places where the dog pen is exposed, put a roof over at least part of the run to contribute shade and shelter, unless you have a large doghouse inside the pen that will serve the same purpose. Make sure this roof slopes down to drain off rain or snow, preferably off to one side rather than onto the floor of the run.

The solid part of the roof can be made of surface grade plywood covered with tarpaper and shingling materials, or corrugated metal or aluminum.

As you can see, it is not difficult to build a dog run with a itsybitsy know how to get you started!

Build a Dog Run in Your Backyard

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1 comment:

  1. Great post. I have a wooden roof on my chain link dog run here in calgary. After reading this I think I'll add some chain link to the overhead. My pups have chewed thru a few time in the past. Cheer!

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