The Dog run from hell !!!

[ViTO]

Well as most know we got a new dog Loonette. I figured a small dog run with 1/2 roof would be in order, this way I could just let her outside during the winter months without having to deal with snow.

Good plan RIGHT !! :roll:

First off, I fence in a nice run only to find out Lab puppies can dig faster then backhoes. Zoom she goes right under. So much for little fence.

Then we get out the power tools and cement and REALLY get to work, next thing you know I got a stable for friggin horses. I will post up some pictures later but the point is....

What is the best ground material for a dog run. I have tried large wood chips but they seem to taste good and make such a mess.

I am thinking of brick pavers, for easy clean-up, any thoughts.


Pics to follow

[Storm_Shadow]

:lol3: ... Out of my department, so I'm not much help. But I enjoyed the description thus far. :D

[Starfire]

You need to make it easy to hose off and disinfect....preferably concrete or a cheaper way would be the pavers. You have a lab puppy and all lab pups should be named Hoover. Dirt, grass, gravel or mulch/chips just don't work out in the long run. Don't put anything in the run that someone in my profession will have to surgically remove!! Sorry you even started your run because I would have recommended an invisible fence as they work well.

[Duke{CLR}]

I have a 100' run off my back porch but it is for a small dog that we keep chained up while he is out. I dint know if you would tie a lab up like that. I say lay pavers past the fence line so she can't dig under them. Then you could easily hose it off when needed.

[TheDeadMeat]

[quote="Starfire" Sorry you even started your run because I would have recommended an invisible fence as they work well.[/quote]

Speaking of that.....has anyone used the wireless fence? I'm lazy.

[Starfire]

It works well but it takes some work to train the dog. Once you put in the fence, you have to put up flags along the perimeter. You take the dog up to the flags, as they near the fence they get an audible warning, then you pull them past the flags and they get shocked. They associate the flags as the reason they get shocked. After the flags have been up for a while(few weeks), they should have their boundaries set and they can be removed. The cons to an invisible fence are: they don't keep other animals out of your yard, and if your dog runs through it (ie chasing a rabbit and couldn't slow down before going through) they cannot get back into the yard without getting shocked. Also, some people are having them installed in new home builds to keep pets out of certain rooms.

[Gremlin_flg]

Sorry know how you feel. Have a black lab/border collie mix. When we got him from the pound he was 2. So we had set side of the house for him as a dog run. We chose concrete. Used a 6 foot fence, well he jumped over it. Build a taller fence and escaped again. Found out he squeezed through the outside of the fence. Finally built a 8 foot fence and blocked every single slot and he could not escape any more :D

Have fun :)

[ViTO]

Hey....Check this out,

I went on the local Craig's List and found a guy near my house ( 2 miles away ) selling his old patio pavers. They are in excellent shape.
Different shades of grey and 7" X 14". They should make for a pretty pattern too. BONUS !!

I bought all the pavers needed plus a few extra for $80.00 thats a SCORE !!

Bad part...I had to spend " LABOR DAY " transporting stone myself, but no biggie.
Well worth it.......... since it will make for a nice clean doggie area !!
I will be laying stone this week..LOL its been awile for me but its like riding a bike and my name is Vito so brick laying is in my blood. :wink:

Thanks guys for the suggestions and Star, I looked into those wireless fences but didn't know too much about them.
I now find out, one of the guys in work had one and as the dog got older he found it wasn't even needed.
As the dog got older he would stop dead at the boundry even when it was off and then look back at him to see if its OK to keep going.

If the dog run don't work, I will re-think it. In the mean time I get a bit of exercise and brush up on my stone skills. :2thumbs:

BTW... This was my first Craigs List type purchase, I highly suggest everyone check that thing first if your in a similar situation.

[Starfire]

Bad part...I had to spend " LABOR DAY " transporting stone myself, but no biggie.

That's what Labor Day is for! I tore out my carpet in the living/dining rooms.

As far as invisible fence, the best is the original company Invisible Fence as they have more options on collar types, strength of shock etc. I know you can buy them for self-install at places like Home Depot or Lowes.