It is no secret that we treasure our relationships with our fuzzy canine friends and in northwest it can be a love and hate relationship. Dogs are great, but with them come a long trail of dirt and mud, especially during the wet winter months. So how can you have the best of both worlds? Build a dog run, of course.
The problem with dogs in a backyard is that during the winter they can track up your lawn and bring dirt and mud into your home. Not to mention that fact that if you have a large yard you have to go hunt down their business and we all know that in itself can be a challenging task. By building a dog run you not only give your friend a place to run, but you confine their bathroom space to a manageable area.
So how do you build a dog run? It’s a lot simpler than you would think.
First, you need to pick out a decent sized space in your yard that you don’t mind giving up to Fido. A lot of times a good spot for this could be in a side-yard along the side of your house. You want to make sure the run is at least 10 feet wide and as long as your yard will permit. If you want to save on materials it could help to build the run along the edge of an already built fence or as mentioned before, alongside your home.
Next you need to choose your ground material- a feature that is particularly important here in the damp northwest. If your dog run is going to be on grass, now is the time to come to terms with the fact that it may not last very long in that area. Dogs tend to tear up grass and in the winter can destroy it simply by playing on it. A good solution is to lay down wood chips to cover the mud and keep your pooch’s paws clean in the winter. This will also help out when cleaning up after your dog. If wood chips aren’t your thing you could lay down some gravel, sand or concrete. (Tip: if you are using gravel make sure it is not the sharp kind or you could end up with a dog that has cut up paws).
There are several options when it comes to enclosing a dog run and they run the gambit from cheap to semi expensive. If you really want to save money you can run a cable with a leash attached to it but that does not allow your dog much freedom to run. Ideally you would want to build a small fence that is just high enough to keep them in the run. For a quote on a dog run fence contact us today as we would be glad to help.
For those of you who really like to spoil your dogs you can get creative and fun with the dog run. Try adding a covered space for when it’s raining or integrating a nice dog house in to the space. Overall your dog run is going to help keep your pet happy, you happy and your house and yard much nicer. Trust us, your dog will thank you.