Puppy Runs

[ell&diesel]

Also, I have been reading some other posts from people about what age is suitable to leave a pup outside during the day while im at work/uni. Tayza is 10 weeks and has been outside most of the time. He is inside when I am home but seems to like being outside, despite the cries and whines when i leave. By the time I get home he is usually curled up in his crate with a bone... Is this safe?

I don't know, but I look forward to responses as I would like to start putting Martha outside. I have a shed which I'm converting into a kennel.

Reading this in the thread about crate training difficulties made me wonder as well. I'm considering getting a pup sometime in the nearer-rather-than-distant-future and have decided to build a run - even if the puppy doesn't eventuate (for whatever reason), I still think it would be a good idea to have one if ever I needed to contain Diesel or maybe if I were to board a friend or family member's dog.

So, I'm thinking just how large the run will need to be, for starters. The new addition will have to be in the run whenever there is nobody home (between0 - 6 hours depending on what day it is). Diesel has made great progress with his issues towards other dogs, and will behave himself when we're around, but if there is nobody to supervise I won't let him and a puppy be alone together. For a medium breed, medium-energy dog (definitely not a working/herding breed), how large will the run need to be? Obviously I'll be including a kennel, and I'd like to put a sandpit and one of those clam-shell pools in as well, and plenty of challenging toys to keep the pup's mind busy. So how large do you think would be necessary? At the moment if I were to build a run for Diesel it would only need to be about 1m square - large enough to fit his beanbag in, and some water - and he'd be fine, but he's a 7 year old fatso and I can't expect a young dog to be as sedate as that.

Also, how old do you think the pup should be before I can leave it outside in the run without anybody being home? I don't know the general consensus, how long it takes isn't really a problem as mum, OH & I can take as much time off work as needed - I'd just like to gather a few of the opinions on here.

[Rysup]

Thats a hard one! I know people who move their litters outside at 5 weeks. Me, I moved mine outside around 10 weeks old, but all my dogs sleep inside, in pens in the garage, of a night. I would never leave a baby outside full time. But during the day, as long as they can get out of the weather, then I have no issues.

[ell&diesel]

Thanks Rysup, my pup will definitely be sleeping inside & will probably be inside the whole time while anybody is home. I'm thinking of building the run with solid walls on one end (kind of like a loose box for horses) and then out the doorway, a nice grassy area - that way there's plenty of shelter from heat, rain & wind and also a nice place to relax on the grass.

And when I say "I'm thinking of building", I mean "I'm thinking that I will get OH to build it like this..."

[Rysup]

ROTF My puppy yard an old aviary (something like 3m wide x 9m long) with a fence around 2 sides. Its not a huge yard, but its big enough for its purpose.

This photo is the front part, where we added gravel as I was sick of the mud!!

We paved the area around the gate....

Its not very tall, but I dont need it tall for puppies or adults as none of mine are jumpers.

[ell&diesel]

That's a good setup - I am also envious of your ever-so-swish-looking runs you built for the adult dogs.

If your pups get moved outside at around 10 weeks, how many would be in that puppy enclosure (I'm assuming you place one or more in new homes at 8/9 weeks)? And what age (this is just out of curiosity) do they move out into a run with the adults?

[Rysup]

Well Ive only had two in there together, because Ive had miserably small litters lately LOL

The young boy still spends most of his days in there, and he is 10 months old. He is in there with his mother at the moment, and I just alternate them, on nice sunny days I will put those two out in the big run, and lock the oldies up in the puppy run, if that makes sense. I dont have the puppy in the main run all the time because he makes a real mess - sits in the water bowl, gets covered in mud etc, where as in the puppy run, even though there is a dirt section to dig in, he doesnt seem to touch it.

Oh and thank you for the comments about my ever so swish runs I am just so happy that we managed to do it all ourselves! Saved a heap of money and it does look very professional if I do say so myself

ETA forgot about when I move the pups to the adults. LOL It really depends on the puppy in question. My current boy is just too over the top for my oldies, and my other bitch is terrified of him for some reason, so at this point in time he will be staying with his mum. If and when I have another litter, I will then decide how I rearrange the dogs then!

Edited August 8, 2008 by Rysup

[ell&diesel]

They do look very professional, you did a great job on them. Can't imagine what pathetic structure would be created if I attempted anything of that nature. I'm more of a novice DIY-er

This aviary idea isn't half bad...from what I can see, it would be cheaper to buy two large aviaries (the rectangle ones, not the fancy-shaped ones) and connect them (like I said, that's OH's job!) than buy a pre-fab dog run of a similar/smaller size, plus it would have some of the solid walls already on it?