Outside Enclosure

[meekomegs]

howdy im a newbie on the forum. just got a 9 week old german shorthaired pointer and im having many adventures training her. Thanks too this forum i think i have resolved the bitting issue and toilet trained her! Im curious about what size outdoor enclosure does anyone recomend for leaving her alone during the day? I have several size options and space isnt a issue, i just dont want her to get bored cos the enclosre is to small. Its my first dog ever and its a very steep learning curve!

[mackenzie11]

congrats on your puppy,

i would probly build a area that would suit the puppy when it is fully grown, as you don't want to have to re-build when it grows,

maybe have a look on the internet at enclosures for your dog and see if you can get ideas for sizes that way,

good luck

[Kirty]

Why does she need an enclosure? Is your yard not secure? How much time will she spend in it?

[meekomegs]

we have quite a big yard and its safe and secure. I thought it may be too big for a 9 week old puppy! I can easily block off a section that 3x6mtrs , enough to keep her occupied but not to big for her to get up to mischief. Would that be ok?

[aussielover]

I would fence a part of it off if you have trees and shrubs etc as pups can sometimes start ripping the leaves off these and can even get sick or a foreign body from ingesting sticks.

If it is just grass then your pup should be fine and will enjoy the large yard.

[Tralee]

Hi meekomegs.

The puppy will need to be fed once or twice during the day. How long will you be away?

A petsitter is a good idea. Economical if you can get a neighbour to do it, at least half the cost.

You need to watch abduction too.

The size of the enclosure is not an issue as long as it is exercised.

Remember they don't like to soil their dens and frequently use the toilet at that age.

You need a plan, and a very thorough plan at that.

Good Luck

Edited November 20, 2010 by pewithers

[quickbrownfox]

The puppy will need to be fed once or twice during the day. How long will you be away?

Not to go off topic, but it is generally recommended that puppies are fed 3 times a day.

Back on topic:

we have quite a big yard and its safe and secure. I thought it may be too big for a 9 week old puppy! I can easily block off a section that 3x6mtrs , enough to keep her occupied but not to big for her to get up to mischief. Would that be ok?

That sounds fine. IMO, I would wait to buy an enclosure until it's an adult. You also can buy wire built playpens online with a removable shade cover on top. LINK

Is there a reason why you can't have the puppy inside? Just curious.

[Tralee]

The puppy will need to be fed once or twice during the day. How long will you be away?

Not to go off topic, but it is generally recommended that puppies are fed 3 times a day.

Assuming that meekomegs is home in the morning, twice should be enough after 'brekky'.

[TangerineDream]

My GSP's have had varying sized runs...from 12' x 12', 30' x 8' to 550sqm (yes I know that's a bit over the top....) and have always been perfectly happy...Tango's next run will be considerably smaller than 550sqm....and back down to something like 30' x 8'. I'm gone from 5.45am to 7pm each day and got around the feeding issue by giving Tango (and still do at 5 years) 1st breakfast at 5am, out into the run at 5.45 with his second breakfast, then when I get home, he got a small snack, and then had his dinner - no problems at all with being away that long every day. I would always keep a GSP behind 6' fences when I'm not there because they actually have springs instead of legs and can go over a 1.2m fence with their eyes shut (while asleep.....) - mind you, I live in the country and we don't have 5' fences, but when I lived in Melbourne I had him in a run because it meant that I got to keep the garden too

[espinay2]

Having a run for your dog to sleep in during the day while you are out can be a good idea. Problems such as fence running and guarding property fencelines are avoided and the dog is much more secure (from all manner of things including snakes if you are on a property, from visitors like the meter reader and maintenance people or when you have guests for a BBQ, from problems with dodgy boundary fences, neighbours or people passing by/out the front of the property. If you are a renter having a run you can take with you means no matter where you live the dog is secure. It is also often means you can maintain a better garden in the rest of the yard which can be enjoyed by both you and your dog when you are home.

Positioning can be just as important as size. Having them in a spot whre they can see the back door easily for example, rather than being hidden right away. Shaded by a tree is good too (though you will need to provide some other shelter in it as well). If you have no tree to shade it, a shade sail (often available from discount stores like the Reject shop or from places like Bunnings) or shade cloth over the top can be good. As for size, that will depend on your budget or yard layout. My dogs are in runs which are about 8m long and either 2.5 or 5m wide with access to a shed at one end during the day. Morning and night they run in a much bigger area on our property. In their runs during the day they spend most of it sleeping (even when we are home and they are not in their runs they will spend the day sleeping! - the highest activity period for dogs is first thing in the morning and in the evening. This is how it was in the wild and how it still is for the most part). 2.5 to 3m x 6m is probably the smallest I would go for a large dog (and is plenty for a puppy). Agree 1.8m high fences is best.

A note on feeding puppies when you have to work and can't be home during the day. What I have usually done with pups over 8 weeks is feed them first thing in the morning when I get up, then once again when I go to work when they go in their run (at this time they get something like a brisket bone as well to chew on during the day), then when I get home in the evening. They may also get a later supper if they need another meal. I have found this to be more than enough and they quickly transition to two meals a day with a meaty bone to chew on during the day.

Edited November 20, 2010 by espinay2