If you want your dog to be able to get plenty of exercise on his or her own, and you have a yard, building a dog run might be just the solution. Even in smaller yards, you can give your dog some space and a chance to stretch his legs in safety.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when laying out and building your run:
- A good rule of thumb is that a dog run should be twice as wide and at least four or five times as long as your dog is long. Measure your dog from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail.
- A long rectangular shape rather than a square shape provides a better exercise area.
- If space is limited, do not skimp on the length of the run.
- Try to choose a location that will get shade, especially in the afternoon.
- If you don’t have natural shade, or the shade is sparse in the hottest part of the afternoon, you will need either to build a solid panel roof over part of the run or put up an awning or other soft cover. Note that a soft cover may need to be removed in heavy rain or snow to keep it from gathering weight and collapsing.
- Enclose the selected space in fencing that’s tall enough to keep your dog from escaping.
Be sure to clean the run regularly, and provide your dog with plenty of cool water when putting him out to exercise.
|