# Dog Yard! Since I don't actually have a fenced-in yard or anything, I've decided to turn the sheep corral and some outbuildings into dog yards with shelters. I'm thinking it'll be pretty easy. Everything is pretty sturdy, just a few places need to be repaired or some gaps filled in. For the most part, the fe… ## Thread In General · started by hondru · 23 replies - **Category:** [General](https://nihonken.org/community/c/general) - **Forum:** [Nihon Ken Forum](https://nihonken.org/community/) ## hondru (moderator) · 2008-11-28T23:21:42.000Z Since I don't actually have a fenced-in yard or anything, I've decided to turn the sheep corral and some outbuildings into dog yards with shelters. I'm thinking it'll be pretty easy. Everything is pretty sturdy, just a few places need to be repaired or some gaps filled in. For the most part, the fence around it is really tall and solid. The buildings are dirty because no one's used them in years, but that's easy enough to fix. One of the buildings is even wired, but I have yet to determine whether the electricity actually works. If not, my father-in-law is an electrician (lucky me!). The only thing I'd really want to plug in would be a heated water dish so their water doesn't freeze in the winter, so it doesn't require much. There's the possibility of heating it, too, if I ever needed to for whatever reason. This is kind of far from my house, though, so they won't be in it too much... just when we went out, for training, or if lots of people come over. I actually kind of like that it's far away because then I won't hear them if they bark, LOL. Our place is pretty small, so when people come over, it'd be way simpler to just put the pups somewhere where they're not underfoot and then not listen to them barking to come back in. Plus, having the fenced-in yards would be super useful for training. It's the perfect place for an agility course. Plus, this opens up opportunities for fostering, since there are several yards that are either sectioned off, or could be easily sectioned off (just in case I get a foster that needs to be separated or whatever). Of course, fostering has to wait until I have time, too, but by the time I'm done this, I'll have loads of space for dogs. I'm going to build straw bale dog houses, which are super-insulated. Given all the space, shelter, warm places, and everything, I think it'll be a very comfortable place for pups to hang out when they aren't inside. I'm really excited! Anyway, I just made a blog post about this, too, so since I'm lazy, you'll have to go there if you want to see pictures. :-) link to blog (sorry, don't know how to make it clickable): http://bialingerdog.blogspot.com/ ## the_november_rain · 2008-11-29T04:30:13.000Z Heidi it looks great! The dogs will love it. Awesome pic of Skidmark!! :) ## tsukitsune (moderator) · 2008-11-29T10:03:54.000Z thats an awesome idea Heidi! Can't wait to see the finished pics! ## okiron · 2008-11-30T04:04:19.000Z That's cool Heidi, I can't wait to see how it'll look when you're done. ## ljowen123 (moderator) · 2008-11-30T11:10:40.000Z This sounds like a great plan! Keep us updated, please. ## hondru (moderator) · 2008-12-03T14:20:12.000Z I found my place on Google Earth... here's the corral. I took a look around at what needs doing, then went to the hardware store and got some things. Replacement hinges for gates, nails, screws, wire cutters, a shovel (yeah, I didn't have a shovel, haha), a wrecking bar, wheels for the bottom of some gates... I also got some 6' wire mesh fencing (the fencing guy called it snow fencing). I just called and asked if they had any smallish amount of wire mesh fencing that was sort of tall, and he had an end-of-the-roll piece that was about 15' long, so I took it! I'll use it to complete the easterly portion of fencing, which has gaps large enough for a dog to squeeze through. There is also a gate on the other corral east of this one that has a gate the exact size I need! It will need some mesh attached to it to keep dogs from squeezing through, though. ## hondru (moderator) · 2008-12-03T14:25:28.000Z Oh yeah, and I cut this part out of the picture, but there is a driveway just south of the corral from the road, so I can drive right up to it and park on that road to the immediate right of the corral. ## brandon_w (admin) · 2008-12-03T14:35:08.000Z Lucky pups to get such a big place. Lots of room for when the rest of us move up there and start the dog commune. ## KFontaine04 · 2008-12-03T15:16:34.000Z Ooohhhh....Nice. ## sunyata · 2008-12-03T15:53:54.000Z Agreed, Brandon! :) Heidi, that is a lot of nice open space. *sigh* If I only had some land! ## hondru (moderator) · 2008-12-03T17:35:34.000Z Here are some more views of the property... not only is there a lot of room in the corral, but there's lots of room period! I'm ready for the commune when you are. Maybe Brad can supply the tipis. ## KFontaine04 · 2008-12-03T17:37:56.000Z Okay Heidi, Im newish here. Where exactly do you live because from those shots it looks like a deserted island or something! ## hondru (moderator) · 2008-12-03T17:44:42.000Z Southern Alberta... middle of nowhere surrounded by wheat fields, basically. ## _dlroberts · 2008-12-03T18:07:45.000Z Holy crap Heidi. Is that all yours?!?!?! ## hondru (moderator) · 2008-12-03T18:20:07.000Z Yeah, sort of. Noah and I went in with his parents because we all wanted to live in the country, so basically we decided to help each other afford it. No one gives mortgages to newly-weds with kids who are still in school, and the in-laws didn't want to pay a huge mortgage by themselves, so yeah. Technically the property is owned by a company, and the company is owned by Noah's parents and then their kids (Noah included) will inherit the company when they die. We're going to build a house, then the building will belong to us and the land will belong to the company. Noah's sister and her husband and three daughters moved a mobile home out here, too. Long story short: we live in 160 acres shared by three families. ## _dlroberts · 2008-12-03T18:22:03.000Z LOL. So its not really property, its a compound. ;-) ## KFontaine04 · 2008-12-03T18:29:26.000Z This is what it looks like where I live... I wish I had acres to let the dogs play in...sigh...maybe one day soon. That is so great that you are able to have a play place for the kids, Im sure they will love it. ## hondru (moderator) · 2008-12-03T18:31:41.000Z Yeah, we joke about our weirdo colony a lot, LOL. Next time you turn on the news, you might see our secret, bizarro rituals being exposed. :-P ## CrimsonO2 · 2008-12-03T19:35:47.000Z LOL dangit Dave, you beat me to it. Heidi: all kidding aside, I think it's commendable that your husband's family feels close enough to pool resources together to make better lives for each other. My father's family did a similar thing in the Philippines. I'm sure that arrangement isn't common in Western culture. Jesse ## hondru (moderator) · 2008-12-03T20:21:48.000Z It's not too uncommon for children to build houses on their parents' farm around here, actually. Going out and looking for land together isn't common, though. ## ljowen123 (moderator) · 2008-12-03T20:28:07.000Z My parent's bought the land where I live in hopes that us kids would choose to live here. 3 out of 4 of us do. ## brada1878 (admin) · 2008-12-03T22:32:47.000Z wow - you guys really have a lot of space. I think that's really cool you all went in on the land together. ## brandon_w (admin) · 2008-12-04T10:39:29.000Z Three families on 160 acres? Sounds like it's getting over populated out there. ## hondru (moderator) · 2008-12-04T18:04:35.000Z I'll say! Sometimes I can see two houses other than my own. Sheesh! --- **Navigate:** [Forum home](https://nihonken.org/community/?format=md) · [Sitemap](https://nihonken.org/community/sitemap.xml)