Kennel Building Part 2

We certainly welcomed cooler temps and less rain as we commenced finishing the kennels. Anyone who has never built something to house sleddogs or wolves before cannot possibly conceive the amount of work that goes into building something that adequately contains these animals!

We started the next phase by lining the back side of the kennel with heavy gage 5 foot field fencing. I used the longest staples I could find and stapled the crap out of that fence to every available wood surface!


Back of the kennel


Back of the kennel from the front

Next, wood planks like what are used on six foot privacy fence were screwed into the 2x4 frame on the outside of the back of the kennel.



The next step is tedious. The dig guard (on the bottom of each kennel) was secured with over 100 "hog rings." These used to be inserted into a hog's nose to prevent it from rooting and digging. They are extremely handy for attaching fence to fence, which is what we had to do. Like I said, tedious. It was then I called to my trusty helper, Miss Sophie :)


Sophie shows our hog ring, inserted in the special hog ringer tool. Using hog rings requires this little tool to get the rings properly closed.

Meanwhile, Elise played with my camera.


Elise, self portrait

We also added another 150 landscape staples (see previous post). And God knows how many more staples. We doubly secured the dig guard by going back and stapling it to the 2x4 floor liners.


Sophie staples some of the dig guard to 2x4s that line the floor.

And finally, we transported the huskies! This is the end result! So far, so good.


Ruffian relaxes in her new home

They seem to really enjoy the freedom of being loose inside the kennels, and I am happy to not have to tether them anymore. It might be easier, quicker and cheaper to just tie them out to a wood stake, and if I had a bigger kennel, I'm not sure I would have the money or the patience for a huge kennel construction project. But I am enjoying watching them lounge in their new home, untethered and comfortable.

Chris is beginning to adjust to the idea of life on a farm.


Elise shows Chris the loft, her favorite place

And, when I've not been busy with construction on the kennels, I've been burning name plates for the dogs to go onto their kennels:


Gwennie's name plate

Of course, there's one special little husky who required more than her name burned into wood. She needed diamonds.



The people move this coming weekend. Stay tuned, and Namaste!

New name for big changes

Several years ago, I started grooming dogs on the side. The name of my business was Diamond Dogs Grooming. It was named after the 1974 classic David Bowie song, Diamond Dogs. If you don't know this song, you should. Here are some of the lyrics:

Young girl, they call them the diamond dogs
Young girl, they call them the diamond dogs

Oo-oo-ooh, call them the diamond dogs
Oo-oo-ooh, call them the diamond dogs
Bow-wow, woof woof, bow-wow, wow
Call them the diamond dogs
Dogs
Call them the diamond dogs, call them, call them
Call them the diamond dogs, call them, call them, ooo

Keep cool
Diamond dogs rule,
Beware of the diamond dogs

Now, as we set up the kennel in our new home in Diamond, Ohio, it kinda makes sense to change the name. I'm stepping up the regimen this next season and hopefully becoming more competitive, and the Lazy Husky Ranch, while fitting for our kennel namesake, Foxy, just didn't sound too competitive.

So, welcome to the new electronic home of Diamond Dogs Racing Kennel - formerly known as the Lazy Husky Ranch!

Lots of work happening on the new kennels as we prepare to move the dogs into their new "apartment complex."

The dogs have been tethered to long chains with swivels for the last two years. I feel like they deserve a more friendly atmosphere than running in a circle around their houses. So, I opted to build an 8 dog kennel to house them in, so they can free run inside the kennels.

Building such a structure and making it escape-proof is quite an endeavor. Huskies are notorious escape artists, breaking out of fencing and containment that would keep a lab or beagle contained without any problem.

Here is a step-by-step instruction of what I've done so far. Most of these supplies can be purchased from TSC, Lowe's, or Home Depot. I personally have found Lowe's has a much better selection of field fencing, brackets and other supplies.

1. First we set ten 4x4 treated posts five foot wide by ten foot long.



We dug post holes two feet deep, and set them in one foot of concrete on the bottom to secure them well.

2. Next I lined the bottom outside of each post with 2x4 treated boards.

3. Then I used heavy-grade field fencing (thanks Amanda!) to make a dig guard skirted along the edges.



4. Next I purchased garden staples to secure the dig guard into the ground.



5. Then I stapled the field fence to the 2x4s.



Now, the huskies won't be able to dig under and out of the kennels.

6. Next, we hung cattle panel to each frame of posts (in the pouring rain!) to create individual kennels.



These were secured using female brackets used in connecting chain link fence. They wrap around the poles on the ends of the cattle panel and are screwed into the 4x4s with heavy duty 2 inch long wood screws and washers.

And that's where it stands so far. Tomorrow we'll be stapling heavy gage field fencing along the back wall, and then attaching wood planks (like used in privacy fencing) all along the back wall. Then we'll build doors, and insert the beasts!

Stay tuned! Namaste!