Building a Dog Run

Have you ever noticed how many different breeds of dogs simply love to run around? It is without a doubt, one of the favored pastimes of pooches everywhere. However if they do it inside, they can cause all kinds of damage. Building a dog run can be a great option for you and your fuzzy friend. Not only will you allow your dog to have fun, but also help protect your home. Luckily, it's not a particularly difficult task.

1. How big of a dog? The first step in building a dog run is to actually take a look at your dog. Larger dogs will naturally require larger amounts of space in their dog run, and smaller dogs will require a smaller amount. Keep this simple fact in mind as you are going through the planning and building of your dog run.
2. Make a plan. Sit down and pull out a pad of paper and a pen or pencil. Draw out what you would like your dog run to look like. The simplest designs are going to be square or rectangular in shape, though you can have any shape you want. Don't forget to include some toys and other items for your pet to play with. Drawing it out will give you a rough idea of what you want, and also help you determine the amount of materials you will need. As you draw the plan out don't forget to include measurements.
3. Choose a spot, and draw it out. With the plan in hand, grab a can of spray paint and go choose a location for your dog run. Follow the plan as closely as possible, and spray the basic outline of the dog run out on the ground. This will give you a full scale representation of the run's footprint. Before you actually begin spraying, make sure that you choose a location that is already large enough, or one that can be easily altered, to fit the plans.
4. Grab some materials. Take your blueprint with you, and go to the local home improvement store. While there you will need to purchase enough chain link or other fencing material to fully enclose the dog run. Make sure that you also purchase some cement to help anchor the run in place.
5. Start building. Take the materials home, and begin building the dog run. The simplest way to do this is to follow the assembly instructions that came with your fencing material. If you don't have any, or are using simple chain link fencing, this can be done by first digging a hole for the fence posts. Use a post-hole digger to do that, and space the post holes out about four to five feet apart, and at every corner. With the holes dug, mix and pour the cement into each hole, after which you will place the posts into the center of each. Once the cement has finished drying you can begin attaching the fencing to the posts. Continue this until the fence is completely assembled.

Congratulations! You have now finished building a dog run. That being said, there is still a bit of work that you will need to attend to. For instance, you will need to periodically clean the dog run out to help maintain sanitation standards, as well as making sure that there are no holes in (or under) the fence that the dog could use to get out.