New dog pens

[NLAhunter]

Been working on some new dog pens little while was wondering does anybody have the lixit waters in there pens talked to few people that do said that's best thing they ever put in there's just wondering if any of yall had em

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[Reuben]

Best thing ever…I have had 8 pens and each with lixit watered…they last for many years without leaking but I reckon that depends on water quality…the pvc piping holds up well even when pups and dogs chew on them…I would add a common cut off valve with a low point drain to block and bleed for repairs or for freezing weather to block and bleed to eliminate busted pipes…I ran one line and branched off to all the kennels…

[Cajun]

I have exactly 14 of them that are still in a drawer  in the kennel. Never did put them in but I had good intentions.

[NLAhunter]

I am sure leaning towards trying em everybody i have talk to that has em says they really like em

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[NLAhunter]

What about for ones who has concrete pens do you have something for em to get up on and lay off concrete i was thinking about doing something for em to get up on off concrete or maybe put a horse stall mat in front of there house just something to lay on off concrete

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[Hollowpoint]

Cajun, I like your style, you remind me, of me.

[Reuben]

What about for ones who has concrete pens do you have something for em to get up on and lay off concrete i was thinking about doing something for em to get up on off concrete or maybe put a horse stall mat in front of there house just something to lay on off concrete

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All my kennels are on concrete…no fleas or worm issues with the grown dogs…dogs are on concrete without any issues…the dog houses are igloo with good built in rubber paddling…I trim the entrance with metal strapping and the vent to keep the dogs from chewing the dog houses

[Teaspoon]

I have used them for years and wouldn't do it any other way. In 10 years, I can only remember changing one. I even use them in the hog pens.

The low point drains and block valves are very helpful.  After a few times of forgetting to drain the lines and the lines froze and broke, I switched from PVC to PEX. The PEX may freeze but it won’t break (at least in our Louisiana winters).

Be mindful of the water lines and waterers being in the direct sun. When the water heats up on those 100º days the dogs won’t drink it (the water gets really hot). And regular pipe insulation does not work for keeping the water cool, it would get just as hot and then hold the heat longer into the night. 

I have concrete kennels with barrels, and I’m thinking about adding a wooden platform, so the dogs have an option. As far as a mat, I have found anything flat on the concrete collects all the nastiness imageable between the it and the concrete, which adds time to the cleaning process.

One thing I do wonder about is, how hard is the concrete on the dog’s joints? I know there is a big difference between walking on concrete all day versus walking on the ground.

[NLAhunter]

Yea I am going use pex and it will all be under roof

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[t-dog]

That’s a good point about the water temp. I hadn’t thought about that. As for benches for them to get up on, I built some dog houses YEARS ago, out of barrels. I framed the barrel with 2x4’s. The barrels was about 3-4” off the floor so you could wash underneath or whatever. The top was a deck that was cradled to emulate a hole that dogs would dig to lay in. On the opening I left about 8-10” lip. Then I took a 1”x12”  board and laid it length ways in the bottom. The dogs seemed to like that more than the contour of just the plain barrel. I guess maybe the barrel was too much. The lip helped keep hay or shavings in there. Those houses lasted probably 20 years +. The dogs loved them! Another plus was that I could move them around and turn them whichever direction I needed to.


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[Teaspoon]

About that water temp - Generally, my dogs would lose weight in the summer, and I noticed they would not finish their food.  I had chalked that up to hunting and the heat. One year I got to noticing, my dogs drinking so much water out of the mud holes, they could not stay in a race. At first, I thought it was the water hose, that connected the header for the waterers and the faucet, giving the water a bad taste. So, I replaced the water hose with PVC, and the same thing happen. When I started checking the waterers for flow, I realized the water was really hot. I used old trampoline mats and shade clothes for a while, but they only hold up so long. I finally built a roof over the kennels a few months ago.... like I had originally planned to do 10 years ago.

I changed out my old blue barrels for some food grade 58 gallon barrels. They hold hay and shaving really well because of their shape. I found them on the Facebook Market place for $25.

https://www.amazon.com/Military-Surplus-Waterproof-Gallon-Barrel/dp/B0CCGDHY6R

[t-dog]

Teaspoon, not to high jack the thread, I was told by an old dog man that dogs NEVER drink enough water. In the summer they just don’t get enough if they are being worked even if they drink. In the winter they don’t drink because it’s cold. He fed a cup of water to a cup of kibble. I don’t do that but I soak my feed everyday. In the summer I soak it early and let it set in the house so it’s cool when I feed in the evening. In the cold I soak it later in hot water so that it’s warm when I feed. It has seemed to work so far. I do feed dry periodically to try and keep healthy teeth and gums.


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[TheRednose]

One thing I do wonder about is, how hard is the concrete on the dog’s joints? I know there is a big difference between walking on concrete all day versus walking on the ground.

It's definitely hard on their joints no doubt about it. I used to have all my kennels on concrete and you could see the difference especially with the older dogs. My buddy raised a litter on concrete and I did notice a small difference with their pasterns.

[cajunl]

I have the waterers too. they work great.... until they chewed the pvc to the waterer. Ive been meaning to put steel pipe in where they can reach but havent got around.

My dogs are on concrete. They have barrel houses with a platform above the barrel. Even in the dead of summer they hardly juse the platforms and lay in the barrels.

I like the concrete because it keeps there feet hard.

Lynel

[NLAhunter]

I plan to run pex on outside of pen just put lixit though fence i think under roof water should stay cool in summer as far as houses i was thinking about some houses like cracker posted when he first moved to Georgia and putting them on outside of the pens tops open to put shavings in or clean em out but I ain't 100% sure yet

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