Dog yard in the woods

[T-Bob Parker]

I'm thinking about trying something new this year. I've got a decent setup for the dogs at my own home, but from time to time, I run into the same issues we all do as dogmen.  Neighbors, noise, smell, escapes etc. I will be attempting to lease some wooded property down the road from home and setting up a dedicated dog yard on it. I'm thinking instead of a bunch of individual kennels or chains, I'd like to build a dedicated pen for males, and one for females. I'm thinking 50x50 each pen, 6 foot high woven wire with a roll buried and tied to the first run and a solar/battery pack powered hot wire around the top of each pen. Inside I'd like a simple, oversized lean-to where all the dogs or bitches can shelter together.

Of course I'd move one set of secure above ground kennels out there for bitches in heat also.

Do any of y'all have a setup like this?
Do any of you keep your dogs off-site?
Tips? Recommendations?

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[chipolariverman]

Growing up this is how we had our dogs but they were running walker fox/deer dogs. We had a farm and had plenty of land and no neighbors. Had a hot wire at top and bottom, one shed in each pen with a shelf so some of the dogs could get off the ground if they wanted to.  #3 washtubs for water, had 2 or 3 in each pen. Had 2 100lb self feeders in each pen.

We live in Panhandle Florida and I can tell you we fought fleas all my life. 

I'm grown now and all my dogs are in 5x10 wood floor kennels about 2ft off ground, auto waters, horse panel walls and metal roof overhead. The dogs cannot dig out, climb out or chew out. You can monitor there stools every day which has helped in health problems if one arises earlier rather than when the dog is already down. Downside is you have to do something with their waste every few years as I don't have a septic system.  You have to feed each dog every day but I have my food bowels screwed to the floor and a shut/funnel type thing that you pour their food down into the bowl so you don't have to open the door. This is helpful when you have to get someone feed if you are out of town.

Personally I have no plans on going back to large pens. Would it be better for exercise,  most definitely.  If you do build remote I would still suggest individual pens. If a fight broke out off site you can just about bet you gonna have a dead dog the next time you went to them or at least a vet bill(had it happen more than once growing up). Just some food for thought.

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[RBz_OFFROAD]

I agree with the individual pens.  Less of a chance for a fight to break out. I actually have my dogs about 300-400 yards from my house. I can hear them cut up but yesterday evening I heard them cutting up and went down to find two that have done tied into it through the pens..

[BA-IV]

I been thinking of doing the same thing Terry. These old guys been running deer dogs and coyote dogs their whole life do the same.  Be nice even if it’s during deer season to let em run.

[Mike]

I agree with the individual pens also on cur dogs... I know running hound folks do it, but I wouldn’t trust a pen full of cur dogs.

[T-Bob Parker]

I sure hear y'all. My dogs spend a lot of their time in a single mass dog yard together right now. I have pens and chains for supper time and estrous cycles, but the majority of the year they learn to go along to get along.

THAT BEING SAID, the only two times I've had mass dog fights, it's left me with long term, serious repercussions. Mike is right, when the curs decide to get rowdy, they go full throttle.

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[Black Streak]

I keep my dogs in very very large pens because of the type and size dogs they are.  I can not keep MATURE dogs of same sex together in same pens ESPECIALLY females.   Its a pain to even keep mature females in pens next to one another.     They hunt together fine but can not allow them access to one another on the yard.         My dogs aren't curs but no matter what dogs I have, I see same thing in mine.   From BoarHounds, to Alaunt type, to stag type, I experience the same especially in the females.    The males tend to vary more with their tolerance and friendship with one another.         I won't leave mature males together for days at a time.    My dogs are kept at my house also and not somewhere far away.            My suggestion is multiple dogs of same sex in same pens is not good idea

[make-em-squeel]

I currently have 4 individual pens and 1 chain spot so I can separate them when needed for feeding while i clean or when gyps come in heat everything is on lock down, but when those pens are open they are loose on a 1/4 ace fenced. Thankfully my dogs have the pack order established so they dont need to be isolated ( several times in the past this would not have worked) but it is super convenient and im loving it. This is new for me, only had this set up for 6 mo. and its the best of both worlds. Defiantly have the option of kenneling alone when needed. And if I have an unfriendly dog they will stay on lock down in the 10x10. But  I prop the kennel doors open so they always have access to the kennels.

Only tip I have is the cheapest roof ive found that actually lasts through years of wind storms etc is trampoline mats withe the springs. They give great shade and some weather block and never break like the tarps and cost way less than any other quality roofing ive seen

[YELLOWBLACKMASK]

I have my setup half and half. I keep 4 individual ground pens 20x100 wire ground pens. 1 house per pen but large enough to shelter 3-4 dogs each. Each pen has electric wire around bottom parameter. About 1 foot off ground and 6-8 inches away from wire. Once they get popped a few times they steer clear of ever trying to dig or crawl out.

For The hard core moles that dig 3 ft out and under I will put a shock collar and burn the hair off em as soon as a toe hits dirt with criminal intent!

I also keep a set of off the ground kennels for in season gyps or injured dogs for full sanitary environments.

The large kennels are great due to low maintenance on stools due to weather typically cleans the yard for you.

As far as pairing dogs to minimize fighting I typically pair dogs that commonly get along and always keep the dominant dogs separate to break up the Alfa syndrome.

Has worked for 30+ years with minimal issues. But I recommend putting together a setup that compliments your style and pack of dogs.

[Austesus]

Growing up this is how we had our dogs but they were running walker fox/deer dogs. We had a farm and had plenty of land and no neighbors. Had a hot wire at top and bottom, one shed in each pen with a shelf so some of the dogs could get off the ground if they wanted to.  #3 washtubs for water, had 2 or 3 in each pen. Had 2 100lb self feeders in each pen.

We live in Panhandle Florida and I can tell you we fought fleas all my life. 

I'm grown now and all my dogs are in 5x10 wood floor kennels about 2ft off ground, auto waters, horse panel walls and metal roof overhead. The dogs cannot dig out, climb out or chew out. You can monitor there stools every day which has helped in health problems if one arises earlier rather than when the dog is already down. Downside is you have to do something with their waste every few years as I don't have a septic system.  You have to feed each dog every day but I have my food bowels screwed to the floor and a shut/funnel type thing that you pour their food down into the bowl so you don't have to open the door. This is helpful when you have to get someone feed if you are out of town.

Personally I have no plans on going back to large pens. Would it be better for exercise,  most definitely.  If you do build remote I would still suggest individual pens. If a fight broke out off site you can just about bet you gonna have a dead dog the next time you went to them or at least a vet bill(had it happen more than once growing up). Just some food for thought.

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Can you post more pics of your water setup? I have very similar kennels but have decided that in a few years I’m going to build them on concrete with a gutter in the back that runs in to a septic system. The dogs have chewed all the wood framing in my kennels and it looks horrible now


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[jsh]

Here is one way to do it. Just a simple PVC set up with tees on every kennel. I use half of a plastic drum that way in the summertime they can sit in them if it gets too hot. You can top them off every day individually this way without having to open the doors.


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