After yesterday’s somewhat breathless post about the big Los Lunas jailbreak, some of you wanted to know what I was going to do about it. I pondered overnight and this is what I decided.
If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em
The puppies had learned to follow the big dogs out the dog door in the family room. When I had the new floors laid, etc., I added a second dog door in the puppy room. So, I opened up the whelping box, added some pavers so the babies could get in and out of the box, and turned them loose. They knew what to do — first you try to unravel the indoor/outdoor carpet.
Then, led by Udi, it’s exit stage right (blurred by motion)
Their water is in the box and so are the compressed wood pellets in case it’s too cold for their little behinds to potty outside, but I think we are on our way to housebreaking. At night they are sleeping in crates so won’t be running out in the dark — I have no desire to be out in subfreezing weather with a flashlight trying to find a puppy in the puppy pen. Just so you all feel comfortable with the arrangement, the puppy pen is 6′ x 10′ chain link covered with a sloping roof that overhangs a foot all around. They have a carpet-covered ramp up to the dog door.
Outdoor puppies — at last
Who’s not happy with this arrangement? Holmes! He is doing his “Timmy in the well” bark, running to get me and running back to the puppy room. He can count and they aren’t all there. Poor, helpful boy.
Since I did the re-arranging this morning (oh, yeah, the puppy cam and lamp are no longer in the pen — your view is from the east looking west toward the dog door), I got to see sunrise on the shortest day of the year. Doesn’t this take away your breath?
Due East – here comes the sun
East southeast
Reflecting on the western clouds
You definitely get the best sunrises out there! Such color and beauty!
I am usually up and out early enough to see the sunrise on my dog walks, but it very rarely warrants a photo. Yours seems to be a photo-op just about daily!
Merry Christmas!
Wasn’t this morning’s sunrise especially exquisite? It must be in honor of the new arrangement at Puppy Headquarters in Los Lunas! 🙂
Poor Holmes. What will he do when his puppies go away for good?!? I see doggie therapy in his future…
Nola is staying and in mid-February I will be bring home one of the Scout/Chase daughters — so I think Holmes will have puppies to play with for some time.
Beautiful shots…on both counts alert outdoor bad puppies and sunrise.
Such lucky puppies. Very nice accommodations.
(I hope you didn’t want to keep the siding on your house or that phone cord, however…)
I don’t get a kick-back so: Home Depot sells the dog run kit. It is 10′ x 6′ and includes the frames and fabric for three sides and a gate with a drop latch. It was on sale for under $100.
When we put it up, from the panel against the house, we cut out a hole just the size of the dog door so the puppies really can’t eat siding and cable and phone cords. I had chain link left over from fencing the acre so we put a chain link top on the pen. Then we added the sloping roof by using 2″ x 4″s to frame and build the slope, laid 3 @ 3/4″ exterior plywood over that. Since the ply is 4′ x 8′, we laid it sideways to create a 1′ overhang on each side of the pen. We then used rolled roofing with metal edging around it. Though rain or snow could blow in, it keeps it from piling directly on the ramp and in their play area. They have shade, hawks can’t carry away their little bodies and they get fresh air.
They spent almost all of today outside, came in and ate like stevedores and are now sleeping it off.
Very nice accommodations! Spoiled baddogs!
Such clever little devils! And don’t they have just outstanding environment to grow in?!
jealous of the outdoor potty area. and of that gorgeous sunrise. Ours is pretty but lots of blue and pink….it plays off of the snow.