Proper footing for puupy kennel run? - Page 2

LMH, awesome idea about the ball fields. I might run into the same trouble with the low tmep right now, but at least I won't have to compete with horses :) -Calvin

Glad I could help, Calvin. After circling those fields a few times, be prepared to be thoroughly exhausted. It really is like walking on loose sand at the beach.

gsdfanatic1964: I have that same vinyl flooring from options plus and love it. I went down to there plant and also bought some silver series dog runs. Nice stuff!! Dave C.

us horse people order our shavings or sawdust from local sawmills, they usually deliver to horse farms in dumptrucks. I get a big load (I use shavings only because the sawmill I get it from cuts the wood that way, I would be perfectly happy with sawdust) about twice/year - and I use it for the outside dog kennels, and horse's stalls. Lasts a long time, but you could possibly get a pickup load yourself, or order a smaller load. molly

blueshep, I love it. I wouldn't have anything else now. I love how clean the dogs stay and how easy clean up of the kennels are. I've done two kennels with this flooring. It's worth the cost.

Calvin, Again, the thick, heavy duty horse stall mats come to mind as perfect for this. They come in different sizes and are specifically made to keep mud and muck under control, from a lot bigger animal. None of my pups have ever been able to hurt them, and neither have the adults. They're thick, heavy duty, and cost efficient. If you decide to remove or even just move the location of your kennel, they can be picked up and moved with a little muscle (they're pretty heavy!). They are also easy to keep clean, and can be sprayed off with the hose and bleached. They keep diggers from digging, and stay warm in the winter (they are black rubber like the stuff tires are made out of). The disadvantage is that they are black during the summer, which means they get hot. I have found that if you paint one side white (or light colored) with a non-toxic paint, you can turn it to the white side during the summer, and black during the winter. Another option is to cover your kennel area so that the sun does not directly heat them during the summer. :) If you don't like this option, you can utilize the wood chips in a thick area, but be careful, because I have heard that wet wood chips can harbor bacteria and lead to pyoderma on the dog's skin. You have to remove them quite frequently, and it can be a headache (been down that road before!). Good luck! -Melanie

Hi Calvin, When you have time, feel free to email me privately. I do think that eating dirt etc., can be a way of trying to replace bacteria and even minerals that might be deficient in a given dog. But not always and especially not always in young pups, who, just as with babies, are learning about the world through their mouth. High quality kibble is very precisely regulated, but lower quality control (found in cheap food produced by poor ) could lead to irregular batches. As for the other questions and issues, email me and we can discuss privately. As you will note here and elsewhere, I personally am opposed to sawdust, wood chips, horse mats, large rocks etc. for exercise areas. Sand can work well If the pup will not eat it. Pea gravel of the right size is excellent, but if the pup is unsupervised and already eats it, I guarantee you she is going to have a belly full of rocks. The trick to all this is to make sure she is supervised, and also to make sure she has an area that YOU can easily keep clean. It is no small thing to design areas like this. I spent many hundreds of hours designing my facility. To date, though I often have large numbers of dogs here, I have never sent a dog home ill. I have no poop anywhere, the ground and the kennel does not smell at all and other than some sand/dirt brought into the building which must be removed, and the ubitquitous GSD fur I have to clean up daily, the place is very clean. Invest the money to do whatever you are going to do right and I promise you will not be sorry. Finally, I am not a big fan of supplements, especially in healthy dogs or pups. A high quality diet should provide all a dog needs. Most of the supplements in use and suggested have simply NO scientific backing. It is all anecdotal and more and more the real science suggests it is simply another money making venture for those who produce them. But, in your case, it might be worth talking about some further testing and then, based on results, considering whether to supplement or not. Since the pup is healthy now, I would make minimal suggestions to supplement with enzymes that make certain she is able to digest well every thing she does eat. If I can help, feel free to email me. schwarzenberggsd@earthlink.com

Hello Calvin many many years ago my mother had this problem and her vet who was a horse specialist told her exercise was the best remedy(within reason for a puppy) which since had always worked. Also when I was visiting another country, I was invited to a large kennel where most off the dogs were running on sand, or kept in crate's or confind space's and all off these dogs including adults had pasterns and feet problems. I myself have concrete painted runs with wood shavings and have never had problems.But you have to be careful its not to rough or too wet (when puppies empty water bowls)as you can have sore pads hope this info helps

Calvin, Run on over to Luck Stone on RT. 29 and check out their #9 stone. (about the size of cat litter)It does not pack like sand does in this area. It stays loose and acts like sand. The stones stick to the poop like cat litter making it easy to clean. Urine runs through it. It doesn't pack and leave bald spots like blue dust or concrete will. Watch for it in her poop to see if she's eating it.

Cledford, I'm with your wife having concerns with the sand. The area I live in is rangeland with Blow Sand. Blow Sand is such a fine sand it's almost a powder and Sand Colic is a Reality here for sure. I know of 3 horses my neighbors have had die due to Sand Colic. Even fed in bathtubs and watered in huge Galvenized Horse tubs, they still graze and inhale the Blow Sand and it fills the stomach and causes a very painful death. I would think that grazing contributes of course, more so than the dogs just running on it, but still, it's a concern of mine with the dogs also. I may have to ask my vets if they have ever heard of a case of Sand Colic in a dog in our area and let you know.