Ringo and Spud Get A Dog Play Area

dog play area

We are committed to equality in this house. The cats have their cat garden and now Ringo and Spud have a dog play area. Here is the story.

Ringo and Spud Get A Dog Play Area

Ringo and Spud

dog play area
The Boys

Ringo and Spud are our two rescue dogs. There are several blogs where they are mentioned including a short story I wrote called ‘Frightened Abandoned Puppies Strike It Lucky‘.

They are three years old and now fully grown and full of energy!

Why Is There A Need For A Dog Play Area?

The boys suffer from separation anxiety if we leave them on their own, even for short periods of time. One of the measures we are taking towards helping them cope is to make sure they have used up all their excess energy. They don’t always get that from walking alone (and they have a lot of walks!). Living up a mountain there are lot of things that go wrong with letting dogs run free, so we needed to find a way to give them safe exercise. And find a way to throw a ball and not watch it roll down the mountainside and disappear!

dog play area
Spud Posed Beautifully For This

Spud is also a very clever dog. He takes seconds to figure out the ‘intelligent’ dog toys where they have to find treats. He can also break himself out of any room and usually take his brother with him! (cue Mission Impossible music). I wanted to work with Spud and that intelligence and give him some new things to think about. I thought he might like agility training which needs some space and equipment.

For both these reasons we looked at allocating an area of land that would work well as a dog play area for running around in and training.

The Plan

dog play area
Our Original Plan

Barnet Boy and I went out with a measure and worked out exactly where we could have the play area and what the size would be. The boys will not be left in there unsupervised so we didn’t need something with high fencing. Given it can be seen from the house I also wanted something that would fit in with what we already had. It is only a matter of a few yards from the cat garden.

Putting The Plan In Action

We got someone in to help us realize our plan and it was surprising how quickly it took shape. The main problem was getting uprights for the wooden fence posts into the ground as it is solid rock. It probably didn’t help having cats watching and shouting ‘right a bit’, ‘left a bit’, that’s crooked mate’!

dog play area
The Dog Play Area

Ringo and Spud were worried at the noise and barked a lot while the work was going on. We had to keep remembering why we were doing it!

Finishing Touches

In the end the dog play area is a triumph. When the trees come back into leaf there will be shade from the sun but at this time of year there is some shelter from the cold and wind.

dog play area
The Lutyens Bench

There are fabulous views so I added a wooden bench so I could sit and look at them. This also provides the opportunity for BB and I to take a rest from chasing the boys around with their toys. My Mum bought the bench for me as a birthday present – I went for one that follows a Lutyens design and it looks great as you can see.

The Grand Inauguration

Then came the day of the grand opening. Would they like or wouldn’t they? Well, see what you think from the video of their first visit to their new dog play area.

I’d call that a success, wouldn’t you?

Before you go

Mid-week Reflections
Dorothy and Barnet Boy

My name is Dorothy Berry-Lound an artist and writer. You can find out more about my art and writing at https://dorothyberryloundart.com.

You can follow me on Facebook.

Thank you for reading!

About Dorothy Berry-Lound 447 Articles
I am having fun living half way up a mountain in Central Italy with my husband Barnet Boy, Stevie Mouse and the rest of my fur family. I am enjoying creating art that people will love having on their walls. I also love storytelling through my blog and short stories.

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