Dog Run question.

[RTicUL8]

I'm thinking of making a dog run on the side of my house for my golden retriever.

How should I prepare the surface?

I was thinking of packed dirt, covered with sand(for drainage) and then a layer of small gravel on top.
Is gravel easy to clean up the doggie dookies from? Anyone use something else?

 

[Kejtar]

lol.... hard sand or hard packed dirt is easier to pickup from....

Kejtar

 

[Ralph]

Stone or concrete. You don't want the urine and feces to soak into the ground and contaminate where your dog will be living. Ideally, he shouldn't have to mess in there at all. (He certainly won't want to.) Only leave him in the kennel when you have to. Like when you are at work. When you get home, take him out for exercise and to do his business.

I built a kennel for my two labs. They loved it. It was in the coolest, shadiest part of the yard. I paved it with flat stones. Their dog houses were in the kennel and their food and water bowls too. They would go into the kennel on their own to lay on the cool stones and escape the heat or use their houses to escape the rain. They hated messing the kennel and would hold it as long as they could. Many times, if we were held up at work, we'd come home to howling dogs that raced to the back of the yard to relieve themselves as soon as the kennel was opened. If they did mess in the kennel, it was easy to pick up and then wash off the area with a hose. When we were home, the dogs could come into the house or stay outside. They prefered to be where we were.

Dogs are people too,
RR3

 

[Kejtar]

Well, my dog has the run of the whole yard, and I found out that it's easiest to clean up as part of the top surface can be removed as well.... rocks on the other end... well, every so often the dog will leave a slightly "mushy" piece behind and then you have to wash the stuff down

Kejtar