A dog exercise pen is a fantastic way to allow your dog to spend time outside, playing and running around, while you are away from home doing something else. It may be that you have to go to work, or just to the shops, but either way you will want to know that he is safe and secure and can’t escape from the yard. Though it is simple to buy a ready made pen many people enjoy projects such as this and are quite happy to build one themselves.
The parts required can be bought from most hardware stores or else you can buy kits with all the parts supplied in a flat packed form. Start by laying some string to show the size and shape that you would like the pen to take, making sure that it will give your dog plenty of room to run around so that he gets the exercise he needs. Then dig deep holes for the corner posts. Don’t be tempted to make them too shallow as then one good shove from the dog could have the whole structure tumbling down. If possible fill the holes with cement to make the posts really secure. If you are able to have a really large run then you will need more than just posts at the corners. It is recommended not to have posts any further than 10 feet apart. Stretch the chain link from post to post, securing it as you go. Don’t forget to leave space for a nice strong gate with a good lock which couldn’t be knocked down or opened by a dog throwing himself against it.
Next you will need to put a rail all around the top and fix the chain link to this as well. If your dog can jump quite high then it would also be advisable to put a roof over the whole pen. If your dog is going to spend much time in there then you should also put in a dog kennel so that he can sleep and rest somewhere quiet that he can’t be disturbed.