Dog Mansions, Part Three
We almost finished Justine's and Luke's mansion yesterday! These things take so long, I'm amazed at how much we've gotten done. The battery ran out on the saw so we couldn't finish, but we'll get the rest done this coming weekend, and we did enough yesterday to let them be in their house last night. :) They seem to be getting used to it a little slower than Harley and Parker did with theirs, but Justine climbed up and laid down in the cedar shavings today to be next to me for a while, and I just looked out the window and I can see Luke lying in there now, so they're getting it. It feels kind of mean to take their old houses away so abruptly, but if I left them in the pen, they'd still be sleeping in them, so out they went last night.
So...pictures ahead...
Justine's lying beside the house here...this is before I put the tarps up. As you can see, we figured out how to get the heat lamp IN the house safely, which I'm very pleased about.
We couldn't finish the sides, so I've had to put tarps to cover the triangles on each side that still don't have plywood because it might rain Tuesday. The tarp in front, though, will stay, and be used as I've explained about Harley and Parker's..to block wind, rain, cold, and can be adjusted in length depending on the weather. I'm still not sure what to do about the table, which Justine likes to lie on. She would jump up on the houses, and of course they're gone now, so I thought she might want to jump from the floor of the house to the table, but I haven't seen her do it yet and I may end up moving the table...or making her some steps. :)
Side view so you can see what I mean by triangles:
With the tarps in place:
Luke said, "Hey, I'm down here right in front of you, take my picture, too!"
Back view, taken from Harley and Parker's pen:
Both houses, taken from out in the yard...you can actually see five of my dogs in these:
Still to do:
Put the side triangles on
Nail down the roof
Put up edging on the floor to keep cedar in
Put up brackets for food bowls
Those last two also need to be done in Harley and Parker's pen, along with getting their lamp in the house. But one more weekend should get all that done. Then it's on to building a cat chicken-wire-playhouse. Yeah, I'm really going to do that. It will enable the house dogs and Luke and Justine to get out and run around in the yard without eating the kitties, and will enable me to have help with the Redheads' house when I get the money for theirs - they can't be in the pen while we're building because Viggo has been known to nip the help. :)
I told him last night that it's really amazing to me that we've done all this from a very tired idea I had while shoveling ice off of tarps. I'm ridiculously pleased with both houses...or, as we're calling them, Prototype 1 and Prototype 2. :) Harley and Parker have the better floor height, so they can get under it (we may raise Luke and Justine's later), but Justine and Luke have the better roof height so that I don't bang my head on the beams and the lamp feels safer. And I especially like that the Justine/Luke house actually holds up the big cables where all the lines for outdoor electrical stuff goes over...they've been propped up with all kinds of stuff to keep the dogs from thinking they were hanging play-toys, so I'm glad they're safely out of the way now.
I may have a few more pictures after next weekend's work and then that will be it till I get more money to build another one. But to have two done before March is over? Awesome. :)
So...pictures ahead...
Justine's lying beside the house here...this is before I put the tarps up. As you can see, we figured out how to get the heat lamp IN the house safely, which I'm very pleased about.
We couldn't finish the sides, so I've had to put tarps to cover the triangles on each side that still don't have plywood because it might rain Tuesday. The tarp in front, though, will stay, and be used as I've explained about Harley and Parker's..to block wind, rain, cold, and can be adjusted in length depending on the weather. I'm still not sure what to do about the table, which Justine likes to lie on. She would jump up on the houses, and of course they're gone now, so I thought she might want to jump from the floor of the house to the table, but I haven't seen her do it yet and I may end up moving the table...or making her some steps. :)
Side view so you can see what I mean by triangles:
With the tarps in place:
Luke said, "Hey, I'm down here right in front of you, take my picture, too!"
Back view, taken from Harley and Parker's pen:
Both houses, taken from out in the yard...you can actually see five of my dogs in these:
Still to do:
Put the side triangles on
Nail down the roof
Put up edging on the floor to keep cedar in
Put up brackets for food bowls
Those last two also need to be done in Harley and Parker's pen, along with getting their lamp in the house. But one more weekend should get all that done. Then it's on to building a cat chicken-wire-playhouse. Yeah, I'm really going to do that. It will enable the house dogs and Luke and Justine to get out and run around in the yard without eating the kitties, and will enable me to have help with the Redheads' house when I get the money for theirs - they can't be in the pen while we're building because Viggo has been known to nip the help. :)
I told him last night that it's really amazing to me that we've done all this from a very tired idea I had while shoveling ice off of tarps. I'm ridiculously pleased with both houses...or, as we're calling them, Prototype 1 and Prototype 2. :) Harley and Parker have the better floor height, so they can get under it (we may raise Luke and Justine's later), but Justine and Luke have the better roof height so that I don't bang my head on the beams and the lamp feels safer. And I especially like that the Justine/Luke house actually holds up the big cables where all the lines for outdoor electrical stuff goes over...they've been propped up with all kinds of stuff to keep the dogs from thinking they were hanging play-toys, so I'm glad they're safely out of the way now.
I may have a few more pictures after next weekend's work and then that will be it till I get more money to build another one. But to have two done before March is over? Awesome. :)