On Monday I shared the crazy week we had last week getting our new deck and fenced in yard. This week we are having a quiet week with a break from construction and other than fighting off the bugs, the crew has really been enjoying the new yard! We’ve been sharing some photos but today we want to give you the full tour with views from all angles.
I tried to make a video but between swatting at bugs and having Cricket yelling at me to throw the ball, it didn’t come out too well. So I put some pictures together and we will have a short video at the end where Luke shows you that even though the fenced in area of this yard is smaller than the one at the old house, there is still plenty of room to run. Plus there is plenty of yard and land beyond this that will be explored on leashes!
- Looking off the awesome deck (more for the humans) towards the back corner.
- Walk off the deck and around to the dirt area where the first small pen was. Hopefully we’ll get grass back in that area soon!
- I walked to the back corner and turned around to look at the deck.
- Now we’re heading along the back fence to the other corner.
- Turning around to look back from that corner. You can see the old raised garden bed there. There doesn’t seem to be much growing in it, but the dogs thing it’s a cool place to jump on and off of. I’m not sure what I’ll do with it because I don’t want to take that fun away from them!
- Â Now looking towards the house from that other corner. You can see another entrance to the house (the deck is around the corner from there). There’s a brick patio surrounded by bushes, which the dogs love to weave in and out of. There are all kinds of perennials as well, but that’s another story for another day. Now look in the right corner – that’s a cool feature we added with dual purpose. Here’s a closer look:
There is another door to the house there (to the left of Luke in the first photo), and it may seem odd that it goes into the master bathroom. But you can see a hot tub there also, which makes it all make sense. The hot tub needs some repairs and we haven’t decided yet if we’re going to repair it or just get rid of it. We had a hot tub at our old house for a while, but eventually gave it away because we just didn’t use it a lot.
So what we did there was to fence off a smaller area (about 8′ x 10′) off of that bathroom for taking the dogs out at night. Cricket and Luke both get up in the night sometimes and need to go out. At the old house we used to have to go all the way downstairs and let them out into the big yard. Cricket would screw around out there (following her nose as beagles will do!) and we’d have to keep yelling at her to come back in. I didn’t like that I couldn’t see what they were doing. I thought if we had a small area like this, they wouldn’t be able to do much other than go out and go pee! And if anyone wasn’t feeling well, I could watch them to see what was going on.
You can also see that this area looks right onto the patio. If we have company, this will give Luke an area where he can be outside but separated from people that he might not be comfortable with. Kind of like a big crate (that he’s not afraid of!)….safe for everyone and more comfortable for him, so he doesn’t have to be alone in the house shut in a room. I want him to be able to see people and get used to them from a safe area. Plus if we’re having a picnic and eating I don’t have to worry about the girls cruising around begging from people or trying to steal food off tables (yes, they would do that and trust me, they’d get a lot of food they didn’t need – my family can’t resist those sweet faces!).
This will also be convenient when our construction continues. They’ll be working in the deck area, and instead of interrupting my work when I’m working at home to take them outside on leashes, I can just let them into that small area.
We bought some used fencing cheaply and we still have some of that left. So if we decide this isn’t big enough for the dogs, we can still expand. I think they’re pretty happy though, as demonstrated in the video below!
Have a great weekend!
So cute! I love that Luke leaped over Cricket! It looks like this yard is perfect for them–I totally get the not liking them to have the full yard when it’s so dark out, so I’m a little jealous of your small part, but our yard is a little too small to do something similar and still have room for some agility equipment. Hopefully, once we get our fence and she’s no longer leashed, a flashlight will help ease my anxiety!
Luke doesn’t have agility equipment, so he uses Cricket instead. LOL. I can’t wait to see your yard when you get it done, and with the equipment in it! I’ve been thinking about getting some, nothing with two much jumping but at least some things for Luke to run around. Maybe some good weave poles? I have some cheap plastic ones but I want something I can maybe leave out there. I’ve got the big tunnel out now, and Luke especially loves it.
My hubby got some solar lights that would come on automatically when we went outside, we used those when we had the first small pen that had no lights in it. It actually covered a pretty good area and was quite bright.
Nice place, fun for the dogs.
Looks like a great set-up. One thing about all of those trees are the bugs. Up at the cabin, May, June, July are horrible. It doesn’t help that there is a river nearby. This year due to the cold weather, we have not really had a lot of bugs…yet!
Yeah, we’ve already been getting a sampling of the bugs. But that’s typical spring in New England – we’re pretty used to it!
There’s wet areas here too though (thus the plan for a pond someday), and we have yet to see how bad the mosquitoes will be (so far it’s been just our spring black flies).
Loved watching Luke tear it up out in his new yard!! So happy that things are coming together well for you after your move!!
The dog trainer in me LOVED your small fenced area to be helpful to Luke and give him a safe place to participate where he can observe but not have strangers all up in his business!! Fingers crossed that it works out well for you!!
Thank you so much, Sally, it means a lot to me that you think that was a good idea – you’re the expert! I will let you know how it works out.
First I have to train my two brothers-in-law to stay away from that pen though – trust me, training Luke is easier! 🙂
Really nice space but where’s their doggie pool? Or is it because the weather’s not warm enough for it yet?
Funny you should ask that….I answered it in today’s post (which I had just written right before you asked that!).
Your new deck is terrific and the fenced yard is wonderful! The big dogs that used to live here would have sure had fun there, at least when they were younger.
I know y’all are so happy to have the room to play! It is really coming together. ☺
That’s awfully big to be called a yard! Great idea about the smaller area too! I take it the hot tub was already there, I would never think of your area so many people having hot tubs! Love Dolly
Yes, the hot tub was already here. I kind of groaned when I saw it, because it was such a pain getting rid of the one at our other house. It’s crazy how many people have them around here, especially outdoor ones.
Love that video!!!
The dogs sure are having fun…and Luke sure has a lot of energy!
Great photos AND video!! I did see Luke jump over Cricket! Ducky used to jump over Callie when she was sleeping – either in the grass or on the living room carpet – now she runs around (or into) Shadow. I really believe Luke and Ducky are distant cousins!!
🙂
When I saw that photo you posted of Ducky sleeping on her back, I realized how right you are about them being distant cousins, because Luke does that ALL the time!
I love that you made a small pen for them at night! The regular yard looks huge!!!! I loved the video too. If you keep that hot tub I’m coming over!!!!
Ha, that’s what I need to lure you over here! But then you’ll never leave….LOL.
The one thing I gave up at our current house is a fenced yard. I would love to put at least a run in for Hailey, but it isn’t going to happen, sigh!
I just can’t imagine being without one, it is just so convenient. It’s worse for you since you had one and you know how convenient it was! It was on the top of the list for what we needed to do here, and I barely survived the two months it took to finally get it!
Mr. N is jealous of your yard! He’d like some dog friends to play with in there though.
Yard looks good!
I wish my back yard was flat like yours. Ours is very hilly so no real place for Delilah to run and too hard for Sampson to get into.
I love Luke’s enthusiasm, you can tell they love being outside.
Have a great weekend yourself!
The yard at the old house was pretty hilly too. We didn’t have nearly as much usable yard for anything other than the dogs so this is really heaven here!
I’m hoping that we can redo the dog yard next year. I love your pictures; it gives me great ideas. I’d like a nice dog run and a big yard for them on our property.
It is just SO convenient to be able to let them right out into the yard when they want or need to go out. I don’t think we realized just how convenient it was until we were without it for a while!
It’s great you all are so happy in your new home!
What a fun resort you are living in. We are envious.
🙂 Resorts don’t come cheaply though!
if you can and if it is possible, repair it… I always dreamed of a hot tub…. specially this moment, covered with paint :o) the man bought electric orange to cover the screaming pink…. a little like chasing one devil with another one…sigh…
Have you shared a photo of the electric orange anywhere? I don’t want to miss it if you did! 🙂 My hubby actually picked out a pretty bright orange as well for our entry way….I’m a little afraid to start on that project!
it’s in my post today :o) we tried our best to mix it with white, but sadly it still looks like painted with a textmarker :o)
What a happy crew!!!! Definitely loving their territory and there’s plenty of room to have fun.
Hugs, Sammy