# Puppy Conditioning Yards



## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Ok breeders, what do you use for puppy environmental/conditioning play yards? And how big of an area do you use for them? I am thinking of installing one in a few weeks for this Bouvier litter. Looking for ideas...


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

At my house they have either a 6x6 or 6x12 kennel that they can stay in during the day when I'm gone. This is in the garage, where they are safe from predators (2 and 4 legged). How big it is depends on how many pups are in the litter, and how old they are. If I have a really large litter, I have a couple of outdoor kennels that are pretty secure I can leave them in, with an adult dog either in the kennel or loose in the yard. 

When I'm home, their puppy play yard is about 80x90, ie my entire backyard  I have lots of stuff back there for the pups, it looks more like a dump then a yard LOL But they have tunnels, a-frames, piles of lumber of all different shapes/sizes to climb on, the metal sheets from an old shed stacked in a pile (they slide around, make weird noises, etc). There are toys everywhere of various types/materials. Kiddy pool with water in it, a couple of kennel panels or xpens laid out on the ground, a tarp, etc. I have a couple 2x10 boards that can be propped up against a rise in the ground to make a little balance beam. Basically anything I can think of that they can climb in/on/around or play with. In their indoor pen, where the adult dogs won't just come along and tear things down, I also have penny jugs with rags attached to them hanging from a pole across the top of the pen, other various toys and noise makers attached to the sides of the pen, etc. They are attached for two reasons. 1) the pups can play tug with them, even if no other pup wants to play 2) it keeps them up out of the shavings by just a few inches, which keeps them cleaner, vs a pup running around with the toy then dropping it right on a pile of poop.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

That's what I'm thinking, then mix it up every few days. Tires, branches, plastic tarps, boxes to explore, and dirt to dig in...


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

If you have the room, pups love to find and dig up their hidden toys in a big sandbox.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Thanks Bob, room I have and I'm looking for different things to use. I am kicking the idea around of something my friend said, streamers overhead. Old milk jugs with the caps off and burlap sacks are two other items to keep them busy exploring!


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

Just bumping this back up for my own interest! Pictures would be great!


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## Rebecca Santana (May 16, 2007)

With my current litter I also set up a gated area in my kitchen so that they can be around most the same objects but deal with regular household noises and be visited by adult dogs and kids. It has been interesting so far the different reactions from yard, sunroom (aka dog room), to the house at 5 weeks. So far this litter is much more sensitive than my last. Where these pups are keen on who is around and where they are and my last litter showed indifference to almost everything. I'm curious about this being mostly genetics because of always trying to provide a lot of environmental stimulus.


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