Need a temporary dog run, suggestions?

The new place I'm moving into has a huge yard, but it's only 1/2 fenced in by an old picket fence. I would like to make an area for the dogs to run. I'm tired of putting them out on a tether one by one by one. My dogs are small. The biggest one is 25 lbs.

My idea is to get some 5 or 6 foot T-posts, 48" welded wire fencing, and make an area large enough that they can run around like little idiots. I would like to make a makeshift gate with the fencing as well, so I can get my mower in.

I want to do this until we can afford to maybe get a real fence.

Has someone done something like this? Any suggestions?

Also, I need something like a baby gate for the deck. the deck has two sets of stairs, so the dogs can't get out the one side. The other side would go down to the dog run. Anyone have a suggestion for that as well?

Came to suggest T posts and welded wire fence...That's what I used until I scrounged enough cheap, used chain link to make a permanent fence.

How wide are the stairs? We have a "lever action" baby gate that works quite well, but only goes to 48" or so wide.

Looks like this:

http://www.babybeachrentals.com/images/baby-gate-pet-gate[1].jpg

Can help much with the fence idea other than the suggestion of deconstructed pallets.

What I did for our dogs is mount two posts in the ground. They are the distance of the old dog tie out cable, maybe 30ft. Mounted the cable to the top of the posts, but added a length of plastic drain pipe on the cable. The pipe then separates the two dog tie out chains, keeping the dogs from tangling in each others line. At the same time it lets them run back and forth to either side to bark and birds, neighbors and shadows. I also put a hose clamp on the cable before the posts to keep the dogs from getting tangled on the posts as well.

Oh and I move the posts around the yard every so often to keep the grass from getting to torn up, and to change up the dogs barking agenda

My neighbor is a veterinarian and has a tread mill inside a small pool; a plexi container filled with water. He uses it it for therapy after surgery and for pooches with arthritis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTuu6eZ2cKk

bgkast wrote: Came to suggest T posts and welded wire fence...That's what I used until I scrounged enough cheap, used chain link to make a permanent fence. How wide are the stairs? We have a "lever action" baby gate that works quite well, but only goes to 48" or so wide. Looks like this: http://www.babybeachrentals.com/images/baby-gate-pet-gate[1].jpg

We have a couple of those, but I see those ones that actually mount to the wall for like stairwells and such. I just don't know if they are weather proof. We would be using the other side of the deck all the time because its the access to the driveway.

In reply to SyntheticBlinkerFluid:

The gates that don't bolt up won't hold up if a dog puts pressure on them. We have the wood ones and have to yell at the dog to stay off or else he will push it over. He is about 12lbs for reference.

There are some nice metal baby gates that bolt up out there too that should be weather proof.

When I need to setup a temp barrier for my dogs it is normally T posts and cattle panels. They go up quick, can be held together with bailing twine and they are tougher than regular welded wire. My dogs can tear up regular wire fairly easy and if you don't stake down the bottom there is enough flex they can normally find a spot to push out. Cattle panels are rigid so you can even use a cut section as a gate.

It really depends on the dog. My current dog will climb a 6 foot chain link fence to get out. Past dogs would dig under. Others could be kept contained by a couple of strands of ribbon.

I did similar with some stakes and deer netting for young 15 lb dog and passive 45 lb dog. Time for an idea gathering visit to Tractor Supply or Rural King.

Watch CL free section for used chain link? Talk to a fence company, see if they are re-doing a chain link fence?

$75 - done http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/for/3864605498.html

My brother in law has a wireless invisible fence thing. You plug the base unit in and you choose 100/200/300 foot radius. It works great and you can move it to another location as needed. I think he paid $300 for it (5 years ago) but installation took moments.

Family Truckster ?

In reply to redrabbit:

That only works for a mile or so