We wanted to be able to allow the puppies to play outside even when it was muddy or if they were too young to be in an uncontrolled environment (in the yard, friends and family come and go, all the adults play and exercise, visitors come to see Rottieopolis and interview for puppies, neighbors and school kids come fro sleepovers)- there is too much traffic to allow an unvaccinated puppy free access to an environment that cannot be decontaminated/sanitized on a regular basis. I know eventually I will have this incredible puppy play yard complete with fountains, auto-watering stations, training gear and play grounds, electricity, etc.; however, with all the estimates I have gotten, I will need at least 80k to complete that, so I wanted something that we can use in the mean time and still give the pups a great way to really run around and be puppies. With a limited budget, my daughters and I almost single handedly put this thing together!! We are so very proud of ourselves!!! I cannot wait until the tree grows enough to completely umbrella over the top- that will look SOOO COOL! And the only change I think I will institute is to pour concrete over the gravel and install a center drain, mini septic, and some electricity for good nighttime lighting. I initially avoided the concrete because I thought the gravel would be gentler on the joints and more fun to slide and roll in, but the medical training in me knows that it will be nearly impossible to completely sterilize all of the gravel with any reliable consistency. But none the less, still super proud of what girl power can do!!
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