Our home and the kennel building, designed and built by Ron Milks! Being married to a Mason has its perks!
The front of the kennel building. Of course it needed to match our house!
Only the best for our dogs!!!
Only the best for our dogs!!!
The breezeway between the house and the kennel
Inside the kennel
Each dog run has a Kurnada dog bed and access to the outside dog runs! The floors and masonry walls were covered with epoxy paint. The chain link fencing has 1 1/2' wire mesh, and the dog doors are 21 inches high. The top of the indoor runs have a plywood covering which is great for extra storage.
Dog proof locks on the kennel gates
Stainless steel wash tub with and instant on hot water heater. I made a diagram of the ultimate wash tub to scale using one of our labs and then searched the internet. I could not believe it when I found this wash tub at Groomer's Best which was exactly to my specifications!!! Yes, you guessed it...I'm the daughter of an Engineer!
Here is what Ron used to attach the tile to the wall. Of course we are going to have tile for splash boards. Masonry, masonry, masonry, what else?
First you put adhesive on the back of the tiles...
Here's a close up for you...
Then you tape off the wall to keep the mortar confined so it does not get all over everything.
Then you find a good looking mason to apply the mortar.......lucky for me I know one!
Don't feel bad if you get it messy.....so does a mason!
This is the whelping area in the kennel. The whelping box is at the rear. Since this photo we modified the whelping box so it spans the width of the back wall and is not so big from front to back. This modification gives the bitch more area outside of the whelping box so she can lay on the floor to cool down if she needs to. We set up an inflatable matress and sleep in the room with the pups for the first week. A lot of time is spend with the pups while they are here then they are moved to the puppy area inside the building.
The photo above shows the inside puppy area with the divider fence in place. We general move the pups from the whelping box to this area so they can run around in a heated area. The divider is removed and the doors are blocked when they are young, then they are allowed access to one of the doors to go outside with their Mother when they are older and when the weather warms up. During their development the pups are brought inside the house where they are exposed to the vacuum, the adult dogs, cats, and all the noises and smells of home!
Puppies playing in the inside puppy area!
They made it to the outside puppy run play area! Notice how the door is tied open? We start off with it fully open then gradually close it over time until they learn how to use it by themselves!
We also put a pipe tunnel in the run to get them exploring and started for agility!
The outside kennel runs
Aluminum swinging doors for inside/outside access for each run. Notice the soldier course of brick above each door? I really wanted this and Ron said nobody would noticed so I HAVE TO point it out! Looks great!
Now you prep the area and add the supports for the roof system.
Setting up forms for the concrete slab. Notice the red stripe in the middle of the photo? Ron put in a drain system that goes the width of all of the runs. This makes for an easy wash down since the runs are sloped to the drain. The blocks you see in the front are for a split face fence that will divide the puppy yard from the kennel walk way.
Here the concrete is being pumped to the dog runs.
The slab is being finished.
Add the roof....
Put in the kennel fencing, add a short fence for the puppy yard, and here is the completed walk way!
Notice the arborvitae? Next we will remove the arborvitae and put up a privacy fence to keep the noise down for the neighbors!
Notice the arborvitae? Next we will remove the arborvitae and put up a privacy fence to keep the noise down for the neighbors!
Privacy wall for noise reduction
Arborvitae's are out and the wall has begun!
Split face block! I Love them!
Looks like it is done!
No, now it is done! Ron increased the height of the pilasters to make it more regal looking.
We also added a security gate!
We also added a security gate!
Exercise yards
Ron building the gate for the puppy yard at the back of the kennel building!
Ta Da! Just like that! The puppy play yard, compliments of Ron!
Two fenced play yards for the adult dogs! They need room to exercise too!
And now a concrete entry!!!
We removed the arborvitae in the dog yards and put in a fence and side walks so when the dogs fence run they can keep their nails worn down! I like it!
In 2013 we added sprinklers to the dog yards as well as some trees, little leaf lindens!!! If you look closely to the far right of the dog yard and in front of the horse you can see the white wrapped bases of the trees we planted. You almost need your Inspector Gadget glasses to see them!
Let's wait a few years for the trees to develop and then take a look!
Let's wait a few years for the trees to develop and then take a look!
2016 Aerial photo of our beautiful facilities
To think when we bought this property in 1992 it was only pasture!
We have come a long way building our dreams! I can't wait until the little leaf lindens in the dog yards are big like the tree in our front yard! The dogs sure will enjoy more shade during our hot summers in Walla Walla! Yeah, they have it really hard here with nice long dog runs that go into their air conditioned kennel building!
Poor deprived dogs....
We have come a long way building our dreams! I can't wait until the little leaf lindens in the dog yards are big like the tree in our front yard! The dogs sure will enjoy more shade during our hot summers in Walla Walla! Yeah, they have it really hard here with nice long dog runs that go into their air conditioned kennel building!
Poor deprived dogs....