The Dog Yard and Housing

The Dog Yard

In summer, shade helps to keep the dogs cool, and a breezy location helps keep bugs away. In winter, a sunny area protected from winds helps to conserve the dogs' energy. Planning your dog yard to allow you to do your chores efficiently gives you more time to play with your dogs. Locating the yard so you have a safe take-off and where you can harness up in the middle of your dog yard may also be things to consider.

Each dog should be provided with a tangle-free 5-foot chain radius or a 75-square-foot enclosure, at a minimum. More space is even better. Beware of gravel in dog yards. Although some mushers say they have no problem with this, some dogs have died from rock ingestion. Sand, fine gravel, wood chips, coarse wood shavings, and wooden platforms are options if your yard is on sloppy ground. Covering the ground with sturdy fencing before adding the surface material will discourage digging. Concrete surfaces in kennel enclosures may cause foot problems for some dogs.

Cleaning up dog waste every day makes the dogs' environment more pleasant and helps control disease (such as parvovirus) and parasites. This also makes the time you spend with your dogs more enjoyable. Methods for disposal of dog feces include decomposition, hot composting, burial, or removal to a landfill. Check with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation or a similar agency for options in your area. Removing all foxtails from the dog yard also reduces infection problems.

Some dog yard extras that you might consider include a tall (5-foot minimum) fence around the yard to allow you to let your dogs run loose together. This is great for socializing if you don't have any fighters. A fence also contains loose dogs and excludes stray dogs, stray children, cats, fox, moose, and so on. Lights in the dog yard make winter chores and emergencies easier to handle, and a simple, heated dog barn is excellent for whelping and for the care of sick or injured dogs.

Keeping the Peace

If you live near other people, it is important to teach your dogs to be quiet. Respect for the rights of other people for peace and quiet makes for happy neighbors and promotes a positive example for the sport. Dogs bark for a reason, such as to get your attention, to communicate to other dogs, or to announce a visitor (moose, fox, human, and so on). A daily howl can express happy communication in the dog yard, but dogs can be trained to be quiet most of the time.

Look for the reason they are barking and then train them to bark only at acceptable times. Some methods that work include (1) providing a positive experience when they are quiet; this takes a lot of work, but the success is most satisfying, both to dogs and to mushers; or (2) providing consistent negative training when they bark, such as ear tweaking, a dousing from a squirt gun in summer, hitting the top of a dog house, or a vocal reprimand. You must be consistent and correct them even at 3 A.M. if you want to be successful. If all else fails, and you can't seem to get a dog to be quiet with out more discipline than you feel is healthy, you might consider having your veterinarian perform the simple surgical procedure of debarking.

Dog Houses

Each dog should have its own house that is raised a few inches off the ground. The house should be large enough for the dog to turn around and relax in, but small enough to conserve the dog's body heat in cold weather. A wooden house or plastic barrel works nicely. Although you must beware of foxtails, straw or hay adds insulation and comfort for the dog in the winter. Contrary to what was once believed, dogs do not grow thicker coats in houses with no insulation.

Replace the hay if it gets wet and replenish it every few weeks. Also, in winter, dog houses must be continually dug out and placed on top of the snow so that they continue to be useful and safe. In summer, remove straw to prevent irritations from mold and dampness. You might consider constructing your houses with removable roofs or floors to make changing straw easier.

Some other design options to consider include a flat roof, which provides comfortable sunning and relaxing. You might also place the door half way up the wall to help keep the inside dry and hold the straw inside. A trim board around the door helps keep male dogs from peeing through the door and discourages chewing and chain wear around the door. (Be sure to avoid paints and stains containing lead and other toxic chemicals.) Constructing dog houses with drywall screws makes repair work easier. In addition, a water can should be secured to the house and cleaned regularly.

Note that forcing a dog to live without a house does not make for tough dogs. Instead, training under adverse conditions will provide both musher and dogs with whatever experience is necessary. Even when sled dogs spend the night away from home, they should be provided with some type of ground cover, straw or spruce boughs, for instance. The use of straw, insulated dog houses, and even heated dog barns during cold weather will not inhibit the growth of a dog's coat. To the contrary, dogs kept in a warm, comfortable environment will require less food to maintain body weight, will have more energy for running, and will recuperate from minor injuries much more quickly.

Dog Chains

If you are using a pole-and-chain system, a strong chain at least 5 feet long rotating on a pole is needed to secure each dog. Space the poles so that adjacent chains don't overlap and so that dogs can't tangle or strangle each other. Placing friendly dogs next to each other, however, encourages them to play and brightens the spirits of the kennel.

Strong snaps are essential. Look for those that are durable, easy to open with gloved hands, and difficult for the dogs to activate. A "bull" snap is reliable because it requires the pin to be pulled out and rotated to open it. Of course, snaps and chains do wear out, so replace them before they cause problems.

Consider using a simple rotation system on the top of each pole, giving the dogs more freedom to move. A 4-foot pole (with another 3 feet buried in the ground) will hold the chain above most snow accumulations. (If your snow conditions are deeper, provide taller poles.) It is important to use two swivels in each chain to avoid tangles and possible choking, as well as saving wear and tear on the chain and snap.

One simple stake-out system uses a piece of rebar with a 90-degree angle bend and an eye for the chain welded on the end. The arm of the rebar slips inside a pipe pole, allowing the rebar to swing in a complete circle. Another possibility is bolting the end ring of a chain to the top of a beveled wooden post.

A long picket chain can also be used to secure individual chains. This is a good option where it is difficult to plant posts. During heavy snow years, the picket chain must be raised on the poles or trees at either end, or the snow must be continually removed. The picket chain should be at ground level and must be secured very well at the ends and at each four-dog interval so that the dogs don't jerk each other around. A swivel connecting each dog's snap to the picket chain helps to prevent tangling.

Heat Pen

If you have an unspayed female, you will need a heat pen to prevent unplanned litters. Plan enough space in the pen to contain all of your unspayed females at the same time, since females tend to stimulate other females' heat cycles. Six-foot-high walls and a secure gate are minimum requirements. A fenced-in roof keeps climbers out, and burying about 2 feet of fence or rimming the pen with boulders helps discourage digging.

Chain and house the female dog in the pen so that she can't jump over the fence. If you decide to breed your dogs, it's also nice to have a pen large enough to accommodate a pair of dogs. Note that heat pens can also serve as puppy pens later on.

Whelping and Puppy Pen

See the Whelping and Puppy Raising section.

On-the-Road Housing

Dogs should travel in safety and comfort, whether in dog boxes, airline crates, pickup truck beds, or the backseat of the family car. Dog boxes should be large enough for the animal to stretch out in and should have dry bedding and adequate ventilation. When a 50-pound dog curls up, it will take up only an 18-inch circle, but when a dog has just run or is hot, it will stretch out and fill a 40-inch-deep box.

Dog boxes should be solid, have easily operable latches and locking devices, and be securely attached to the truck for the dogs' safety. Boxes should not be open or vented in the back of the truck because the vacuum created behind the truck can suck in exhaust fumes.

For the average Alaskan husky, each dog's compartment should be a minimum of 34 inches deep, 191/2 inches wide, and 221/2 inches high, although the larger, the better. The door should be a minimum of 14 by 17 inches with a vent of 9 by 11 inches.

Some mushers believe that dogs are more comfortable when doubled up in larger boxes. If you wish to do this, be sure to match compatible companions. For 50- to 55-pound dogs, the box should be at least 24 inches wide.

If you carry your dogs in an open pickup truck bed, it is important to secure them so they cannot fall or jump overboard. In cold weather, wood or bedding material should be provided so they don't sit on cold metal. Airline crates are good if available and are preferable in summer because they provide more ventilation than standard dog boxes.

When traveling, dogs should be taken out several times a day. The dogs are usually good for eight hours at night as long as the vehicle is not moving. Some dogs require their bedding to be changed every day, and others not until the straw has broken down. Drop chains should be kept short to avoid entanglement. Leaving the drop chains or plastic-coated cables on the dogs while traveling keeps the snaps thawed.

While on the road, as at home, keep water buckets clean when obtaining water, and avoid parking where other dogs have been in order to avoid exposure to diseases and parasites. It is best not to store smelly food and equipment in motel rooms for the sake of your hosts. It is also important to most motel owners that mushers rake up straw and other waste and disposed of it properly.

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