How to Build Dog Runs With Concrete Blocks

Dog runs are used in kennels to separate the dogs and keep them in their own spaces. You can build a single run in your backyard to keep your dog in when he wants to be outside but you need him to be restrained. A run is easily built with a concrete block base for stability and fencing to create walls and a roof so your dog can still see out. You will need some basic fence and building supplies, all of which you can find at a home improvement store.

Sand
Ready-mix concrete
Water
Mallet
3-inch wide metal poles
3-way metal elbow joints
Metal elbow joints
Gate hinges
Power drill
Plastic coated chain link
Chain link braces
Chain lock or pad lock

Instructions

- 1
  Lay out a 3-sided rectangule of concrete blocks to the size you want the run to be. The blocks should be placed so the openings face up.
- 2
  Place a second layer of blocks on top of the first row and fill the holes with sand to hold them steady. Continue to place rows of blocks on top of the sand filled rows, until the 3-sided wall is 2 feet tall. Don’t fill these rows of blocks with sand.
- 3
  Mix the ready-mix concrete with water. Follow the manufacturer's instruction on how to prepare the wet concrete.
- 4
  Fill the empty holes in the concrete block with wet concrete. Tap of the sides of the blocks lightly with a mallet to make sure the concrete settles.
- 5
  Insert a 6-foot long metal pole, about 3 inches in diameter, into the concrete in each of the 4 corners of the wall shape. Let the concrete set for several hours or overnight, until it is hard.
- 6
  Arrange 4 pipes on the ground so they are in the same formation as the run but closed at the end instead of open. The long pipes should be as long as the run and the short pipes running between them should be the width of the run.
- 7
  Connect the pipes with metal 3-way elbow joints. The elbows should go in each corner, with the single armed side facing upward and left empty.
- 8
  Turn the pipe frame over so the empty holes in the elbows are facing down and place it on top of the pipes set in the concrete.
- 9
  Make another rectangular frame with pipes and elbow joints the size of the opening on the open end of the run. This will serve as the door.
- 10
  Attach the doorframe to one of the vertical posts at the open end of the run with gate hinges and a power drill. You can attach it on the left or the right, whichever way you want the door to open.
- 11
  Make the roof, walls and door by attaching chain link to the pipe frame you have built. Pass a chain link brace through the chain link in front of the pipes and push the brace around the pipe. Secure the brace with a bolt and nut.
- 12
  Attach as many braces as you need to make sure the chain link is fixed firmly and your dog won’t be able to climb out along the edges.
- 13
  Close the door with a chain lock or pad lock.

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