Ben's Future Playground

My sweet boy Ben is soon going to have an area to run free, chase balls and heckle squirrels.  This is the boy in my life, and for those of you just now following me I adopted Ben (this handsome Rottweiler) when he was 3 years 7 months old.  Hard to believe I've had him now for about 9 months.  Looking at this picture you would think he's a beast to be reckoned with.  But he is a gentle giant, strong as an ox and loves kids and people.  However, there is no doubt in my mind that if anyone was aggressive toward me or my grandson he would rip limbs off. 

Ben is not the only Rottweiler I've owned.  Previoulsy there was Shumba and Panzer and they were magnificent dogs as well.  Very well behaved and obedient.  Of course since they were raised as pups and trained well, they would stay close by and not roam.  But I missed a few years of the training of Ben.  But we work just fine and he is getting better.  Rottweilers are a sweet gentle dog, YES, it is true.  It just depends on how they are socialized, raised and what traits the parents are bred with.


The picture above is when I was outside working in the yard and Ben was tethered to a tree so he could be with me outside.  Since he was adopted with the bad and potentially deadly habit of chasing cars there was no way I could let him loose.  Besides, living in the woods he would have plenty of wildlife smells to follow.


Breaking of the ground for Ben's playground.  Yeah, it is going to be a split rail fence but there will be a mesh wire attached so that he cannot go thru the rails and it is high enough that I don't think there is any way he could jump it.    I'll be able to sit on the deck, play ball with my boy and he can have some freedom which he could only enjoy inside my home.

Being concerned with the rabbits getting free, since they cannot climb trees like the squirrels, there will be an opening at the bottom for rabbits to enter and exit.  Some of the width of the wire mesh fencing will be cut down to fit.  But at least Ben will have a playground and we can enjoy the weather outside together without fear of my boy's safety.


Yeah, that means that other critters could potentially gain entry as well but hey, anything could have entered before.  And since I've had several bunny babies given birth under my deck, and it is still happening I'm sure, wanted my bunnies to have an exit route.  ..... just LOVE my baby and mommy bunnies.

This is a picture from the first corner and ttomorrow probably most of the rails will  be up, then the wire mesh.  Then finally the gates.  There will be two gates so I might gain entry or exit to my heat pump area to the right of this picture or on the other side for me to gain entry for the lawn mower. 

I'm looking forward to playing ball with Ben out back so he can get exercise.  Unfortunately he has put on a couple pounds since being adopted and I've felt like a bad mom since keeping him so restricted in his movements.  And even when we would visit Phantom (the Rottie down the street) and be in their backyard, after about 20 minutes Ben was ready to come home.  Surely there was plenty of shade and yard around the pool area with trees and fencing, so not sure if Ben has become accustomed to his 'controlled temperature' environment or if he just wants to be at HIS HOME.  He and Phantom get along just fine and they are buddies.  But it is a nice feeling to know your special companion likes where he lives.


Sorry to bore you with doggie stuff and not hooking stuff.  But as a teaser I'll let you know that I've put my antique lion rug back on the frame and am going to update my web site (maybe tomorrow????) with the Foxy Magdalena Style mat pattern ~ Not a kit, just the pattern.


Hope you're an animal lover, otherwise this would have been a boring read.


Thanks for the visit.


Saundra