Well, I finally have my computer up and running, for now!

 I kept the old page about laying the cement blocks. 
Our old Edmonton kennels.... The Great Kennel Reno 
Kennel photos from years past.... Past Kennels
Puppy pens and dog houses.... Puppy Pens and Houses

so...  here are some pics of the kennel yard. 

Photos taken Aug 2007

 
No flowers this year. Next year we will have our baskets back up again. 
We use plants and flowers that work as natural bug repellants, such as Marigolds, Citronella and Petunias.

The average kennel is 20 x 12 feet with one to two dogs in it, 
however the corner kennels and the kennels at the back are larger and can have maybe three living together. It all depends on who gets along with who.  The runs are large enough that the dogs can play and zoom about when ever they want, in their own yards. Our kennels are always right by the house for safety sake. You can see the house in the top corner.

We have nice big kennels for the dogs, and a large play yard for supervised fun. We do not leave our kids in large groups or loose in a large area, it is far too dangerous! It would only take a few seconds for one dog to find a way out of a yard and then take absolutely everyone else with them! Or, if there was a squabble over something, it could be a disaster. Picture a pack fight, or a bunch of dogs picking on one! It may be more work to keep individual kennels rather than just letting them all run amuck in a pen, but the safety factor alone makes the work and expense of kenneling them in personal runs worth it. 
After all, no one can be standing there absolutely ALL the time within arm's reach!

In the summer we use tarps in addition to the dog houses and the natural shade from the trees, however the tarps come down as soon as snow season is upon us and  stay down until we are sure that the last snowfall is done. No use putting up tarps that will be collapsed and destroyed by a snowfall over night. In Edmonton this means that the tarps go up around the end of May, and come down in October some time. Our warm, sunny months are July, August and sometimes September.

The back kennels are about 40 x 25 feet. 
I love the trees, the dogs love the pinecones!

The dogs love burning it up in the huge play yard, but I have to mow it!

I will be adding more info on the kennels, flooring, fencing, dog houses etc as soon as I get a chance.