The 8th Wonder of the World: The Dog Mahal

When we moved to our new house, Scott and I decided we wanted to have the dogs be outside full-time.  Scott took that as license to design/manage/create what has become known amongst family and friends as the Dog Mahal--truly a palace for our spoiled pooches.  To say Scott went overboard would be an understatement.  I mean, they are dogs, right?  Though this "little" project was the cause of many marital "discussions" over the past 4 months, I am glad we are getting to the point where this bad-boy will be completed very soon.

I wish I would have taken a before picture...perhaps I have one somewhere?  But all it started out as was an 8'x10' cement pad, surrounded by grass.  Scott had a friend of ours bring in an excavator and dig down 4 ft, back fill it with gravel, and double the size of the cement pad by pouring an adjacent pad.  The side to the right is 4 ft deep and filled with a crushed gravel and then pea-gravel for a doggie bathroom area (yes, our dogs are trained to go to the bathroom in the same place every time...haha).  We had a separate sprinkling system installed for that area to wash down any urine so that it would filter down into the 'lime-treated' gravel. We also had a separate hose spigot installed next to the dog run for ease in hosing down their dog runs and getting them fresh water.  Scott designed the custom shed with Wright Sheds in Centerville and we had them come and build the shed on site for us.  Scott wanted an overhang so the dogs would have shade and protection from the rain.  We purchased the double-dog run from American Fence company which Scott installed in the space and then made modifications to allow space for the dog doors/entrance to the Dog Mahal.  Inside the shed, Scott and his dad built custom dog houses that are fully insulated with vents.  The tops of their houses actually lift in case we need to access the dogs from inside the shed.  Scott painted the inside of the boxes and made them 'chew proof' by using metal plating.  The dog doors are super fancy double hinged doors that should keep the boxes a little cooler in the summer and warm in the winter.  The inside of the shed also has addition storage space.

One of the major problems Scott faced when designing the shed was the seal between the concrete and the shed.  Since we will regularly be hosing down the dog runs, we needed a tight seal so the wood from the shed would not start to rot from the water.  He solved the problem by putting a large piece of diamond plating on the bottom and then he used a water resistant type grout/sealer.

Even though this project gave me some heartburn, I know Scott worked his tail off and spent hours and hours researching, planning, hiring, working, building, painting, etc., which I am very grateful for.  He really wanted to 'do it right' the first time and I think he covered all of his bases.  (Though, he would tell you it could be so much more...)  Things left to do include-installing the remote control lights on the inside, adding shelves/storage items, and convincing our dogs to use their dog doors.

And, while I was out, I thought I better take a few photos of our backyard.  It has been so much fun this summer to see what starts blooming next!  The landscaping in our yard is awesome.  Such a benefit of NOT building. :) We still need to add some flowers...anyone have ideas for perennials they love?

The first picture below is of our garden.  It is taking over!  At the beginning of the summer, Scott and I built these 2 large garden boxes in between our peach trees and raspberry bushes.  The previous owners had 6 smaller boxes but took them when they moved so we decided to do 2 large boxes with a stepping stone path around each box and in between.  So far this summer we've been getting about 8 zucchini/week and hundreds of tomatoes....So many that we are throwing them away!  You can only make so much salsa.  And, we've discovered that despite my many and varied recipe attempts, Scott just doesn't like zucchini...haha! :)

We planted 4th of July tomatoes this year.  Super juicy,  but small.  (About the size of a lime.) 

B loves our cherry tomato plants.  He goes out there to play and I'll find him getting as many as he can fit in his mouth and hands!