Install a pool.

A great way to spend time outdoors, especially when it gets warmer, is by the pool. Furthermore, owning a pool does not require spending a large amount of money. On the contrary, you can have an inflatable pool or a stock tank. Even if you can’t swim as you would in a large pool, you can still enjoy spending time in the refreshing water.

At the same time, if you already have a pool, you can upgrade it. You can add a covered area near it, such as a lovely pergola, and furnish it with seating selections. With a few seats or wooden benches and a coffee table, you will have the ideal spot for socializing with guests. For staying in the water, you can have some pool floats. You can read a book or float on them while sipping your favorite cocktail. Now, that is what we call a fantastic backyard staycation.

Assemble an outdoor kitchen.

During hot days and evenings, everyone prefers to spend more time outside. And the best part is that you can do almost all of the activities in your backyard, including cooking. All you need to do is to set up a summer kitchen. Set up a dining space, bring out a grill and a cooler, and you are ready to go. If you want a kitchen that you can use all year, get kitchen countertops with a built-in refrigerator and a gas grill. In addition, you can make the kitchen area even more delightful with a bar. It will be the ideal setting for you to showcase your bartending abilities to your family and friends. Simply ensure that these constructions are sheltered from the elements and place them under a gazebo. That way, you will still be able to spend quality time outside, even if it’s a rainy day.

Create a relaxation corner.

One of the reasons we go on vacation is to disconnect and relax. However, until you can go on that vacation, improvising something at home can work. For instance, you can create the perfect relaxing staycation right in your backyard. Find a peaceful corner of the yard and convert it into a relaxing oasis. To transform your backyard, place a hammock between two trees, build a small water fountain, plant some grass and flowers around it and create a beautiful space for leisure. You can even bring out a speaker and play relaxing or meditation music. Also, if you practice yoga, this will be the perfect spot to get in touch with the elements. Exercising on the grass near a fountain will bring you joy and inner peace. This corner might even become your favorite place in your backyard.

Put your deck to use.

If you don’t want to make changes to your yard or don’t have the space, but you do have a deck, put it to use. Decks can be transformed into spaces for relaxation, socializing, or dining. Based on what use you want to assign it, choose the right outdoor furniture and accessories, and get creative with the design. A swing or a rocking chair, a small bookcase, and a table, for example, can be used to create a reading corner. If you often host game nights, you can put together a table with enough chairs and a trunk that can serve as storage space for your favorite board games. Also, during chillier evenings, you can bring out pillows and blankets and make the place cozy and comfortable. All your guests will be delighted to spend time outdoors in such an inviting space.

Make the backyard fun for the whole family.

If you have children, you take them with you on vacation. But if you aren’t leaving your home for that vacation, you can bring it to them in your backyard. After all, your entire family could benefit from a staycation now and again. As a result, make a play space for your kids in your yard. You can set up a swing, make a sandbox, build a treehouse, or a playhouse. In addition, if your kids like spending time in the water, you can set up an inflatable pool or a lawn water slide. Just imagine all the fun your kids will have every day.

At the same time, we mustn’t forget about the other members of our family that could also use the outdoor space of their own. Our pets need pampering every now and then, and an outdoor kennel can be just what they need. A kennel can be a peaceful, comfortable, and shady area where dogs can stay cool on hot days. Just make sure that you choose the right size for your pet’s kennel, and he will have the perfect place of his own.

Use light to dictate the atmosphere.

To create the perfect backyard staycation, you also need to think about summer evenings and nights. Spending time outdoors on a pleasant evening can be a great way to relax after a long hot day. So, why not use lights to make your backyard that much more enjoyable in the evenings? You can use hanging lights for the trees, fairy lights on the poles of the wooden structures, and solar lamps by the walkways. That way, you will have enough light to see and do activities in the backyard at night. Additionally, consider adjustable lighting to control the brightness or hue of the lights and create different atmospheres. And if you want to create a more intimate and inviting ambiance, go with candles.

Final words

As you can see, you can easily create the setting for the perfect backyard staycation. All you need is a vision for your backyard and lots of creativity. But if you lack inspiration, try putting some of our ideas into practice.

Images used: https://unsplash.com/photos/s8ebg13PGIM

Image Courtesy of Pixabay

Spring is the perfect time to reorganize, clean and refresh your home while getting rid of the dust and clutter that tends to accumulate over the winter.  However, spring cleaning doesn’t just have to be for your home, it can also be for your dog’s home as well.

There is no better time than the spring to get in and deep clean your dog’s outdoor kennel. Whether you have a single dog in your home’s kennel, or operate a commercial kennel, keeping a clean space is of the utmost importance.

Here are our top 6 easy quick and clean kennel spring cleaning tips that can keep your pet’s home clean, sanitary and healthy for your dogs.

1. Start With a Deep Clean

If you really want to deep clean your dog’s outdoor kennel for spring, the first thing you should do is to get everything out of their kennel. This means everything. Cots, supplies, extra leashes, beds. Take each individual item out and clean it. Sometimes, when it comes to dog kennels, owners only pay attention to the big areas.

However, small items, sleeping surfaces and other products in the kennel can get dirty, hold bacteria and smells or they may become unsafe. Plus, when you remove everything from the kennel, it makes it much easier to hose down these spaces.

Once you have everything out of the kennel, you also have the opportunity to check your space for cracks, chipped paint or any other small repairs you may need to make.

Images Courtesy of Pixabay

2. Organize and Your Dog Supplies

Everything out of the kennel? This not only makes it a great time to clean all of these items, but it also gives you the opportunity to clean our and organize everything that is in your kennel. Whether you are storing leashes, food, grooming supplies, or anything in between—this is a great time to reorganize everything in the kennel.

This will help you take inventory of what you have (or don’t have) in your kennel so you can keep this outdoor space well-organized and as functional as possible.

3. Check Your Concrete

A lot of kennels are placed on or around concrete slabs. When you are cleaning your kennel, make sure to inspect any of the concrete that may be around your kennel. Damage from freeze-thaw cycles can cause concrete to expand and eventually crack. If you use salt to melt ice around the concrete, it can also attract water and cause cracks.

If you have a lot of cracks in any cement around your kennel, it can actually be an open invitation for insect and rodent problems. This is why it is so important to repair cracks in any cement around your kennel.

Just use a scraper to put epoxy in any damaged areas and seal up holes and cracks which will prevent additional damage.

4. Disinfect Thoroughly

Real cleaning isn’t just about sweeping out dust, debris and dog hair. It is also about disinfecting your kennel space so it stays safe and healthy for dogs. Organic materials such as soil and urine can actually decrease the effectiveness of many products, so it is important to use the right cleaning product.

Bleach is an effective disinfectant, but make sure to not overdo it. The best cleaning agent will be a diluted bleach (1 cup of bleach per 5 gallons of water). However, once you use this mixture to clean your dog’s kennel, make sure to rinse completely with water This is because bleach can be corrosive to your dog’s skin and paw pads.

5. Double Check Your Dog Doors

The dog doors on your kennel are an important part of your structure. However, because they get a lot of use, dog doors tend to show wear and tear. A lot of dog doors aren’t chew-proof or resilient.

Check on your dog doors, make sure there aren’t cracks or gaps that could injure your dog. While you are checking these doors, make sure that you are using a disinfectant spray to keep the doors super clean—it will only help them stay sanitary and last even longer.

Of course, this is also why we offer upgraded dog doors with stainless steel edging that can withstand the efforts of even the most aggressive chewers.

6. Check Your Grooming Tubs and Sinks

 If you have an upgraded kennel with a grooming tub or sink, make sure to pay close attention to this area. Grooming is such an important component of housing multiple dogs, which is why we have this upgrade available for our commercial kennels.

Check the piping and the faucet and under the tub to make sure that there are no leaks that need to be repaired. Leave the water running to make sure that there isn’t so much dog hair in the drain that it has created a clog. This way you will know if you need to snake the drain or call a plumber so it doesn’t cause a more serious issue.

After giving your sink or tub a good deep clean, use caulking to seal the edges of your tub to keep it in tip-top shape.

Here at Horizon Structures, we know that there is a lot that goes into cleaning your dog’s kennel, but that it all starts with the right structure. This is why we have created kennels made with premium materials designed with easy cleaning in mind. We know that in addition to having a functional kennel, a clean and sanitary structure is just as important.

We hope you keep these cleaning tips in mind so you can continue to keep your dog’s home the safe and healthy space it was designed to be.

Regardless, special care is needed to keep these dogs safe and to protect others from them. Kenneling can be a great solution for reactive dogs, but it’s essential that it’s done appropriately.

Here are some tips to help you kennel your reactive dog safely and keep them happy.

Why Might You Want to Kennel a Reactive Dog?

Reactive dogs are often frustrated dogs. In this case, it may seem that kenneling will only worsen rather than improve the situation.

However, when done properly, kenneling can be a valuable tool for improving a reactive dog’s reactivity and keeping them safe. Here are some times when kenneling is essential to caring for the reactive dog:

• Protect service people or guests. Your reactive dog may do just fine with your family, but they may be very reactive to strangers. Kenneling is a way to safely get your dog out of the house and protect them from the stress of being around strangers and protect your guests from a potentially aggressive dog.
• Crate and rotate. Sometimes, two dogs that previously got along very well suddenly become intensely aggressive with one another. When families are unwilling to part with either dog, crate and rotate may be the solution. A kennel is a perfect way to keep both dogs safe and comfortable during alone time and alternate giving them time with the family.
• For training. Sometimes, a reactive dog can’t be trusted with the family until they have been trained. This may be true of severely resource guarding dogs or dogs with unpredictable aggression. A dog kennel for reactive dogs is a safe place for them to relax and have their food or toys where you won’t have to worry about stumbling into their space and causing an aggressive episode.

Place the Kennel in a Private Location if Your Dog is Reactive to People

A reactive dog’s behavior may worsen if they are constantly exposed to stimuli that cause a reactive response. If your reactive dog’s kennel is near a path or driveway, close to a road, or somewhere that they are constantly exposed to gardeners, service people, etc, they may constantly be triggered and feel the need to respond.

The person who is triggering the aggression will typically go away after being barked at, either because they are frightened away by your dog or because they simply go away in the course of their own business.

This reinforces to your dog that barking and behaving aggressively caused the person to leave, which makes it much more likely that they will bark and behave aggressively again. Furthermore, being unable to reach the target of their reactivity can be very frustrating for dogs, which can cause the behavior to intensify over time.

Kenneling your reactive dog somewhere that they will frequently be triggered by people nearby can cause reactivity to get worse or cause reactivity to turn into real aggression. Try positioning the dog kennel for reactive dogs behind a privacy hedge, in the back of your property where people are unlikely to go, or use landscape fabric or another type of privacy shield to keep your dog from seeing people near the kennel.

Keep Dog Reactive Dogs from Seeing One Another

Place reactive dog’s kennels back to back instead of side by side. If a dog reactive dog is kenneled in such a way that they can see the other dog in its kennel all the time, it will constantly be triggered and frustrated, causing a lot of stress and elevating aggression.

It is sometimes thought that by allowing dogs to see each other, the aggression will be reduced over time, but this is very rarely the case. In fact, when people want dogs to be aggressive to each other, such as in the case of illegal dog-fighting, dogs are typically chained up just out of reach of one another. Over time, the frustration of not being able to get to the other dog escalates aggression.

Even dogs that are not initially aggressive towards other dogs may become so if kept just out of reach of one another.

If you have two kennels, you can place them back to back so that you can conveniently tend to both dogs without them being able to see each other or sharing a fence.

If you have a dog that is reactive to another dog on your property, you may “crate and rotate” so as to give both dogs time out of their kennel to run and play safely. A kennel can be a great tool for such a lifestyle since it gives dogs plenty of room to stretch out and be comfortable when they’re contained.

However, it’s essential that the dog who is loose isn’t allowed to antagonize the dog who is in the kennel. Dogs can cause an astounding amount of damage to one another through a fence, so don’t count on the fence keeping your dogs separated if they would like to fight.

Furthermore, allowing one dog to approach a kenneled dog will be very frustrating for the dog in the kennel, which can make aggression worse. The best solution for this situation may be to keep the dog who is in their kennel in the interior portion, where the loose dog can’t approach.

This is the perfect time to give your dog a chew toy or a stuffed food distributing toy to occupy them in the interior portion of the kennel until the other dog is put up or in the house.

Try a White Noise Machine or Music

Dogs have extremely good hearing. You may find that your reactive dog is triggered by even the slightest sounds from the road, a neighbor’s property, etc. If your dog is heavily triggered by the sounds of people or other dogs nearby, it can be helpful for some dogs to have white noise playing in their kennels.

A white noise machine isn’t expensive, but it can make a big difference in reducing reactivity in your sound-reactive dog. It is certainly still possible that your dog will hear sounds they react to over the sound of the white noise, but for many dogs, it can be surprising how big of a difference using white noise can make.

Some dogs seem to be soothed by music, so this is also an option to experiment with to see if it will reduce the level of reactivity.

Design the Kennel to Avoid Contact with Dogs that are Reactive to People

If you have somebody who takes care of your dog who your dog is reactive to, it is essential that the kennel can be thoroughly cleaned and food and water supplied while avoiding contact with the dog.

Perhaps you have a dog that resource guards or is unpredictably aggressive that you are working with. Maybe you can interact just fine with a dog but someone else in your family triggers aggression.

Whatever the case may be, it is important to be able to provide care without contact if necessary. Choose a kennel with a guillotine-style door so that the dog can be locked in the inside or outside portion so that the other part of the kennel can be cleaned safely.

Food and water dishes that can be accessed from the outside and slipped into a designated door enable you to care for your dog without risking a bite as you set a food or water bowl in the kennel.

Double Doors for Dogs That Need to be Contained on Leash or Have Barrier Aggression

Often, a reactive dog needs to be handled in a particular way. Perhaps a muzzle needs to be put on before you go on a walk or you need to attach both a collar and a harness to be absolutely certain that your dog won’t escape from your control and hurt somebody on a walk.

In such cases, it’s a good idea to choose a kennel that has a two-door setup so that you don’t have to worry about your dog pushing past you and getting out of your control. You can go into the kennel space, close the outside door, and then let your dog out of their kennel.

This way, you can safely get your dog geared up for their walk without worrying that they will shove past you and cause a problem.

This is also a great solution for dogs that have barrier aggression. These dogs may behave aggressively if you try to approach them directly in their kennel, but may be fine if allowed into a neutral space with you.

Eliminating the moment when the door must be opened and the dog handled allows the dog to come out of the kennel in their own time, interact freely with you in the neutral space, and be calm and easy to handle when you are ready to put on their leash or other equipment.

Choose a Very Secure Kennel

It may go without saying that it’s extremely important that your kennel doesn’t fail when you have a reactive dog. The last thing that you want is a dog that is out of control to break through the fencing, cause a door to open, or otherwise get loose.

The kennel you choose should have secure locking mechanisms on the doors that your dog won’t be able to figure out how to open. Flooring should be chew resistant so your dog won’t be able to chew or dig a hole out.

Fencing should go all the way up to the roof of the kennel to prevent a dog from climbing or jumping out. Chain link is fine for many dogs, but for very powerful or persistent chewers, it may be better to choose welded wire to make absolutely certain that your dog won’t be able to break loose.

Use a Kennel to Your Advantage for Your Reactive Dog

A kennel can be an amazing way to train a reactive dog and keep them safe and happy. However, careful planning and management is essential to kennel the reactive dog safely and effectively. By keeping these tips in mind, you’ll set yourself and your reactive dog up for success.

Many people dream of living off the land. If you’re a homesteader with as little as one acre, monetizing your hobby farm is an achievable goal. “Homesteader” generally refers to someone who farms their land to live self-sufficiently, while hobby farming is often viewed as a recreational activity, but the fact is that homesteaders and hobby farmers exist on the same blended spectrum. Wherever you fall on that spectrum, with branding, marketing, and careful management, your homestead can become a profitable business, thanks to this homesteader’s guide to hobby farming for profit from Horizon Structures.

Branding Your Hobby Farm

Regardless of the scale of your farming operation, branding is a critical part of building a successful business. Branding differentiates the products and services you provide from those provided by your competitors. Your brand image plays an important role in your ability to set premium prices for your products and inspires loyalty when it resonates with your customers.

There are four main tools businesses use to build their brand image.

• Logo. This is the biggest identifier for any brand, and it represents the personality of your business.
• Slogan. Short messaging statements communicate the mission and features of your hobby farm.
• Colors. Color schemes evoke emotions and influence customer perceptions of your brand.
• People. The mannerisms and behaviors of anyone who represents your business have an impact on how your brand is viewed.

Marketing and Running Your Hobby Farm

Marketing covers not only promoting your farm-raised products but also conducting market research. The marketing process begins by researching what other farm businesses are doing in your local community and seeking to understand the buying habits of your target customers. Ask yourself which farm products are in high demand in your area and which products are in oversupply. Then choose your product offerings accordingly.

The next marketing step is to set a price point that is appropriate to the quality of your products and provides a sustainable profit margin for your business to thrive. Then you can start working on promotional strategies. The most cost-effective promotional channels are social media, blogging, and email marketing. Your business can maintain a website or social media page through which you can tell the story of your hobby farm business, post updates, and advertise your products. Other options for promoting your business include in-person marketing and paid advertising.

In terms of day-to-day operations, you can streamline your business and save yourself lots of time by taking advantage of high quality pre-made structures – and Horizon Structures can get you set up with everything from chicken coops to greenhouses.

Last but not least, consider adding custom labels as part of your brand. Luckily, you can use this free online label maker to keep everything clearly marked and avoid confusion down the road.

Managing Your Hobby Farm

If you’re looking to add more fresh air to your life while doing what you love, hobby farming for profit is the way to go. Every homesteader’s hobby farm business is unique but they all require careful management and planning. Building collaborative relationships with other farm businesses can help you learn from their successes and mistakes, as well.

A good coop location will be convenient for you and safe and healthy for your hens. It will also enable your coop to last a long time. Fortunately, all of these concerns can be broken down into a few key questions to keep in mind when placing your coop.

1. 1. Distance to your house – It may seem obvious, but placing your chicken coop as far as possible from your house, especially depending on how large your yard is, is probably not the best idea. That makes for a long walk with eggs, feed, cleaning supplies, and anything else that might need to get out to the coop. (If you are able to have a shed or other storage space right by your coop, this math becomes different.) However, it can also be a problem if you place your coop too close to the house. Chickens, after all, can sometimes be loud and are always smelly. Even when you are making a conscious choice to have them in your backyard, you may come to regret having them in your immediate backyard. Finding a balance between these two things is important in placing your chicken coop.
   2. Level ground – There are two different things to consider when thinking about placing your coop on level ground. The first, potentially more obvious one is that it should be on fairly flat, sturdy ground. A crooked coop is clearly no good for anyone, and you also do not want to come out one morning and find your coop has started sinking into quicksand. The second is water drainage; placing your coop on low ground could potentially be placing in a swamp, especially if you live in a particularly rainy area. Finding higher ground, if possible, or adding drainage to your yard, if necessary, will help keep your hens high and dry and healthy.
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   3. Foraging areas – No matter how much you feed them, hens love to forage, and placing their coop near good foraging areas will help keep them entertained, exercising, and well-fed. Good foraging areas have lots of plants, but none that might be toxic to your chickens – bracken ferns, azaleas, foxglove, and bulb flowers like tulips and irises are all common culprits. They also have a wide variety of plants that will be flourishing throughout the year; a foraging area is no good if it explodes with flowers in the spring, but leaves nothing for your hens to munch on in the winter.
   4. Sun and shade – Finding the right balance of sun and shade for your chicken coop can be tricky. Too much sun, and your girls spend the high summer months roasting and potentially developing heat stroke. Too much shade, and they can develop unhealthy sleep patterns and fail to produce the necessary hormones for egg production. Ideally, your coop and run will have a balance of sun and shade that will allow your chickens to switch between the two and regulate their own temperatures. Failing this, err on the side of too much shade, as warming up a coop is easier and healthier than letting your flock suffer in the heat.
   5. Availability to predators – No matter how sturdy your chicken coop is and how much hardware cloth you string around it, there is still the possibility of a hungry predator trying to turn your girls into dinner. You can reduce this possibility, though, by placing your coop away from anywhere that might make for an appealing hiding or resting place for predators. Low shrubs, woodpiles, and other ground-level hiding places will be attractive to snakes and rodents, while overhanging branches can harbor owls and hawks. Avoiding both of these will help keep your hens as safe as possible.

Placing a chicken coop is not always the first thing on a first-time chicken keeper’s mind when they start setting up for a flock, but it is an important decision that will affect your chickens’ health and wellness for years to come.

Choosing the right place for your coop is crucial in allowing you to raise happy, healthy hens.