Our Nursery is something we are very proud of and also I don’t think we will ever be finished with it. We are constantly finding better ways of doing things and I think to keep our dogs healthy and happy that’s what we must do. We must always be willing to change things and discover what we can do different to make something better. With that being said the beginning construction started on our nursery about 4 1/2 years ago. We decided that the only way that everything could be kept completely sanitary and disease free was to build a nursery and have a controlled environment for our puppies to grow in.We had plans for 3 separate areas with one having a larger run area than the others to accommodate an older or larger litter. That was built and doggie doors put in connecting the inside to the outside. The inside is air conditioned/heated. We started out with black coated chain link fence in the outside and gates for the inside. We purchased a stainless steel table and trashcan(can’t absorb germs) and that was the beginning. That year we had 2 litters. We used plastic pools for the mamas to have their babies in so they could easily be wiped clean. Until the puppies were 3 ½ to 4 weeks old they stayed in the pool. As soon as the first would start trying to crawl out we removed the pool and they started learning to go outside to potty. We washed down the inside and outside every day twice a day. The beginning of the next year Bella’s first litter arrived and we did much like the others for her trying to decide what we could do to make things better. Then that summer my brother and I worked almost every day in the nursery while we had no puppies in there. We found marine grade paint that we could paint on the concrete floor and walls and then everything could easily be wiped clean. What a dream that was the marine paint was the best idea. We can keep the nursery so clean with this paint. Everything wipes up perfect and it can get soaking wet and its fine. Mopping it is a breeze. We also used oil based paint on the other walls so those could be wiped down easily. After we painted we stopped using the pools and just put down towels for the first few days and we could keep everything so clean. I love to paint canvases and do crafts so I made a few canvases for the wall and we bought some decorations. One thing we are waiting to put up is big letters of CNR Farms on the main wall when you walk in. After the next 3 litters that year we found out that chain link wasn’t working. We took it all down. After visiting the trainer where we had our lab Sadie we had a new idea. We built 2 foot concrete block walls in the back and then my dad made welded wire pens. This makes it much easier to clean each individual pen and our pens are secure. Then we put some Plexiglas up in the inside on the gates and removed the wire so we can look right into the pens. Then a finishing touch was to finally put up the trim. Now that we are pretty satisfied with what we have we are starting a Phase II of our Nursery and I can’t wait to share the finished product. Enjoy these pictures of the nursery as we were building it.
The first red that ended up being too pink so we had to repaint
The first litter on the newly painted floor
Before the plexiglas
After the plexiglas
The beginning of the trim
The start of the welded wire