For the past three days we have been hosting an installation crew from Stanley Fencing Inc. in Sevierville TN. In a previous post I described what we hoped to do and asked for help with the cost: we just didn’t have enough to cover the cost – and we want to get it done before winter.

The response was heart-warming. A batch of fellow dog lovers stepped up and offered generous gifts. In just 5 days following the posting of our request, we had covered our deficit and had scheduled the fence company to do the installation. They started work on Wednesday and got all the posts in and some of the top rail on.

On Thursday they came back to hang the chain-link and install gates. They ran into a couple of Oopsies: and an opportunity to show off their customer service.

1. The fella who counts out parts and bags them up for each job shorted the job 10 tension straps, so they cannot properly install the final run of mesh. Their business is too far away to have these guys go after more.
2. The fella who welds up gates made one too small and it doesn’t fit. This will take some time, so they would have to come back again anyway: might as well do it all in one trip.

BUT knowing what the fence is for – they filled the hole where the missing gate should be with some mesh and they hung the final run on the posts (just could not stretch it) to enclose the play yard, so we CAN let the dogs out this weekend — we just need to keep an eye on them around those imperfect spots. These guys did not have to put in the extra time to do the extra work: this was not their fault. I appreciate their efforts. I’m quite sure the dogs will too. That evening we did let the dogs out to play in their new Dog Park:

Run Dog Run! from Doug Bittinger on Vimeo.

How did our dogs react to their new play space? Here’s what they posted to their Facebook pages:

Cochise

We got to play in the new yard this evening. We ran and ran. And I showed them all that I AM The Big Dog. We didn’t go in until it was getting dark.
We’d ALL like to give a big nose-lick to the wonderful people who donated to help make this happen. THANK YOU!

Blondie

This morning I woke up thinking about the most wonderful dream I’d had. I dreamt that I went outside with no leash or tether. All my doggie buddies were there, and we all ran and ran, and we had the best time. It was a wonderful dream. I’d like to have that dream again.

After breakfast, Doug took us outside for a walk: it wasn’t a dream! We did it again this morning. It’s REAL! Oh, I’m SO happy!

Friday

I took the pupsters out into the dog park this morning. I wasn’t sure how that would work out: 4 dogs running free in the hundred acre woods with just me to oversee them. I wasn’t worried about behavior: they are good dogs, I was worried about gathering them up again.

I used breakfast to lure Drake and Smoky back to their pens. Actually Drake accompanied me into the shop to fix breakfast. Smokey, I had to entice. But he did abandon the green tomato he’d picked from my garden and came running for kibbles.

Now for the iffy ones. They have had their breakfast.

I called, “Cochise, Blondie, COME!” half-way expecting to have to chase them down and lead them back to the porch on a leash.

Low and behold BOTH came trotting over, through the chute up the doggie ladder and stood by the door to be let in. Of course they expected a cookie for being so good, and they got it! GOOD puppies!

The thunderstorms predicted for Friday morning did not arrive but around noon the Stanley Fencing guys did. They installed the new gate, properly hung the remaining run of mesh and finished up some details like cutting off posts on one gate and installing dome caps.

They finished up just as the skies darkened and threatened to cut loose. They loaded up the truck and were just pulling out when the clouds opened up with rain. Perfect timing!