Creating a dog play park in my garden

WindfallWendy

We have found ourselves with a second dog and this one likes to be outside. He's fine to be outside but we have some steep steps and he keeps finding things to put in his mouth which is rather he didn't. 

So I'm planning on turning the garden into a sensory doggie delight! I'm thinking a sanded area, swing toys, sniffy plants, logs and tyres, and ramps. But does anyone have any tips on where such things are best sourced from? Otherwise I'm going to end up paying over the odds for 'new' stuff when I'd be perfectly happy with up cycling the stuff I'm after.

Savvy_Sue

Ask on any local sites: We've got various local FB groups (buy nothing, for example) / NextDoor etc.
 Not sure if Freecycle is still going.

kimwp

NB, a sandy area will be a great attraction for cats to leave you presents, so worth being able to cover it up.

I would have thought that changes of smell would be most interesting for a dog, so encouraging wildlife into your garden might be the way to go. Plants that change in their smells with season and time of day (maybe that's all plants). And changes of things to look at - platforms so they can see over fences. Ramps, tyres and swings sound fun, but unless they change (eg other animals leave scents) or you are interacting with them, then I think most dogs wouldn't find them that interesting after first sniff, so might be a waste of time/space/money. They might be a change of scene/texture from other parts of the garden/house though.Tunnels to sit in and changes of shade/temperature (so a ramp might be good from that perspective and getting up to a platform, but similar could be achieved from steps, which you could also put plants on). A long grass area to pat down with circling and curl up in and peep out from.

I would have thought a local garage would give you tyres that they've replaced. Or a farm for old tractor tyres. 

Misslayed

My pup’s doggy daycare uses big old tyres, half buried to make a tunnel, filled with soil as planters/sand pits/digging pits, with some piled up to make a ‘mountain’. They have covered an old picnic table with artificial grass for climbing on or just for sun puddling. Lots more ideas in the Dogs4Rescue Facebook page or website, they are a kennel free rescue and they are very inventive with their limited resources. 

ButterCheese

The best place is probably FB marketplace and/or groups.  We have one called "don't dump it" where everything is free.  Bear in mind you need treated timber for outside use which is often harder to get hold of for free, unless someone is getting rid of an old shed/fence etc.  The other option (as I've seen in various commercial doggy play setups) is to use old tyres half dug into the ground.  They are hard wearing and of course don't rot - just be careful of the condition of the tyre, you don't want wire strands poking out.