The best thing about the Farm are its doggie yards. We are now replacing the old sand with new, to the great delight of the dogs. Digging, running, playing outside should be the constitutional right of every good dog in this world.
The purpose of these yards is for every dog to leave the cage during the working days, when the volunteers are not here. To have an experience different from the cage at least twice in a week.
The dogs take turn to be taken outside by the keepers. The youngest ones always go first, because it is most crucial for their development to get different stimuli every day. We mix different cages, change the groups, so they don’t form packs and get socialized with different friends.
One of our Telerik yards is used for a few dogs that cannot cope with living with the other dogs in the shelter building. Who they are – our poor Pisha (or Brainy) who is on mental medication for chewing her own legs, two lovely heroes you know who just recovered from skin disease – Bubka and Ruby, and crazy nut Oleg – a very nervous and aloof guy. They too will have a new “carpet” tomorrow.