How to Build a Dog Pond

Just like humans, dogs also like to sit in water to cool off the heat of summer. If you want to provide your canine companion with a watering hole, building a dog pond is the ideal solution. However, there are some factors that you need to take into account before starting the construction.

For instance, you must have a suitable location (at your property) to build the pond. Similarly, you need to consider the size and depth of the pond according to the breed of your pup. Once all these calculations are done, you are all set to build a pond for dogs.    

DIY Dog Pond

Rocks are always an amazing addition to backyard ponds because of their biological look. You can make the most of this natural chemistry by making a dog pond out of rocks. Here’s how you can do that.

Materials Needed for Foundation:

• Masonite Board (you can also use other types of hardboard)
• Stakes
• A hammer
• Concrete
• A rake
• Rebar

Materials Needed for Building Walls:

• Mortar
• Rocks
• A trowel
• Water
• A shovel
• A piece of PVC Pipe
• Ball Valve
• A PVC cutter or saw

Materials Needed for Waterproofing:

• Waterproofing chemical
• A paintbrush or a roller

Directions for Making Foundation

1. The very first thing that you need to do is to build a boundary wall for the pond. For this purpose, cut a few strips of Masonite board and fix them into the ground. You will need to use some stakes to provide support to these strips.
2. After that, you need some concrete to make the floor of the dog pond. You can either mix it yourself or rent this part out. You will need a rake to push and spread the concrete in the pond area.
3. Once an inch of concrete is spread across the pond, insert some rebar for strengthening purposes.
4. Now, add and spread another 1-inch layer of concrete on top of the rebar and let it dry. Usually, we leave the concrete for an overnight.
5. When the concrete has dried, the foundation of your dog pond is ready. The stakes and the Masonite board should be removed because they are no longer needed.  

Directions for Building Walls

1. Next, you need to mix some mortar to build the walls of the pond. The mortar will serve as a glue to stack the rocks on top of one another. Start by building the back wall.
2. Use a trowel to apply mortar to the back of the rock that you want to use. Similarly, throw some mortar to the place where you want to place this rock. Ample amount of mortar should be applied to each rock so that it could come out from the sides of the rock. This extra mortar is useful during the water-proofing phase.
3. Once the back wall is complete, start making the front wall. You will need to use larger rocks for the front wall and a shovel will be required to apply the mortar. The trowel will be used to spread it evenly for the rocks to be placed.
4. Insert a piece of PVC pipe that will be used to drain the pond. Attach a ball valve at the end of this pipe to control the flow of water. Use a PVC cutter or any saw to cut (and remove) the extra pipe from the pond.
5. After the drain is set, continue to build up more layers of rocks in the front wall until you are happy with its height. You can also make some steps to complete the construction.  

Directions for Waterproofing

1. Use a waterproofing chemical to seal the pores of the masonry and create a barrier. Make sure that the chemical you are using is not toxic to dogs.
2. Finally, fill the pond with some water and let your dog enjoy!