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I have a problem with one of my dogs. I rescued a Lab last summer and I find her sitting in the middle of my pond drinking the water. She thinks it is a big water dish. How can I keep the water safe for her to drink as there is no way I can keep her from taking a dip in it on the hot days here in Florida. I even went out and bought her a pool but she insists on the pond!
The pond is in the sun so the water is always green with algae. When it is redone I will put some high plants around it to add some shade to it.
Here are some pics. As you can see the sand is collapsing in...any ideas to keep that from happening? We also have a leak, so will start with a new liner. I also want to make it bigger and add a bridge across it.
What a cute little pond! I bet it will look nice with a bridge. The water is probably safe for your dog to drink, unless you add chemicals?
I just snapped these pictures of my pond to show you what I am using to keep dirt/wood chips from leaking into my pond. I built my pond on a slope, and in the fall of '07 removed a large Quince bush that was next to the pond at the top of the slope. In it's place I enlarged the pond slightly, and added more rocks. I also added a green plastic edging-thing from a garden center; you can just see it next to the rocks. It helps keep debris from going into my pond. You might consider something like that; it could be covered up with rocks so no one will see it. Mine mostly disappears in the summer when the perrenials fill in. The edging is about 4" tall, and probably 3' long, you could buy more. There are other kinds of edgings you could try, too. You can just bury them into the ground, and leave the top exposed just enough to keep sand from draining into your pond.
I use the microbelift too and add water lettuce (you really only need a couple of the plants as they multiply like rabbits lol). Also fairy grass? Looks like little tiny floating clovers. You could also try a barley ball. I know about the labs too Mine escaped the back yard and the first place she went was the pond. I was thinking about making one in the back just for them.
I did have a pond when I lived in florida and had to get rid of it cause I noticed one morning rats and snakes coming out of a hole right next to the pond . I hated to get rid of it but had no choice cause my neighbors would have had a fit over a snake . they were two elderly ladys and I was afraid they would have a heart attack if they saw a snake or a rat for that matter . did anyone else ever have this problem ?
I have a 1000 gallon pond in my backyard. It's over 4 feet deep in the deepest end and 2 feet on the other side. I started out with Japanese koi and as they started disappearing (birds, snakes, and Raccoons) I have since moved to native fish in the area, Large Mouth Bass, Channel Catfish, and Blue Gill, all of which I caught out of a pond behind our house. I have no problems with snakes because my Bass eats them and the native fish are a lot smarter than the koi so they do get eaten by the birds and Raccoons. They are definitely not as pretty as Koi but it's a lot of fun to watch them eat. Occasionally I will throw in some feeder gold fish or a hand full of crickets and they go crazy. I'll try and post some pictures soon.
I have a 20 foot roundish pond with riverrock waterfalls. I dug a hole in the yard with a small dozer, laid down plywood (so when moose get in there they don't poke holes in the liner with their hooves. And they do get in there) quadruple lined it with pitliner and visquene, laid in and lined the sides with river rock. I use a pump but no filter. It pumps about 5 foot up onto the top of a rock pile and lands in a small upper pond. Then I laid down two big flat shale rocks so I have twin falls. It's all set in like a miniture amphitheater and the sound is awesome. You pull up into the driveway, get out and all you hear is the sound of the little waterfalls. I get mass amounts of small birds bathing in the summer, and frogs or toads (yes Alaska has them) but no ducks yet. I'm thinking of putting some rainbow trout or dolly varden in there this spring and see if they live. Last year I put in some lillypad seeds from one of the local lakes. Hoping that takes for the fish to hide in. I love ponds.
They do it big in Alaska! Have you posted any pics? I am thinking hard about having a pond here. I had a large one in Oregon, tiny in your book. What do you do for it in the winter. I am zone 2/3 so frost heave would be a concern. BTW i often enjoy your photos. DH had me looking hard at Alaska before we came here. It is just as dang cold.
A friend built a small water garden out of a couple of half wine barrels and the water flows from one to the other and back up to the top one. He has water plants growing in them and some small fish in there.
I would like to do something like that, but fish would be out of the question because we have coons here who would gobble them up.
We also have deer who will eat most any plant in the yard and I'm wondering if they would eat my water garden.
Anybody have experience with deer and water plants?
came home once and all my 6/one dollar comets that were now a couple of seasons ole and about 6 inches were massacred all over. More than 20 of them. It looked like the Blue Heron Mafia had hired out a hit. Dead fish on the rocks, in the yard floating. He got so sure of himself that he would land in the yard with me in it, that is until I turned the wiener dogs out! YIKE!
I have a problem with one of my dogs. I rescued a Lab last summer and I find her sitting in the middle of my pond drinking the water. She thinks it is a big water dish. How can I keep the water safe for her to drink as there is no way I can keep her from taking a dip in it on the hot days here in Florida. I even went out and bought her a pool but she insists on the pond!
The pond is in the sun so the water is always green with algae. When it is redone I will put some high plants around it to add some shade to it.
Here are some pics. As you can see the sand is collapsing in...any ideas to keep that from happening? We also have a leak, so will start with a new liner. I also want to make it bigger and add a bridge across it.
I'm interested in hearing the responses to this. I have a small water garden that I put in about 6 or 7 years ago. My shepherd never bothered with it at all. But I have recently adopted a 3 year old rottweiller/lab mix, and she just cannot stay out of the pond. I am working with her on some other behavioral problems as well, but I think I'm going to have to fence off the pond to keep her out of it.
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She thinks it is a big water dish. How can I keep the water safe for her to drink as there is no way I can keep her from taking a dip in it on the hot days here in Florida. I even went out and bought her a pool but she insists on the pond! 
Mine escaped the back yard and the first place she went was the pond. I was thinking about making one in the back just for them.
What do you do for it in the winter. I am zone 2/3 so frost heave would be a concern. BTW i often enjoy your photos. DH had me looking hard at Alaska before we came here.
It is just as dang cold.
It looked like the Blue Heron Mafia had hired out a hit. Dead fish on the rocks, in the yard floating. 
He got so sure of himself that he would land in the yard with me in it, that is until I turned the wiener dogs out! YIKE!
