Hollywood Director’s Dogio

Movie Director Kerstin Karlhuber

Hollywood director, Kerstin Karlhuber, whose production company, Silent Giant Productions, recently released “Fair Haven the film,” to excellent reviews, hired Custom Catios to build a dogio (dog run). The Los Angeles Times called Fair Haven an “emotionally wrenching drama” with a “lovely script” and “thoughtful direction” by Karlhuber. Edge Media Network said Fair Haven was “a potent, stirring new film,” that is “meticulously directed by newcomer Kerstin Karlhuber.” In other words, check out the movie if you have not already seen it.

While Custom Catios specializes in cat enclosures, there is also demand for enclosed dog runs too. Doubly so in the hills of Los Angeles where coyotes are prevalent. Such is the case with Kerstin, who has a five-year-old golden retriever and a small dog, whose hillside home is regularly visited by coyotes.

Dogio Versus Catios

Catios and dogios are similar structures with only a couple major differences. They both need to be completely secure with materials that can withstand coyotes, raccoons and even, potentially, mountain lions. Generally, dog runs should be larger than cat structures, as dogs need more room to let out their energy. A dirt, grass, or artificial turf area where dogs can go to the bathroom is also a good idea for a dogio. Cats, on the other hand, need more vertical space to climb up and watch the world pass by below. This can be achieved with ramps, shelves and platforms, or a cat condo. A floor to ceiling sisal rope pole is the perfect cherry on top of the catio ice cream sundae. An outdoor litter box is also a best practice.

Kerstin’s Dogio

We used stained redwood throughout Kerstin’s enclosure to match a newly installed perimeter fence. The roof is half translucent polygal and half wire mesh. The thought process was to keep the dogs dry when it rains, but allow them plenty of sunshine and a cool breeze most of the year. There are an assortment of special touches throughout including a stylized door. As with our catios, the door has spring hinges to ensure it closes automatically, helping keep the animals from escaping. We also worked around a couple of beautiful trees which adds to the aesthetic. Finally, we buried wire mesh in the dirt to prevent coyotes from digging underneath the structure. Overall, the dogio / dog run / dog enclosure turned out amazing. Here’s what Kerstin wrote about it:

Read K K.‘s review of Custom Catios on Yelp

Below are before and after photos: