Dog-Proof Compost Bin

This is Maxi - Compost Connoisseur. It is for Maxi I attempted to build the dog-proof compost bin. Maxi is camera shy. To get this photo we had to distract her with the promise of a milk bone flying into her mouth, and that's what happened right after this picture was taken.

The heart of the dog-proof compost bin is a box of wire sitting on the ground. The top of the box is open and the front of the box drops down to allow compost removal. This drop-down door, when shut, is fastened to the sides of the box with spring-loaded snaps like those sold in hardware stores. There are 6 snaps on each side of the door to keep it shut.

This is the front of the dog-proof compost bin. The wire box sits on the ground. It does have a bottom in it to keep Maxi from digging under. I added wire on the right and left sides of the bin because I had 2 trees handy and plenty of wire. (You can see this wire against the tree on the left side of the photo.)

This extra wire goes around a tree on each side of the bin, attaches to the bin from top to bottom, and is staked to the ground along its bottom edge. This wire keeps Maxi from getting at the sides of the bin.

This is the side of the bin. You can see the post that is attched to the side of the bin. I used 4 posts to anchor the bin to the ground before I added the extra wire (around the trees) to the sides.

I had two old boards so I put one on the front and one on the back of the bin. The boards are wired to the bin so they can't be shoved aside. I placed an old rail at the bottom to discourage her more. The rail is staked to the ground.

We began using the dog-proof compost bin in the Spring of 1999. Maxi hasn't been able to get into it. She's looking indignant & reproachful in this photo, though you can't really see her face.

She misses stopping by every morning at 6 a.m. for free breakfasts of rancid black-eyed peas and stale onions. I shut-down the best dog-diner on the mountain!

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