We have made Mia a playpen out of part of the pub garden. It is fairly big, approx 1/4 acre with several trees, shrub and scrub areas for her to 'hunt' in. She has a stack of straw bales to climb and survey her territory and is secure. It a rectangle shape with one short end solid fencing and the other three sides are bow top railing or stock fencing. The idea was that Mia could see everything around her and learn to cope with the world while being safe on home territory. For those that don't know, Mia is a rescue that was chained in a yard from a puppy and had zero socialisation. We have spent the last year getting her to the stage where she can be outside the home without shutting down through fear. The playpen has been brilliant and Mia loves being out there. She runs and plays freely and watching her is a joy. She has now played with several dogs of several ages in the playpen, something I wouldn't believe a few months ago. It has given her so much confidence I know believe a normal life for her is possible.
When Mia first enters the pen she checks out the boundary which is fine. I am out there with her the whole time (45 mins to 1 hour a time and at least 3 times a day) and I let here do what she wants for a while then a few minutes training, play with toys together, play 'find it' with either toys, food or me, more letting her do her own thing, more training and so on, alternating what we do. Thing is .......when she goes off to do her own thing she always patrols the boundary and has three specific points where she stops and stares. She has a route that she follows in a clockwise direction stopping at these points, so much so that she has worn a path in the grass. All three points look out of the property into the road. She will do this for a bit then pick up toys and play on her own or roll in something smelly, pretend hunt, climb the straw stack, bark at the nesting pigeon......then back to the clockwise patrol routine.
Does this sound normal.
I have never had a garden with open fencing before so previous dogs haven't done this because they couldn't see out.

Sorry I dont have an answer but what an improvement you must be thrilled.
I think we are in need of pictures of this play pen, sounds fabulous.

I put a video of her playing with a staffy in it on here and will try and find the link again so you can see. It was her first time, and yes I am thrilled with her progress.

Thank you.

Mia and Billy - YouTube

Hopefully this will work. It only shows a bit of the playpen but you should get the idea.

If anyone else looks at this vid......the three points Mia looks out are to the left of the fir tree you see in the background, she then goes round the tree away from the fence to a spot to the right of the tree, then follows the railings to the right all the way down to the other end. After looking out for a bit she skirts the collection of trees in the middle, that you don't see, but goes away from the railings into the middle of the pen, then back to the left of the fir tree and repeats.