Do you ever leave your dog outside?

[lakotasong]

Unless it's supposed to downpour all day, the house dogs get put out in the front kennels (separate from the sled dogs' kennels) before everyone goes to work. I'm home a lot, but on days where everyone is gone, we check the weather and go from there. If our house dogs stay inside, they're in their crates.

My retired sled dogs (except my 16 year old Alaskan, Nika) live outside full time and have access to the barn and their indoor kennels, or they can go outside in their yards (8 foot fence, with buried fencing to prevent digging). So they pretty much do whatever they please.

Archie, Nika and the 11 year old Wolfhound mix I've been baby-sitting for my buddy (he's in the process of moving to the next county) tend to have free run of the entire barn during the day, and can can go in my end of the house if they wish (we're in a ranch house that was subdivided for boarders that used to live here when we ran a horse stable). So they can either wander around the barn or snooze on the dog beds that litter my floor, LOL.

Our property is set back from the road, we own a large farm. There is almost always someone home (I am not the only one who lives here and we have more than one house) and this is why I feel safe in leaving them outside unattended. I don't think I could do it if I lived in the city, I don't trust the general public enough. I also have the property covered in Private Property signs. Got a couple of those "Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again" signs too

 

[borgorn]

Very rare have I done it. When I let them out to go to the bathroom I stay and watch them until they come in. I have a kennel and sometimes I leave them in that but not for long. I can't let them have the whole yard in case the neighbor kids bug them. There was a time when everytime I let the dogs out the little brats would instantly run over to the fence and call the dogs names yelling at them. They throw things at them and my dog snapped on one of them when he poked him with a stick. I'm not getting sued and my dog put to death because these brats can't leave them alone so I stand there the whole time they are outside.

I would never leave my dog out overnight either. Also when I was a kid(I found this out years later.) The nighbor would shoot my dad's dobermans from his bedroom window with a bb gun. ya some time later I ran into the dude's brother and he was laughing about the past when we were kids and he told me that his brother always did that. He said they would be huddled against my house yelping. To this day and that was many years ago I have been waiting to run into this guy. It's a small world.

 

[borgorn]

I wish I could let Andy out by himself, but I never do. If he's outside, I have to be right there beside him. Our neighbors run an in-home daycare and the kids would always come over and let our old dog out. Plus, most of these kids love to yell and hit things, so I don't want Andy getting hurt while I'm gone.

Nice um. Horse.

 

[Doberluv]

"Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again" signs too

ROFLOL!!! I need to get one of those. Tee hee hee. It sounds like you live in a great place and soooo many dogs. They're beautiful. Nice photo Summitview.

I live in the wilderness of north Idaho and have acreage and forest service land...thousands of acres around me. There are a couple neighbors, but not close. I am well off the dirt road and my dogs stick around my yard area and occasionally run up the bank behind my house into the woods. But they stay on my property, in fact mainly in the yard part, sometimes the pasture a little bit. So, yes...I leave the big dogs out unattended if I'm home. My dogs are never left outside if I'm gone, even to the little corner store 1/2 mile away. My Chihuahuas, I have to be careful with on account of birds of prey but my two big dogs romp and run around out in the yard and come in and out as they wish. I'm the door man. LOL. My hinges need WD-40 all the time from over use. LOL.

 

[borgorn]

ROFLOL!!! I need to get one of those. Tee hee hee. It sounds like you live in a great place and soooo many dogs. They're beautiful. Nice photo Summitview.

I live in the wilderness of north Idaho and have acreage and forest service land...thousands of acres around me. There are a couple neighbors, but not close. I am well off the dirt road and my dogs stick around my yard area and occasionally run up the bank behind my house into the woods. But they stay on my property, in fact mainly in the yard part, sometimes the pasture a little bit. So, yes...I leave the big dogs out unattended if I'm home. My dogs are never left outside if I'm gone, even to the little corner store 1/2 mile away. My Chihuahuas, I have to be careful with on account of birds of prey but my two big dogs romp and run around out in the yard and come in and out as they wish. I'm the door man. LOL. My hinges need WD-40 all the time from over use. LOL.

If I lived in the country I would let them outside unattended when I was home. But in the city I won't take the chance. Maybe some day I can buy a house out a ways, but for now I'm stuck where I'm at.

 

[girlbuffalo1]

I was just thinking

I was just reading through this thread again and I must say I am rather suprised by the number of folks who are afraid/leary of letting their dogs be in a good fenced in area alone for a short amount of time....

Most people in our subdivision let their 5 year olds run around in the street with no supervision.....just shows the difference in people eh?

 

[Amstaffer]

Depends where I am. I live in Milwaukee and Pit Bulls or dogs that even remotely look like Pit Bulls would be stolen in a heartbeat* if you left them outside unattended. In Milwaukee my dogs never leave my direct eye sight.

However when I go to visit my family way out in the country I will leave them out alone for short periods of time. These areas are all very well fenced yards and they run with either my mom's cockapoo or my sister's aussie sheps. All of their "cousins" are big barkers so even if a Woodchuck comes by, I and anyone in a half mile will know.


*You think I exaggerate? http://www.todaystmj4.com/_content/n...story_3672.asp

 

[borgorn]

I was just reading through this thread again and I must say I am rather suprised by the number of folks who are afraid/leary of letting their dogs be in a good fenced in area alone for a short amount of time....

Most people in our subdivision let their 5 year olds run around in the street with no supervision.....just shows the difference in people eh?

For me like I said it's the neighbor kids and bb guns why I don't. If not for that I would. I won't take a chance. Not to mention people feeding them. Also there's a difference between a poodle and a rottweiler. If a rottweiler nipped someone who is teasing it. What would happen to the rott?

 

[borgorn]

Depends where I am. I live in Milwaukee and Pit Bulls or dogs that even remotely look like Pit Bulls would be stolen in a heartbeat* if you left them outside unattended. In Milwaukee my dogs never leave my direct eye sight.

However when I go to visit my family way out in the country I will leave them out alone for short periods of time. These areas are all very well fenced yards and they run with either my mom's cockapoo or my sister's aussie sheps. All of their "cousins" are big barkers so even if a Woodchuck comes by, I and anyone in a half mile will know.


*You think I exaggerate? http://www.todaystmj4.com/_content/n...story_3672.asp

They take people's dogs here too.

 

[PWCorgi]

Nope, I live right in town and I don't trust people not to snatch up the corgis. We put Mollie out just hoping that someone will take her...JUST KIDDING! We only have a little white picket fence, so someone could easily just reach over it and take one of them. There is also a neighborhood boy who is 6 and runs all over town by himself. He will come in our yard without asking and when the the dogs bark he'll get in their face and go "What you barkin at? Ya wanna FIGHT!" . Mollie dislikes him, but Izzy and Frodo love him and always give him kisses, they're great guard dogs . So no, they are never outside w/o someone being with them.

 

[bubbatd]

I've always left my dogs out in the yard for as long as they want to be outside . Fenced in of course. Never when I'm not at home though . I would hate to live in fear of having them stolen and not giving them the quality of life they enjoy. Even when mine had 8 wooded acres and a stream to roam in the country , where would they be ??? In the kitchen with me .

 

[StillandSilent]

We don't have a fenced yard, but we used to tie the dogs out for an hour or so when the weather was nice. Then the neighbors Rott started coming in our yard because they didn't supervise her. This was after she had killed another small dog. So we quit doing that, and now it's just supervised leash walks.

 

[moxiegrl]

Katie is lazy and prefers to stay in and sleep during the day. She likes to be outside at night, but we never leave her outside while we're gone. Id be panicked knowing she wasnt in the house. She can come and go when she wants though, like Grammy Im just the door opener.

 

[lakotasong]

There is also a neighborhood boy who is 6 and runs all over town by himself. He will come in our yard without asking and when the the dogs bark he'll get in their face and go "What you barkin at? Ya wanna FIGHT!"

What a little turd. You should tell his parents about invisible fence systems. *Giggle*

 

[tessa_s212]

We have a doggy door and a huge fenced backyard. The dogs are allowed to come and go as they please. Most like to spend their time inside. But, we do have three that like to spend more time outside than everyone else. Marq, Misha, and Summer. Marq and Misha go out to play and chase birds, and Summer just likes to sun bathe.

 

[borgorn]

What a little turd. You should tell his parents about invisible fence systems. *Giggle*

Wow. That's alot of dogs. Do they sleep in or outside?

 

[Doberluv]

It would definitely depend on where I lived if I left the dogs out unattended. There could be the risk of theft or the dogs being shot at or who knows what?

I know a Dobe breeder who let her dogs run in their pasture and was outside, but went in for just a moment to get some doggie treats out of the oven. When she returned, one her dogs, a very valuable and loved champion show bitch was gone. It broke her heart. She said that the dog was so friendly that she'd go with anyone. From then on she decided to train them to not go with anyone. This was in a countryish place, but still somewhat nearer to the city....more populated than where I am.

Where I am, stuff like that just doesn't happen. There's virtually no crime. I leave my doors unlocked when I leave if it's not for a long time. You can leave your car running by the little store or leave you keys in the ignition. It's still like that here. But I don't feel safe still leaving them if I'm gone. My place doesn't have a good fence, only a partial one and there are wild animals around...back up in the hills behind me. So, if I go anywhere, even for a short time, they're always inside. And there is still a tiny risk of theft...not so much local people, but tourists. It could happen, although not too likely. But in the city, I wouldn't take my eyes off of them.

 

[dojo]

I don't leave my dog outside unless I am with him. He's not used to wander on the streets so I try to keep an eye on him all the time.

 

[iheartsammy]

I leave them out for a little while, but not everday and not that long. They actully seem to enjoy their time outside! but not too long!

 

[Lizmo]

We leave our dogs outside while we are gone on trips(we live in a VERY safe neighborhood with people that we know all around us). We have a dog door that goes from the back yard(we have a big fenced in yard)to the garage where their food, toys, milk bone, water, beds, ect are. Then we have neighbors that are watching them all the time when we are gone then once a day we have a pet sitter come over in the yard and garage to make sure that they have plenty of water and food and to of course PLAY and love on our doogies!!! Our dog do go out by them selves but most of the time(since it is very hot in Alabama in the summer time)stay in the house.