Do you leave your dog(s) in your yard when no one is home?

[IllinoisNative]

Since I don't have a yard, no. LOL!

I grew up with a fenced in yard and Huskies. We NEVER left the dogs unattended, even though they were quite comfortable being left alone, because they were escape artists - learned that the hard way. Because of that experience, I would never dream of leaving my dogs unattended in a yard.

Now, with having a shepherd, my dog won't stay in a yard alone. I take him to houses with yards and, if I go inside, he's outside howling to get to me. He won't let me leave him unattended.

He has no desire to be where I'm not so it's never been an issue. I velcro dogs.

[DangerousBeauty]

I have a nice size yard so I use to leave mimi out half the day. I would do things in the house that I had view of the yard and check on her. She never would leave the yard. I do not have a fenced yard but I am also not near other people really. lol. Baron I have left in the yard for only ten minutes by himself and watching from a window. I watch him look at the field and then look at the house as if trying to decide if he wants to go frolic. lol. He has always made the right choice then I come out and reward him for going to the porch instead.

So basically I leave them out but not completely unsupervised. I like them to learn to make the right decisions as silly as it sounds. I think it really pays off. One day I had left the window down too much in the car and had Baron it it. I stopped at my brothers work and neglected to put it up. I was only running in to give him a drink. I started talking to my brother when in trotted Baron! He came right to me! I was SO grateful and sick to my stomach that I was stupid enough to leave the window like that. But I think teaching him to come to me when outside is beneficial. Otherwise he probably would have explored outside for a bit..and who knows what would have happened!

[JazzNScout]

I have two neighbors -- one next door -- who do not work and who keep their eyes out for them, and, no, they are never left out in heat. But I know I will not have this situation forever.

[ken k]

I never leave them unattended

[AbbyK9]

From me, the answer would be a resounding "heck no", even if I had a fence around my yard. I don't have a fence - we're in the country on 74+ acres and my dogs don't go out unless I am there.

Leaving a dog outside in a fenced yard sounds like a good solution, but it very often leads to nuisance behaviors, such as digging or barking, because the dogs get bored and start finding things to amuse themselves with.

Then there's also the fact that dogs each year get stolen from their yards, or teased by children, or killed. If memory serves, there was a member on here whose dog started lunging at passers-by after a while because kids were throwing rocks at it and teasing it with sticks. Another member's dog, again if memory serves, was killed by someone who went into the yard and shot it.

[KMSlemons]

I live on an acre of land that is not fenced and I never, ever let my dogs out unattended. I take them out on a leash to potty and bring them right back inside afterward. I have read too many stories of dogs who were stolen while the owners were away, so I am paranoid as all get out. I too also worry that someone would poison my beloved babies or even tease them if I were to do that.

[Myamom]

Never ever ever ever (and I have a very secured fenced in yard)
...for all the reasons stated above!

None of the rescues I belong to would adopt to someone that did either.

[mass18th]

Growing up, we let our dogs have free reign of our back yards. Normally, because they were military housing, the yards were slightly bigger than a postage stamp.

One of the first things that my dad did when he retired and bought a house, was put a doggie door in for his Spitz. After their Spitz died, they had two Dalmatians that also used the door. Currently they have two small breed dogs, also using the same door. We used the doggie door a few times when we came to visit and no one answered the door, sending in my little kids to unlock it.

Myself, the last dog I had was an Australian Shepherd mix - that hated coming inside. She enjoyed the outside way too much and would sit and wine at the door until we let her out.

With our GSD (3 weeks in counting until we get her), we don't plan on letting her out on her own for quite some time.

When we do though, it will be easy enough to watch her. We own a raised house (1st floor is really the second floor) with windows that overlook the entire yard.

[cagirl]

I use to but now I am so worried that Riley will jump the fence and leave looking for me I dont leave him out.

[W.Oliver]

When we are not home the GSD is either with us or in her crate. Very seldom, when it is a quick trip somewhere, we may leave her sleeping on the couch in the house, but never, never outside home alone.