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

[DangerousBeauty]

not if anyone isn't home.

[Castlemaid]

I have five acres - surroundings are heavily treed, very private - dog are never out unattended. Ever. People look at me like I'm crazy: "why don't you get an outside kennel and leave your dogs out? Why don't you get an area fenced in for them, with all that property, I would!!! Then the dogs can be outside during the day when you are at work?"

I could, but I won't. As others have said, too much stuff can happen. Bears will climb 6 foot high chain-ling fences to get to garbage or other sources of food. Moose can easily jump over four and five feet high fences. Mosquitoes and biting insects make their ears bloody and their eyes puffy - I see outside only dogs in this area - and they truly suffer from all the mosquitoes!

Plus, my two LOVE each other, and get along famously. But both are strong, confident dogs. The older with an edge of dominance, the younger a working-line with appropriate defensive aggression - what if one day when I'm not there they get in a fight? Dogs that have gotten along great for years can suddenly have a serious disagreement and start a fight. Not risking it. Ever.

Plus, this way I'm outside more, I enjoy winter activities more, and I'm off exploring walking trails and finding new swimming spots more . . . and the dogs get more involvement from me.

Better than a fenced yard!

[holland]

When I moved to my current house I spent $ to fence in my back yard neither of them particularly want to spend time outside without me ugh at least I don't have to join a gym just exercise with them

[Mac's Mom]

Originally Posted by Cassidy's Mom

Found a couple more pictures -

Thanks for the additional pics.

[W.Oliver]

Originally Posted by ken k

sleeping on the couch??????

She only sleeps on the couch when she isn't sleeping in my bed!

[APBTLove]

I used to, when I was stupid(er). But after coming home twice and finding my dogs wandering about the neighborhood, four of them, I decided not to do it anymore for theirs and other's safety, some have to learn the hard way. Mine are all crated when I'm gone.

[Samba]

I have three large pens inside the fenced yard. Several can be out and they also get the run of the yard when we go out to play.

I used to leave them out in the pens until I found the remnants of bottle rockets in the pen one day. Poor dog was barraged while I was gone. My friend got her back glass door damaged from BBs a neighbor was shooting at her dog in a pen the other day.

I don't leave any of them out unless someone is home. We normally go out with them. Hogan doesn't want to go out without a playmate so he stands up behind me and pushes me out the door first anyway. If I try to go inside and leave him, he lays down and wraps his front legs around my ankles.

[onyx'girl]

We have an acre fenced in the back and never leave the dogs out unattended. They want to be inside when we are in anyway. There have been a couple times where the kids will leave and I come home, the dogs are outside, at the door waiting to be let in.
They never have collars on unless we are off property and I don't crate them when we are away. They have free run inside the house.

[ChristenHolden]

No not wile no ones homes, not any more everyone comes in and goes in there kennel. My Boy Trouble got out of the yard while I went out for 2 hrs. Like I always did I waved to him and left. When I got home he was gone. We looked and looked and looked. We put up posters. Someone found him a week later. He had been hit and fliped over a bridge gaurd rale. I drove past him sevral times and never seen him :crying: that was the worst week ever and I didn't have anything to be thankful for for Thanksgiving that weekend eather. Ill NEVER do that again. I won't leave till everyones in the house. And a head count is made. I learned the hardist way possible. And my baby is the one who paid the price! Don't do it to your self. You'll never forgive your self if something happens.

[Baersmama]

I would not leave a dog unattended in a fenced yard. i have heard stories of GSD scaling concrete walls to escape kennels.