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

[JazzNScout]

I have always let my dogs be in the yard unattended about 1/2 the day. Whenever I get a new dog, I slowly introduce this and do my "yard scan" to check for escape routes. I have a 6' wood fence -- not a privacy fence -- that has a 4' chain link fence on the outside (my neighbors' fencing). I feel really secure about those 3 sides of my yard. The two pieces facing the front have extra wire nailed down, and I buried some concrete, rugs, you name it to prevent digging (it's sandy here in Florida).

I just got a 12 week old puppy. Of course I am not leaving her out there with no one home because God knows what could happen -- snakes, injury, whatever. She loves it out there with the other dogs, and she snoozes on the lawn furniture OR tips over the water dishes and lies on the tiled lanai in water!

So, finally, my real question: If you leave your dogs unattended in your yard, at what age did you feel comfortable doing this?
While I have always had dogs, I haven't had a puppy in 10 or so years, and I don't remember when I felt comfortable leaving the youngster in the yard with the others without me home. I know I'll get a feel for it, but wanted to hear from you all what you do.

[JakodaCD OA]

I have never left my dogs unattended in my backyard. Mine is also fenced but just to many things we never anticipate 'could' happen.

If you do leave your dogs unattended, I hope you do not leave collars on them. Very dangerous if one gets a collar stuck on something, or multiple dogs start fooling around and get their jaw tangled in the other's collar...There are some threads here warning about leaving collars on unattended dogs..

So, sorry can't answer your question

[Dawn]

I never leave Raven unattended in the backyard when I am not home. If I go out she is crated.
I have a 6ft stockade fence...but you never know what may happen.
She came to our shelter as a stray twice ( even though they only had a 4ft chainlink fence which I think she climbed right over)...so I do not take chances.

[Jax's Mom]

We don't have a yard but if we did, I wouldn't leave them out either. I'd be afraid of them getting stolen, poisoned, a diseased animal wandering into the yard, etc.

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

I don't leave my dogs out unattended either - to me they are only slightly more intelligent than puppies (not just my dogs!), and similar to leaving a toddler out alone unsupervised, in my mind. All the things that the puppy can get into - snakes, digging, etc are things that they would also be likely to get into. Not to mention what can get to them.

Plus, more than 2 = pack and they can do some pretty nasty things to each other, not because they are bad, but because are animals.

In Florida heat, I would guess that it would be advisable, if you were going to do this, to wait until your winter?

[Elaine]

Never, never, never, would I ever leave my dogs unattended in my yard for even a second, much less half the day. Way too many bad things can happen from someone stealing them, poisoning them, dog fight, barking and annoying the neighbors. Keep your dogs in the house if you can't watch them.

[heatherr]

I don' have a big yard at my house, its a small concrete slab. I let Whitman out to go potty, but watch him from inside and let him back in as soon as he's gone.

When I visit my Uncle with his yard, the most they are ever unattended is a minute or so for me to run inside to get water/use the bathroom - and usually at least one other person is there, so they are never left unattended.

[ba1614]

No, I'm on 200 acres and none of my dogs have ever been left out unattended. I know it's hard for some here to believe, but not all property owners let our dogs just run wild.

[BlackPuppy]

No. Never.

[doggiedad]

i never leave my dog in the yard
whether we're home or not.