[Ron173]

Hello everyone,

I know its not ideal to leave dogs alone and we will try to keep to a minimum.

We are going to have our puppy as an indoor dog, she will sleep inside and be with the family always, except when we are at work. This cannot be helped.

We have a fairly large fenced yard which she will have the run of, but will be left for sometimes longer periods throughout day.

The yard is currently being puppy proofed, and one of us will be in at lunchtime each day as a minimum and also when passing thru area.

Please dont tell us we shouldnt have a dog as we will give the dog our utmost attention at all times, just not when at work. Its not possible.

I'm pretty certain she will grow to understand its our away time, and her time is all the rest of it. Which will literally be every single hour we are not at work, weekends, holidays the lot, she will never be boarded, always go with us.

I'm just wondering what are the best things to leave with her to alleviate boredom in our absence, when we do have to leave her best type of bones / toys etc.

Thanks

Any advice appreciated

 

[AbbyK9]

My advice would be not to leave your young puppy (or even adult dog) outside in the yard unsupervised for extended periods of time while you are at work. While it seems like a good idea to give them "room to run", being in the yard is less than ideal for a number of reasons.

As your puppy grows, she may learn to climb or jump over the fence, or she may get bored and dig under. Passers-by will likely catch her attention and she may bark at them, which will be very annoying to your neighbors. Neighborhood kids and teenagers have also been known to taunt and tease dogs left in the yard, throwing sticks and rocks at them and the like. And lastly, someone may climb your fence and steal your puppy.

If your puppy needs to be outside in your absence, my recommendation would be to install a proper kennel run with a solid base and a roof overhead for shade, along with a dog house / covered area for her to go and get out of the weather. A kennel run that is properly built has the advantage that people will not be able to bother her as much (as it would be an enclosure inside a fenced area) and you can lock / secure it so people cannot steal her.

Personally, my recommendation would be that you crate train your puppy and crate her inside your home, or gate her off in one area of your home until she is old enough to be trusted home alone. This would be much safer for your puppy than staying outside.

 

[Ron173]

Thanks for reply.

I dont live in a bad neighbourhood, and dog theft is unheard of.

I'm in Australia.

However I hear what your saying.

She will / does have a large good kennel, shade, water.

I may look at putting in one of those overhead wire runs so she can run free but not around front or close to boundaries.

This would prob be better than a ground based tether.

Ron

 

[DianaM]

Yes, get a chain link dog kennel with a roof on it, set it in concrete too so she cannot dig out of it. This is the safest bet and how professionals build their kennels. I do second the recommendation of a crate indoors.

 

[littledmc17]

If your going home at lunch time I'd leave the little one in a crate inside. I did that with Brady.
I would neve leave any pooch outside can't trust people

 

[BlackGSD]

Originally Posted By: Ron173I may look at putting in one of those overhead wire runs so she can run free but not around front or close to boundaries.

This would prob be better than a ground based tether.

Ron

Tying them up is BAD,BAD,BAD.

Also doesn't it get pretty hot there in the summer?

 

[Ron173]

Originally Posted By: BlackGSD

Originally Posted By: Ron173I may look at putting in one of those overhead wire runs so she can run free but not around front or close to boundaries.

This would prob be better than a ground based tether.

Ron

Tying them up is BAD,BAD,BAD.

Also doesn't it get pretty hot there in the summer?

not tying up, would have huge area to run in. Yes hot here in summer, but plenty shade and water for her too.

People say not to let near boundary fences so kids cant annoy her, so not tying up, just restricting exercise area.

Ron

 

[Barb E]

I'd go with the inside too for a few reasons.
Most of the time while we're gone our dogs simply sleep

so they really don't need the run of anything.
Tying up a dog unattended is not a good idea, really bad things can happen.

 

[Ron173]

I'm not tying up, I'm only restricting her free space, and not by much.

What I'm doing is giving her the outdoor run without the dangers of boundary fences.

I think its far worse to leave a dog in a crate.

I live in a rural area. My plan was to drive 2 star pickets into the ground deep, approx 30mtrs apart and run a wire thru them, this wire will be high up off the ground, tether her to this on a light running chain, then she has all the room to run, access to her kennel, which is shade and shelter, access to water.
There is no risk from dog thiefs or anyone trying to harm her.

Once she is matured, she will have the full unlimited run of my property.

Doesn't this sound better than leaving her boxed up in a crate?

Ron

 

[BlackGSD]

Ron,

That IS tying her up! If a dog is attached to a stationary object by a leash, rope, chain, cable, ect... They are tied up. It doesn't matter if it is on an overhead cable, or a fence post. Either way, the puppy could easily be injured, get heat stroke, or be choked(sp) to death. IMO, that is NOT better than a crate.

 

[DianaM]

Quote:Once she is matured, she will have the full unlimited run of my property.

That depends. Do you know that GSDs can jump 6' fences? Ever see one scale a 9' wall? They can. Do you want to take that risk of coming home to an empty yard, either by way of jumping or by digging out? They can climb chain link fences. Some can even leverage nearby trees to get out. So when you say this is better than the crate, we say no way because when we crate our dogs, we know that when we get home, there they will be.

 

[BlackGSD]

Originally Posted By: DianaMThey can climb chain link fences. Some can even leverage nearby trees to get out.

I had one of those!

She would put her feet in the holes and climb right over just like it was nothing. This same dog also once ripped the boards off of a wood fence to get out.

 

[Ron173]

Making a kennel with an attached run area, then she has everything, not tied and best of both worlds.