I have never worried about B's being stolen… guess it could happen, but I do have padlocks on all my gates
I'm in the country and I have locks on my gates as well. You never know!
Since Bs don't bark nobody knows they're there unless thieves are watching your house which I doubt. I've had neighbors in the past that didn't even know I had a B cause she was so quiet. Put a dog door in so they can go in the house if they get scared. I have a dog door and it allows them to go in and out. They stay in all day anyway.
I just don't think I could leave my B's outside when no one is home….too many things could happen.
Just one example, Max got a bee sting and is alergic to them and he swelled up big time, scary big time.....we worried he couldn't breath properly.....his tounge was swollen. We had to rush him to the Vet, had we not been there????
Food for thought.;)
I would suggest that you have a smaller - kennel run area that the doors open to -that is in the yard - that way they will not be as available next to the big fence.
I am nervious about having animals be outside without someone home for a variety of reasons - and I'm not in a big city either. We have had a dog ring operating around and I knew someone who was working undercover and they indicated that some people can support their drug habit stealing dogs - to the tune of $1500 a week. They look for hunting dogs that they ship out to hunting guide places or GSP go to Thorasic research. Some dogs are taken for dog fighting (attackers and practice bait) Some are just lunch.
Sounds creepy but if I was going to have a dog have access to a yard when I was gone - I would make it a smaller yard within a bigger yard.
I almost never let my dogs stay outside when no-one is home. That isn't to say I think it is irresponsible for people to do it that way…I am just not comfortable with it.
A few instances in our yard, that have solidified my thinking...
-we have had a tree fall thru our fence (last fall)
-we have had a dog who never EVER dug at all, dig a hole under the fence and trot around to the front (last week)
-we have had construction workers remove a panel of the fence (they were allowed to, of course, but it was easy to do)
-we have had dogs fight over fresh kills in the yard...ugh....
-we have had a dog slip into shock from *something...we don't know what...bug bite, allergy...whatever, had someone not been there to take her to the vet, she probably would have died
-we have had one dog (same as above) pull a tarp off of a pile of a woodpile (we thought it was out of reach), get her head stuck in the one small hole in it, and be trapped for a few minutes until we could get to her. I also worry that an incident like that could cause a massive fight/attack.
So that is just in the last few years, in our safe, country yard....
It isn't worth the risk to me. But lately, I have been considering the possibility of kennel runs outside, with a small cool/warm building...that seems like a good compromise between inside crate and complete freedom in the yard.
Yes, Andrea, country is no better than city-just different. I worry too about fresh kills and stuff getting in the yard rather than them getting out!
From 1981 to 1983 I lived just 1/2 mile from what was the murder capital of the US, East Palo Alto, CA. The tri color B I had at that time stayed in the yard all day. Never had any problem. Like I said if there's no barking, nobody knows the dog's there.
And I have always had a doggy door for mine… 16yrs now... and never any problems... I am very comfortable with mine being out (of course truth be known, they stay in 99% of the time...ggg)... but if they do want out... it is there... we are in a very quiet neighborhood....
Mine are like yours Pat. A dog door but they're inside under the blanket on the couch all day. Go figure!
I have a doggie door for Sahara and it has been great so far, Knock On Wood, haha!!!!! I have underground electric fencing and I feel secure that she will not cross it. She has been shocked testing it a few times, but not lately. She stays in and out, and there are days that she stays outside alot, depending if my hubby is home working in the yard. I work days and my hubby works nights, but sometimes he is busy and leaves the house for a few hours. I do wonder when I come home what I would do if she was not here, but I see that sweet face laying in the driveway waiting patiently for me to come home.
